Dimitria Germanakos

Enjoying the variety of her work, Management Consultant at Capgemini Invest and MSc alum Dimitria Germanakos focuses on understanding and defining her clients’ challenges as well as supporting her team and the client in identifying and implementing solutions.

Describe your role and what it is that you do overall and on a day-to-day basis.

I am a Managing Consultant at Capgemini Invent in Stockholm, Sweden. I’m responsible for deliverables and teams within major projects. This involves understanding and defining our clients’ challenges as well as supporting my team and the client in identifying and implementing solutions. We work closely with our clients, so on a normal day I would be at the client’s office working with our stakeholders in meetings and workshops.

What interested you about the field/company/role you are currently in? Have you always been interested in working as a consultant?

I was not interested in consulting as a career when I was at SSE. Instead, I got a job at Education First in Luzern, Switzerland as a 360 Management Trainee. After some time I realized what I liked about that role was that I was able to work on a variety of projects, almost like an internal consultant. In the end, although I really enjoyed my time at EF, I was curious to try consulting to continue working on projects and to get the steep learning curve I was looking for.

What are the differences of working in Sweden compared to Canada, if any?

The biggest difference I’ve noticed is the relationship to work. Although Swedes know the value of hard work, they also value their time away from work. In Canada, people will take overtime in the form of more pay versus additional time off; many companies only offer 2-3 weeks vacation for entry level positions, and parents don’t often take all the parental leave available to them, either because they want to go back to work earlier or feel that they have to. Here in Sweden, you have the right to take 4 weeks off in the summer. You would need a sabbatical to do that in Canada (only half joking!). I really appreciate the chance to have this work/life balance.

What was so appealing about the SSE Masters in Management program when you were considering what to choose for your Masters degree? Or what was so appealing about Stockholm/Sweden?

I had my Bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto in Liberal Arts and wanted to round off my education with a business degree. I’m half Swedish and always wanted to try living in Sweden, so I began looking for business programs in Sweden and found the General Management program at SSE. I heard great things about the school and I was drawn to the program because it enrolled students from different cultural and educational backgrounds. I decided to apply and was not disappointed!

How did your time/education at SSE help guide you to the career journey you have embarked on?

SSE provided students with exposure to a variety of companies. This helps expose students to companies and roles that may interest us. This was achieved through a variety of means, such as 180 degrees consulting where we provided free consulting support to start-ups and nonprofits; live case competitions for major companies around Stockholm; and Handelsdagarna, the major job fair hosted at the school every year.

Following your time studying, do you have any words of wisdom or advice you would like to share with our current students?

Keep your eyes open for opportunities that interest you and don’t be afraid to apply when you find them.

What are three words that sum up your time at SSE?

Challenging. Impactful. Fun.