Capgemini

Capgemini is one of the world's largest information technology, consulting, outsourcing and [[professional services companies with 61,000 staff operating in 30 countries. It is headquartered in Paris, France (HQ: rue de Tilsitt) and was founded in 1967 by Serge Kampf, the current chairman. CEO Paul Hermelin has led the company since his appointment in December 2001.

Capgemini’s regional operations include North America, Northern Europe & Asia Pacific and Central & Southern Europe. Services are delivered through four disciplines for Consulting, Technology, Outsourcing and Local Professional Services. The latter is delivered through Sogeti, a wholly-owned subsidiary.

Capgemini operates in the following industries: automotive, consumer products, retail and distribution, energy, utilities and chemicals, financial services, healthcare, life Sciences, manufacturing, public services, telecom, media and entertainment.

Buying influence

Capgemini appears to making a practice of buying in the services of former Blair advisers and ministers. First there was John Birt:

The watchdog revealed that Tony Blair's former strategy adviser, Lord Birt, was allowed to take three senior jobs, with Terra Firma Capital Partners, Waste Recycling Ltd and Capgemini UK with a ban on lobbying ministers for 12 months.^[1]

Later they employed Lord Filkin as an adviser.

Lord Geoffrey Filkin has been appointed as an advisor to the UK arm of Capgemini. He will be working with the firms' government and public sector practice, which has rapidly expanded over the past three years. Over the past four years Lord Filkin has been a minister at the Home Office, the Department for Education & Skills and the Department for Constitutional Affairs, and a government whip in the House of Lords.

Prior to that he was a policy analyst and writer, contributing to the development of Labour’s policies for local and regional government. Gareth Bunn, Capgemini’s vice-president for the government and public sector, said: 'Geoffrey Filkin brings to Capgemini significant experience and capability in addressing ministerial agendas, aligning public sector delivery with ministerial objectives, and understanding how to achieve public sector reform. His record as an innovator and reformer makes for excellent rapport with Capgemini.'

Capgemini’s public sector portfolio includes the £3bn ASPIRE contract with HM Revenue & Customs as well as major outsourcing and transformation assignments at the Home Office, MoD, DfES and at other national, local and regional authorities including the Welsh Assembly and the Scottish Executive.Source

History

Cap Gemini was founded by Serge Kampf in 1967 as an enterprise management and data processing company. The company was inaugurated as the Société pour la Gestion des Enterprises et le Traitement de l'Information (Sogeti).

• In 1973 Sogeti acquired a majority stake in its major European IT services competitor, CAP.

• In 1974 Sogeti acquired Gemini Computers Systems, a US company based in New York.

• In 1975, following two major acquisitions of CAP and Gemini Computer Systems, Sogeti renamed itself as CAP Gemini Sogeti.

• In 1981, Cap Gemini Sogeti launched US operations following acquisition of Milwaukee-based DASD Corporation, specializing in data conversion and employing 500 people in 20 branches throughout the US.

• In 1986, Cap Gemini Sogeti acquired the consulting division of US based CGA Computer to create Cap Gemini America.

• In 1991, Gemini Consulting was formed through the integration of two management consulting firms (United Research and The MAC group).

• In 1996, the name was simplified to Cap Gemini with a new group logo. All operating companies worldwide were re-branded to operate as Cap Gemini.

• In 2000, Cap Gemini acquired Ernst & Young Consulting. It simultaneously integrated Gemini Consulting to form Cap Gemini Ernst & Young.

• In 2002, Cap Gemini re-launched its Sogeti brand, creating a new legal entity bearing the original name of the company, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. The new company is focused on delivering IT services to a more limited range of markets.

• In 2003, the firm acquired Transiciel and merged the two practices into Sogeti-Transiciel (later consolidated within Sogeti in 2006).

• In April 2004, the Group reverted to Capgemini (its current name).

• In the summer of 2005,due to heavy financial loses, Capgemini sold its North American health care consulting practice, including both payer and provider practices, to Accenture but retains its life sciences practice.

• In September 2006, Capgemini acquired a 51% shareholding in Unilever India Shared Services Limited (Indigo), a provider of financial shared services and Sarbanes Oxley compliance services to the global Unilever Group. Indigo has operating centres in Bangalore and Chennai and employs around 600 staff. [2]

• In October 2006, Capgemini agree to acquire Kanbay International for for US$ 1.2 billion in cash ($29 per share). The acquisition will increase Capgemini's India staff to 12,000 employees. The deal is expected to be closed in early 2007.[3]

Acquisitions

• Sesa in France (1987)
• Hoskyns in the UK (1990)
• United Research in the US (1990)
• Mac Group in the US (1991)
• Volmac in the Netherlands (1992)
• Programator in Scandinavia (1992)
• Gruber Titze and Partners in Europe (1993)
• Bossard in Europe (1997)
• Ernst & Young Consulting (2000)
• Transiciel (2003)
• Indigo (2006)
• Kanbay International (2006)

Partnerships

• TXU - Limited Partnership
• Working Links

People

Board, 2001

the shareholders’ general meeting decided to change the corporate governance of the Group by reverting to a Board of Directors and Executive Committee, appointing 11 Board members (Christian Blanc, Paul Hermelin, Pierre Hessler, Michel Jalabert, Serge Kampf, Ruud van Ommeren, Terry Ozan, Bruno Roger, Ernest-Antoine Selliere, Geoff Unwin and Guy de Wouters), together with two non-voting members (Chris van Breugel and Philip Laskawy).

The Board of Directors, which met immediately after the shareholders’ meeting, elected Serge Kampf as its Chairman. Upon the proposal of its Chairman, the Board of Directors appointed 4 Group Managing Directors : Geoff Unwin, Chief Executive Officer, Paul Hermelin, Chief Operating Officer, Pierre Hessler and Terry Ozan. The Executive Committee will have 8 members : the 4 Group Managing Directors and 4 Group Vice Presidents : Hubert Giraud, Mark Hauser, Frédéric Lemoine and Dale Wartluft. [4]

UK spokespersons

• Mark Porter CEO Capgemini UK and Ireland
• Ian Jordan Head of Capgemini Consulting
• Eddie Short Vice President - Business Information Management
• Cliff Evans Leader - Shared Services
• Pam Maynard Leader - Technology Transformation
• Carl Bate Vice President - Chief Technology Officer - UK and Ireland
• George Yip Vice President - Director of Research and Innovation
• Dave Williams Vice President - Head of Retail and Consumer Products
• Tanya Lawler Vice President - Retail
• Matt Howell Vice President - Justice, Security and Defence
• Jason McLean Vice President - Financial Services
• Una Du Noyer Vice President - Head of Architecture and Infrastructure Source

The C4 Advisory Board

was founded in 2006 to 'provide an environment for industry players to engage in open, honest, fact-based discussion on the implications of the converging Communications industries. The Board of Advisors meets one or two times a year and, with their blend of insight and experience, shapes debate on the rapidly changing communications landscape.'Source

The Board of Advisors Members List for 2006-07 is as follows:

• Chair: Lord Birt
• Philip Rowley, Chairman & CEO, AOL Europe
• Kaj-Erik Relander, General Partner, Accel Partners
• Dawn Airey, MD – Channels and Services, BSkyB
• Clive Ansell, Group Director of Strategy, BT plc
• Arndt Rautenberg, Chief Strategy Officer, Deutsche Telekom
• Peter Bazalgette, Chief Creative Officer, Endemol
• Ad Scheepbouwer, Chairman & CEO, KPN
• Prof. George Yip, Professor of Strategic & International Management, London Business School
• Peter Erskine, Chairman and CEO, O2
• Dr. Jeffrey Sampler, Professor of Strategy & Technology, Oxford University
• Alex Kazim, President, Skype
• Miles Flint, President, Sony Ericsson
• Stefano Mazzitelli, Chief Executive Officer, Telecom Italia Sparkle
• Jon Gisby, VP – Media & Communications, Yahoo! Europe

Advisors

• Lord Filkin Source

PR people

• Tom Barton
• Katherine Powell, marketing and PR manager Source

Affiliations

PR and lobbying firms

• 2Collaborate, client.
• Foresight Communications, client in 2005
• Hill and Knowlton, client 2002
• Inferno PR, client
• Erik Bornman of Pilothouse Public Affairs, client Source
• Red Consultancy, whose staff Liz Hayes, Emma Fanshawe and Sarah Wilkinson are listed as Capgemini employees (eg here and here)
• Connect Public Affairs, since December 2013.

Corporate lobby groups

• UN Global Compact
• Scottish Business in the Community, member
• Scottish Financial Enterprise, member
• Business in the Community, member
• Café Rx

Charitable work

• Partners with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.

Resources

• Capgemini in Scotland

External links

• Official website
• Yahoo! - Capgemini Company Profile

Notes

PAUL WAUGH 'Ban Whitehall chiefs from cashing in with private firms' Evening Standard (London), Jul 25, 2006