It's Not (Only) the Technology: Capgemini's North American President John Mullen talks about the firm's client-centric transformation

Count on Capgemini North America President John Mullen to have a unique take. A few years ago, he authored a post that asked readers if their digital customer experience strategy possessed sufficient emotion. When he discusses the technological disruptions upending most industries, Mullen shares deeper thoughts on a new economic model "based on experience, utilization and trust." Last June, Capgemini North America consultants emerged from a global, six-month organizational transformation that involved highly empathetic work—more specifically, Mullen explains, how to put the client "at the center of everything we think about and then orchestrate all of Capgemini's experts around the world to move the client's agenda forward." Early returns suggest the transformation is paying off. In a recent interview with Eric Krell, Consulting's business editor, Mullen explained why he's excited by the firm's recent growth—especially in life sciences, consumer products and digital manufacturing among other sectors and capability areas. 

Consulting: What is Capgemini North America focused on this year? 

Mullen: Our top priority this year is to help our clients get their products and services to market much more rapidly and predictably. The effort has two primary dimensions. The first one involves helping clients scale and achieve the results of their digital transformation agenda—how are they driving their experience not just with customers but also with partners, particularly for clients that are moving from a product-based relationship with their marketplace to more of a services-based relationship? The second dimension involves helping clients build their organizational talent—and, frankly, the workforce between our organizations—to deliver on that ambition. Since I've taken on this role [in January 2017], talent has been absolutely foremost in how we invest for our future at Capgemini. And it's been just as important—and, in some cases, more important—to advise our clients on building their workforce of the future to capitalize on what's available to them.