The history of Capgemini began on the 1st October 1967 with five people surrounding its late founder Serge Kampf in a two-room apartment in Grenoble, France. What today would be known as a ‘start-up’, has developed, fifty years later, into a multinational Group with almost 200,000 team members working in over 40 countries. Capgemini, the consulting, technology and outsourcing services firm celebrates its 50th anniversary.
“We celebrate this 50th Anniversary year with our passion for conquest and entrepreneurship. We are proud of our success, which we owe not only to those who have placed their trust in us – our clients, employees, shareholders and partners – but also our founder, an exceptional creator and industry champion, the likes of whom are hard to find,” comments Paul Hermelin, Chairman and CEO, Capgemini Group.
“At the heart of Capgemini is the vision of Serge Kampf: that technology is nothing without the people behind it. To write the next chapter of our story, the Group will continue to transform, innovate and take risks with that same desire and determination shown by all those who have made Capgemini what it is today,” he added.
Forming the motto of the anniversary program, Capgemini has been ‘Living the future since 1967′: right from the beginning, the Group has helped its clients face disruptive technological and business changes head-on. Capgemini has implemented a unique business model: founded in a provincial French city when the competition was based in the capital, Paris, and by a salesman when other IT services companies were founded by engineers or technicians. In the 1970s, Serge Kampf was the first to combine technical and organizational consulting with customer proximity, a visionary offer of services, in view of the future role that IT would play in the business world. Today the Group has over 6,000 clients across all sectors.
Capgemini owes its forward-thinking ethos primarily to the extraordinary personality of its founder and to several of his essential personality traits that have formed the cornerstones of the Group’s culture: honesty, boldness, trust, freedom, team spirit, modesty and fun. Capgemini is recognized worldwide for its exemplary ethical framework: 2017 saw it named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the fifth year running.
The breadth and scope of its services mean that the Group is on the frontline of new technologies that are evolving at a pace and changing everyone’s lives. The Capgemini Group is now an established global leader in Digital and Cloud services which currently represent 35% of revenues. Building on its extensive technology heritage combined with business consulting and deep industry-specific expertise, Capgemini is partnering with the world’s leading brands to define and deliver digital ambition, new business models, and agile operations, to keep its clients at the forefront of their marketplace.
Capgemini kicked off its 50th anniversary year with the launch of InnovatorsRace50, a global contest to give five early-stage start-ups the opportunity to jump start their business with equity free funding and the opportunity to become a Capgemini partner. Winners from the UK, France, Canada and Sweden beat off stiff competition from nearly 1000 entrants across 37 countries, after pitching their offerings live on stage in front of a large public audience and an accomplished jury. The final took place in June at the VivaTech conference, the tech show for game-changer start-ups in Paris. The winners were also the first cohort to each receive a “Serge Kampf Entrepreneurship and Innovation Award”, an annual scheme launched this year by Capgemini to recognize entrepreneurs who can now, but also throughout the years, demonstrate passion, drive and excellence in innovation.
Also in June this year, Capgemini launched MoveFifty, a global program that embodies the sense of progress, fun and team spirit, inherent within the Group today. MoveFifty was set up to mobilize all employees to raise upto 100,000€ by clocking up kilometers through movement and sharing their achievements on social media under the 50th anniversary hashtag: #Capgemini50. MoveFifty is on track to meet its fundraising goal by the end of October and will benefit three education-focused charitable projects: Ciudad Quetzal, Enlight and Cap Sur Le Code.
