Avanade Belgium’s Post

Aloha my friends! 🤙🏼 Today a non MS Build topic, but something what is very important to me. Imagine you are a young person, perhaps fresh out of university, with no professional experience. Companies always want the crème de la crème, the perfect consultant, the perfect developer, etc., preferably with endless years of professional experience. But I've never heard of a baby being born and us talking about Einstein's theory of relativity (up front, I'd probably lose this discussion). So we need time and trust in our talent so that talent actually becomes the incredible people we will then admire. Entry-level programs are therefore very important in order to have a chance to find yourself in a company for the first time. The programs can have different names, we call them Academies at Avanade. Last week, I visited Lisbon in my vacation, and also the beautiful Avanade office. I had the opportunity to meet David Mota. You ask yourself who is this individual? He was part of the very first European ERP academy we executed. And I remember him as very active and supportive during these times.    Now finally I met him in real life (which is rare as Covid changed our travel behaviors a lot) and I'm very proud to see how he used his chance and became a great consultant. Previously, he was doing another job. Lateral entrants can also bring real value to a company, so we shouldn't always focus on the one super expert. It's like many flowers that you plant, you don't know which one will end up being the biggest and most beautiful. But if you treat them all equally, you'll find out! It's fantastic that we live these values at Avanade, and I'm also happy about every other company that gives talented people these opportunities. And if these people end up in the Microsoft community like me, ole ole party! 🥳 Thank you for reading! #DropTheMic 🫳🏼🎤 #Avanade #AvanadeProud #AvanadePortugal #Lisbon #Portugal #BizApps #Dynamics365 #BusinessApplications #MVPBuzz #Academies #Yes #Ihave #BackToTheFuture #Tshirt #ILikeThatMovie #NoMoreHashtagsToday #NeedToJumpIntoACall #MyBreakWasVeryShort #HaveAGreatDay

After nearly 14 years, it’s time to say goodbye to Avanade and hello to my next adventure! It’s been an incredible journey, filled with strategic programs, re-orgs, and countless memories. Though I’m a bit sad to leave, I’m beyond excited for what the future holds—and grateful for everything I’ve learned along the way. It all kicked off back in 2011, just before I was headed to the Microsoft MVP summit in Seattle. Conversations with Sally Draper and Andy Hutchins got the ball rolling, and soon I was being interviewed by Andy Hutchins , Julian Tomison, and finally Pamela Maynard. Pam would later play a mentor role for me. Before I knew it, I was part of the Collaboration Service line as a Group Manager. I still remember travelling to Barcelona in my first week, and meeting people like Thomas Krofta, Fabio Chiodini, Steve Paxman and a few others. Great start ! Some highlights of my career: - Leading a massive program for a global energy company, where I built an amazing team, starting with the fantastic Mark McKay and Annie Kalfayan - Part of pilot for new Client Account Leads, leading UK Utilities client, working with Douglas Wood, Ross Kelly, Pavandeep Bansal others - Europe Digital Employee Experience lead, working with Florin Rotar - Working closely with Laura Malcolm, Stanley Louw, Bernardine Mason and David Maffei on a big bid, and winning ! - Working in the Partner Ecosystem with Lisa McIntosh, leading to a strategic minority investment into a partner. A first for Avanade. - Being part of the Global Modern Workplace Centre of Excellence, working with Jason Versluys - Working closely with Richard Gregory to shape our Frontline Worker proposition - Strategic joint GTM with Microsoft and Accenture, working closely with Richard Gregory, Veit Siegenheim, Gülay Vural, Lara Caldirola - Strategic partnership with HP Inc, working closely with Keith Hudgell, Patrick Daniel Husistein, Horia Domocos and Joe Findley - Integrated Go-To-Market working in the Future of Work Line of Business, working closely with Veit Siegenheim, Richard Gregory, Nicole Koelsch - Building an awesome community, working closely with Zoe Wilson, Kevin McDonnell and countless others To my career advisors—Andy Hutchins, Florin Rotar, Jason Versluys, and Paul Beaumont—thank you for your wisdom, support, and guidance. I wouldn’t be where I am today without you. A special shoutout to Richard Gregory. Whether we were working together or not, our Monday calls were a highlight, even when we started by disagreeing and ended with alignment (usually!). You’ve earned the upgrade from colleague to friend! And to everyone else who’s been a part of my Avanade journey—whether we worked closely or crossed paths briefly—thank you! You’ve all left an impact on my career and my life. There are literally thousands of people I could tag, but there is a character limit on LinedIn posts 😀 🙌 Onwards and upwards to the next challenge! 🚀 More on that shortly. #AvanadeProud

Today, I celebrate my 6th year anniversary at @Skillsoft. Time truly flies! Acknowledging this significant #milestone, I reflect on my journey, celebrate #achievements, and anticipate future #growth. Here are 5 ("P") reasons why my time at Skillsoft has been truly memorable: - #People: The camaraderie and support from colleagues have been invaluable in celebrating wins and overcoming challenges. - #Partners: Grateful for the unwavering support from all partners throughout these 6 years. - #Product: Skillsoft's commitment to innovation and continuous improvement of e-learning content and the Percipio platform has kept me engaged in perpetual learning. - #Proposition: The value proposition of Skillsoft to create a future-ready workforce excites me and fuels my passion for sharing this vision. - #Passion: My enthusiasm for digital learning and the belief in continuous knowledge enhancement for all individuals anywhere, anytime, is a driving force. Here's to the past 6 years and the anticipation of many more years to come! 🎉 #WorkAnniversary #CareerJourney

Today, I celebrate my 6th year anniversary at @Skillsoft. Time truly flies! Acknowledging this significant #milestone, I reflect on my journey, celebrate #achievements, and anticipate future #growth. Here are 5 ("P") reasons why my time at Skillsoft has been truly memorable: - #People: The camaraderie and support from colleagues have been invaluable in celebrating wins and overcoming challenges. - #Partners: Grateful for the unwavering support from all partners throughout these 6 years. - #Product: Skillsoft's commitment to innovation and continuous improvement of e-learning content and the Percipio platform has kept me engaged in perpetual learning. - #Proposition: The value proposition of Skillsoft to create a future-ready workforce excites me and fuels my passion for sharing this vision. - #Passion: My enthusiasm for digital learning and the belief in continuous knowledge enhancement for all individuals anywhere, anytime, is a driving force. Here's to the past 6 years and the anticipation of many more years to come! 🎉 #WorkAnniversary #CareerJourney

A busy summer of sport is ahead. As teams battle it out on the pitch, they will be seeking the competitive advantage. We know, to be the best you need the ability to see what others can’t, and act before they can. That’s the power of intuition. And Cognizant can engineer it. Learn more bit.ly/3nJXnH1. #intuitionengineered #cognizant

A busy summer of sport is ahead. As teams battle it out on the pitch, they will be seeking the competitive advantage. We know, to be the best you need the ability to see what others can’t, and act before they can. That’s the power of intuition. And Cognizant can engineer it. Learn more bit.ly/3nJXnH1. #intuitionengineered #cognizant

Let's meet at the #balticSummit2024 to discuss Dynamics and Power Platform processes, AI impact and tools to drive our business toward more efficiency and sustainable growth!

A busy summer of sport is ahead. As teams battle it out on the pitch, they will be seeking the competitive advantage. We know, to be the best you need the ability to see what others can’t, and act before they can. That’s the power of intuition. And Cognizant can engineer it. Learn more bit.ly/3nJXnH1. #intuitionengineered #cognizant

There's a busy summer of sport ahead. As teams battle it out on the pitch, they'll be seeking that competitive advantage. Whatever your field of play to be the best you need the ability to see what others can’t, and act before they do. That’s the power of intuition. And Cognizant can engineer it. Learn more bit.ly/3nJXnH1. #intuitionengineered #cognizant

A busy summer of sport is ahead. As teams battle it out on the pitch, they will be seeking the competitive advantage. We know, to be the best you need the ability to see what others can’t, and act before they can. That’s the power of intuition. And Cognizant can engineer it. Learn more bit.ly/3nJXnH1. #intuitionengineered #cognizant