‘A local touch with a global reach’ – Cassy Calvert on why Sogeti UK chose Leeds as a new Northern hub

Following the news [https://bit.ly/3f0q0LL] that Sogeti is expanding its reach in the North of England, we caught up with Cassy Calvert, Hub Executive for the new Leeds location, to learn more about the business hub, her background in the region and what success looks like to her.

What made Sogeti decide to open a new hub in the North? And why choose Leeds?

Although we did look at other locations across the UK, it really wasn’t a hard choice. Leeds is a vibrant city, receiving a huge amount of investment at the moment and will be 2023’s city of culture. Over the last few years, Leeds has seen many head offices relocating to the area to tap into what Leeds has to offer, which is creating a lot of opportunities for the region.

In addition to this, you certainly can’t argue with the local talent pool. I have had a lot of interactions with local universities over the years and they have always produced excellent candidates. According to Invest Leeds, the region has the highest number of STEM graduates outside of London, providing the city with a “brain gain” which means more undergraduates and graduates are moving into the city than leaving.

With all this in mind, it’s definitely the right place to be and at the right time.

What are your priorities for the first 12 months of operations and what does success look like?

The main focus for me is to grow the Leeds hub by securing local clients. If we don’t get the clients, then we can’t grow the team.

Promotion of Sogeti is key. We are very well known in the testing industry, but from a wider IT consultancy perspective we still have a way to go to get on the radar of business leaders in the Leeds and Yorkshire area.

Increase the awareness, increase the number of clients and increase the size of the team – that is how I will measure our success.

What do you think sets Sogeti apart from its competitors?

It’s the history of the company – we are celebrating our 20th anniversary this year and truly have the depth of knowledge that reflects this. Sogeti has seen many changes and evolutions within the testing industry over the years and has had to adapt and grow alongside it.

The experience within the team is undeniable – both in the UK and globally. Our Sogeti USP is ‘a local touch with a global reach.’ This means we can service local clients on-site if they would prefer as we are only minutes down the road, but as a global business we have a huge capacity to support with delivery.

Sogeti as a business is small enough to be agile, to take risks and make our own judgement calls, but if we need to look further afield for support or answers then we also have the wider Capgemini organisation to fall back on.

That is what sets us apart!

What are you most excited about in terms of starting operations in Leeds?

I am Yorkshire girl born-and-bred, so coming back to work with local clients is hugely exciting. I’m really looking forward to partnering with a new selection of clients and finding great talent, as well as offering brilliant opportunities to anyone who comes onboard. It’s a very exciting time and I just keep thinking to myself ‘bring it on!’