“Sales is more than just selling. We listen to the client and exchange ideas.”

Matthieu Gaeremynck has done it all: from service management over to consulting and finally into sales. He started at Accenture as Solution Architect and is now Senior Account Executive. “I guess I collected knowledge as stamps in a passport during the multiple years and roles. That brings the advantage that I have experience in all those levels and understand what the work really entails.”

You have been with Accenture for more than six years, performing in different roles. Before that, you have built up a lot of experience in Service Delivery. How can you put all of that knowledge to good use?

As a Senior Account Executive in Technology Services I am accountable for driving all types of Application Services sales on existing assigned accounts and improve sales efficiency & effectiveness. You could say my background is helping me a lot in this whole process. I now go out into the market and challenge clients and I stay in the loop until the implementation. So it’s the entire process that drives the customer satisfaction, which I am responsible for.

How do you see Accenture as a game changer?

I’m proud of how we address clients’ challenges. We don’t just sell them something, we listen to them and exchange ideas. They say: ‘We have a problem’. And we say: ‘How can this solution help you realise digital transformation of your business processes?’ We also look at the best practices of other clients. 

Another thing worth mentioning: Accenture has Industry expertise. We really contribute to the business objectives with technology. It’s a different operating model, an industry-based model. We have access to experts and expertise globally. If there’s a best solution for a client’s problem to be found in Australia, I can bring that solution here. We can leverage people from all over the world. And being able to hire the best people creates an exciting environment with inspiring people.

You mention “an exciting environment with inspiring people”. Can you elaborate on that?

Of course! What gives me energy is bringing all the teams together to deliver and realise business outcomes. Collaboration is key. Therefore you need your colleagues. I’m based in Belgium but I can contact virtual teams anywhere in the world.

Isn’t that complicated, working with international teams?

Well sometimes it can be challenging, if only because we are working in different time zones. For example, how do you combine evening working hours and family time? But then there’s an upside too. I get to pick up my daughter from school in the afternoon or take my motorbike out for a ride. We have a lot of responsibilities, but we have a high flexibility on how we manage those.

So you go for a ride on your motorbike to take the stress off?

Stress comes with two sides of the same coin. Every day is different, which is great. Knowing that is what gets me out of bed in the mornings. But every day being different also means you’re keeping an awful lot of balls in the air and also, even just choosing between all the interesting challenges can be quite stressful.

If you were to describe a new colleague, what would you advise?

I would have to say open-mindedness. Being open to working internationally and being eager to learn. You need to be able to think outside the box and have an inquiring mind. You learn here by asking questions of the right people.