Daniel is a Digital Operations Director at Cognizant in Norway.

1. Why is it important to bring your authenticity to work?
Authenticity is important as trust is central in in any business relationship, may it be team work, or client interactions.

2. What is the 1 thing you want to do, but never seem to find the time for?
Reading up on all the latest research that I have downloaded in my "Must read" folder

3. What would you pack in your picnic basket?
Cooling elements. Cold drinks surely make a difference in a picnic.

Swati is a Designation Project Manager working as a Salesforce Consultant and Business Analyst at Cognizant in Norway.

1. What does Pride Month mean to you?

• Pride is all about being proud of who you are, no matter who you love, as it is Celebration of people coming together in love and friendship.
• This month is about acceptance, equality, celebrating the work of LGBTQ+ people and raising awareness of issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community.
• It's an opportunity to show support, to observe, listen and be educated.

2. What qualities in a person do you admire the most?

• Openness to change - These individuals may see change as an opportunity to challenge themselves, learn more about the world and achieve high-level growth.
• Compassion - Having compassion for others is an admirable quality that can allow individuals to understand different perspectives and act with empathy.
• Respectfulness - Admirable people typically treat all individuals with respect on a regular basis, including their superiors, peers and those with limited influence.

3. What are your top 3 favorite spring activities?

• Long Walks to explore new lanes.
• Learn how to grow plants.
• Visiting new places.

Shahid is the Country Manager at Cognizant in Norway.

1. What are the advantages of bringing your authenticity to work?
You don’t have to spend energy on pretending – “what you see is what you get”.

2. Is there a person who you look up to? Who and why?
Not one specific person, but persons that sincerely cares about others and dedicate their time to help others less fortunate – e.g. Petter Uteligger.

3. What makes you stay awake at night?
Trying to REALLY understand my teenage daughter – not easy and does not always follow logic paths.
 

Camilla is a Client Partner at Cognizant in Norway.

1. What is your favorite thing about working at Cognizant, and why? 
All the great people! The diversity within this company is impressive and I feel privileged to be able to work with, and continuously learn from so many talented people. The various perspectives brought in from different cultures, backgrounds and experiences really motivates me. It feels good to work for a company that contributes to continuous development of personal skills and mindset in combination with the professional and more technical parts. 

2. If you had to have 1 motivational quote on your desktop, what would it say?
When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

3. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?
I previously worked as a Dive Master in Thailand, and will forever be weak for experiencing new warm sunny places with white beaches and the exotic marine life that goes with it. Nothing re-charges my batteries as fast as spending time in such environments. The Maldives are my top favorite! 

Sofia is a Record to Report Specialist at Cognizant in Sweden.

1. What is the most valuable and important thing you have learnt while working at Cognizant? 
The most valuable and important thing I have learnt at Cognizant is that every single person working at the company has valuable inputs and knowledge. The importance of listening to other people, and to value all amazing knowledge we have within the company is truly inspiring.

2. What is your favorite podcast?
My favorite podcast is “Funkismorsorna”, which is my mom and her friends sharing information and knowledge about children with disabilities. It’s an important topic that is close to my heart.

3. What would you pack in your picnic basket? 
I would prepare pancakes and lemonade and drink it from champagne glasses. The glasses would probably be pink!
 

Adda i a Graduate Analyst at Cognizant in Denmark.

1. What do you like the most about working at Cognizant?
I love the entrepreneurial spirit that the organization has – nothing is impossible, everyone is open-minded, and if there is a specific thing you would like to do, you can!

2. What is the best thing you have watched or read in the past year, and why is it the best?
Everyone is probably tired of me recommending this, but the documentary “14 peaks” on Netflix. It is incredible what you can achieve with the right attitude and mindset.

3. What type of coffee or tea do you drink?
I love a good latte!

Nathalie is a Senior Salesforce Consultant in Norway.

1. What is the 1 thing you want people to know about Cognizant?
How amazing we are at coming together on assignments and working cohesively as a team despite different locations, culture and skills.

2. What is your favorite book, and why? 
“Froth on the Daydream” (French: “L'Écume des jours”) by Boris Vian: it introduced me to surrealism and unlocked the possibilities of thinking creatively and out of the box – which come in handy in our line of work!

3. What food item could you not live without, and what makes it special for you?
Spices! With a pinch or two, one can infinitely transform a humble ingredient and elevate its essence to something bigger than itself.

Shikha is a Client Relationship Manager in Digital Business Operations at Cognizant in Denmark.

1. What is one of your greatest accomplishments while working at Cognizant?
There have been numerous professional learnings that I've had in my 4.5 years with Cognizant. However, the biggest accomplishment has to be evolving personally. I've grown as a professional and more so as an individual. This has only happened due to Cognizant giving me several opportunities and empowerment to do so.  

2. If you had to have 1 motivational quote on your desktop, what would it say?
Make it happen!

3. What are you most looking forward to doing during your next vacation?
My sister has recently bought a beach house in Australia - can't wait to travel there, spend time with my super cute niece and nephew and, of course, enjoy the beach while sipping piña coladas.

Shila is a Director in Global Solution Architecture, Quality Engineering & Assurance at Cognizant in Finland.

1. What makes you thrive in Cognizant?
Great work environment, leaders, and colleagues in particular. Also, the opportunity to play multiple roles, where I got to do different things and with that, for me, learning never stopped.

2. What are your top 3 tips for your colleagues to do in their free time?
Relax, have some “me” time, do what you enjoy the most and keep trying new things as learning should never stop for us.

3. What gets you out of bed in the morning? 
Our time in this earth is a blessing and everyday brings in something new to look forward to. That longing to find what the day unfolds for me, is enough to make to want to get up.

Charlotta is a Delivery Leader for Cognizant Infrastructure Services in Norway.

1. What do you like the most about working at Cognizant? 
The transformation journey we’re on. The company, us, creating opportunities in the market to grow and great improvements have happened already. More to come, I’m sure, so stay tuned!

2. What qualities in a person do you admire the most? 
Honesty, straightforward yet polite communication, experience sharing by those more senior and being humble about oneself.

3. What daily habit do you feel would make the biggest difference in someone’s life?  
Reminding oneself to have confidence in who you are and what you can achieve. 

Victoria is the Head of Operations, BPO at Cognizant in Sweden.

1. What is the best thing about working at Cognizant?
All the great people that I get to know and work with.

2. What do you wish more people paid attention to?
I wish more people would smile and say “Hi” in the office and from a bigger perspective, to not let stupid people lead big countries!

3. What can be found in your fridge right now?
Big oranges – the best fruit ever!

Dr. Monica Mundada is an AI & Analytics Consultant at Cognizant in Denmark.

1. What has been your most memorable moment working at Cognizant so far? 
Dinner with the Head of Nordics & Baltics, Anne-Sofie Risåsen and other women working at Cognizant. There were discussions regarding women in tech and strengthening the bond between women and Cognizant.
 
2. Is there a person who you look up to? 
When you are on your way of creating a new path, then you definitely need energy and strength to overcome hurdles in your way, and it comes from role models. I too have many role models, as everyone is specialised and unique in their own field. However, I am certainly fascinated by women CEO’s like Indra Nooyi, Sheryl Sandberg and many more like A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.
 
3. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? 
I am at the right place and right time. There’s nothing that could be more beautiful than what I have now. I come across a long way breaking many taboos and creating my own path for myself and for many more women and girls around me. So, I have the best with me for now. 

Jenny is a Marketing Copywriter at Cognizant in Sweden.

1. What makes working at Cognizant enjoyable? 
The huge amount of freedom with responsibility. Also, I feel that Cognizant is an employer looking after their employees, and can honestly say that I really like what I do for a living.

2. What is the most valuable thing you learned so far this year? 
To be an even more sustainable consumer, I plan all my purchases and try to, when possible, look for organic labels and do background research on the product and its manufacturer.

3. What is your greatest sports performance or achievement? 
I once jogged a marathon, haha... I’ve always enjoyed doing a variety of sports since I was a kid, however, without any particular achievement.

Alexander started as a Business Analyst at Cognizant Consulting in Norway September 2020 and taken part of Cognizant's 18-month long Graduate Program. He took a 5-year integrated master at BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo with a major in Leadership and Change at BI Norwegian Business School and has also done half-a-year exchange abroad at Bocconi University in Milano, Italy. 

1. What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone starting out in a consulting career? 
Be yourself and always keep learning. Understand who you are and what you want to accomplish, and then find the environment that supports those dreams and values. Ask questions and be curious, always strive to learn. Also, value the process. Celebrate the milestones not only the final outcome. Often you will go from project to project, so enjoy the everyday progress and smaller things in life as they constitute most of your time. 

2. Why do you enjoy working in Cognizant Consulting? 
At Cognizant Consulting I get the opportunity to be a part of an international work environment, work in different industries, and learn from the best within their fields. I am motivated by learning and self-development, which is a strong focus at Cognizant. Here, I get the opportunity to choose what I want to learn more about, and then I get the opportunity to apply these learnings in projects. 

3. What’s your favorite productivity hacks for consultants? 

1. Be honest when you don’t know something and ask questions to learn more. Don’t be afraid of asking questions you might think are “dumb”. Better to ask questions and figure things out straight away, it will save time and produce better results 
2. Create reusable templates and keep your documents structured and easy to find. This will save you a lot of time 
3. Prioritize your tasks. Start at the top of the list and work downwards from there 

Erik is a Business Analyst at Cognizant Consulting in Norway and part of Cognizant's 18-month long Graduate Program. He holds a MSc in Financial Economics from Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) and a BBA in Economics and Finance from Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

1. What have been the greatest highlights of being a Graduate Analyst at Cognizant Consulting?
As a covid-joiner, two of my highlights are related to the office. The first was starting and being at the office for some weeks before Norway’s second lockdown, and the second highlight was coming back about a year later. Apart from the sheer joy of meeting colleagues face-to-face, I have enjoyed every project!

2. What makes you thrive in Cognizant Consulting?
Having the privilege of working together with a group of open, smart and friendly people every day.

3. What’s your favorite productivity hack for consultants?
My favorite productivity hack for work that demands concentration would be classical music, regardless of occupation. Apart from sounding nice, some studies show that classical music improves focus, memory and reasoning… And who doesn’t like to feel a little “highbrow” during the workday?

Baran started as a Business Analyst at Cognizant Consulting in Norway September 2021. He is part of Cognizant's 18-month long Graduate Program. He holds a Master of Science in Business Analytics and Bachelor of Science in Business & Economics from BI Norwegian Business School.

1. Why did you choose to join Cognizant Consulting as a Graduate Analyst?    
One of the main reasons is that I wanted to become a part of an innovative and global company, helping market-leading clients to solve digital challenges. In addition, I get the chance to be a part of an entrepreneurial, multicultural & learning-focused environment. In Cognizant, I am in a diverse environment where my daily work consists of global collaborations across industries and professions.
 

2. What are some exciting tasks you've been working on during your first two months at Cognizant Consulting?
I have had the opportunity to work on a project where Cognizant was engaged to optimize a process for a client, by implementing a new digital system that would increase the efficiency and reduce costs. Currently, I am assigned to a new project as a Product Owner to build a website for internal orders.
 

3. What are three books you'd recommend to someone starting in a consulting career?

1. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future: Great book if you are into technology & entrepreneurship. Higly recommended!

2. Find Your Why: A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team: Many of you are going into your first full time job after your studies. You will be working in teams and make decisions that would effect your career and organizations. This book will introduce simple steps to secure success.

3. Principles by Ray Dailo: A man with a lot of wisdom and experience. He introduces his practical lessons. A lot of insight that you could benefit of.

William is a Business Analyst at Cognizant Consulting in Sweden. He joined the team in September 2019 as part of Cognizant's 18-month long Graduate Program. He holds two degrees from Lund University School of Economics and Management, a MSc with a major in International Strategic Management and a BSc with a major in Business Administration

1. What do you see as the greatest opportunities of being a Graduate Analyst at Cognizant Consulting?
The opportunity to work with some of the largest companies in the Nordics, solving some of their biggest issues regarding digital transformation, and working closely with experts within a range of digital fields.

2. What is the most exciting project you have worked on at Cognizant Consulting so far?
Working closely with the leadership team, helping a client design a transformational strategy and roadmap to enhance their digital capabilities to enable a fit-for-future organization.

3. What are three books you’d recommend to someone starting in your career?

1. Range – Why generalists triumph in a specialized world by David Epstein
2. Thinking fast and slow by Daniel Kahneman
3. Get a subscription to The Economist

Tero is the Country Manager in Cognizant Finland. 

1. What has been your most impressive moment working at Cognizant so far? 
I find it difficult to select just one, but a couple of highlights come to mind: I’m always impressed about our delivery centers and I think we need to present them a lot more to our clients. On a more personal level, I have been very fortunate to be able to work with demanding assignments from the first day in the company.

2. If you had to have 1 motivational quote on your desktop, what would it say? 
If we don’t change, we become obsolete.

3. What are your favorite autumn activities? 
I love hiking, either alone or with our dog: this year I spent four days in Lapland, with 75km hiking. I loved every minute.  Autumn is also the time when regular hobbies start, so I get to go back to squash court.

Md Kousik is Technical Lead, CRM Engagement

1. What has been your best moment working at Cognizant so far?
Over the years, it has always been satisfying for me to create value not only for our clients, but also be able to be part of Cognizant Outreach volunteering programs, which build a more inclusive society with better quality of life.
 

2. What do you wish more people paid attention to? 
I wish people pay more attention to climate change. Everyone can help in limiting climate change, from the way we travel, to the electricity we use and the food we eat. We can make a difference.
 

3. What makes you stay awake at night? 
I am not a night owl. But sometimes it is either decision making or creative art of possible solution, which keeps me awake.

Ravi is Director Solutions Enterprise Engineering at Cognizant in Sweden.

1. What is the most valuable and important thing you have learnt while working at Cognizant? 
I have learnt that team work and collaboration has been vital while working at Cognizant.
 

2. What are your top 3 tips for your colleagues to do in their free time? 
Building relationships, take time with your family and for yourself are my tips for our colleagues.
 

3. If you could only drink 1 hot beverage for the rest of your life, which one would you choose and why? 
Being a coffee addict my answer has to be coffee always. It keeps you energized and focused.

Charlotte is the Head of Marketing at Cognizant in Denmark.

1.    What has been the most impressive moment so far working at Cognizant? 

I am very impressed by the enormous projects we mount to support our clients. How we partner and listen to our customer to lay out the best strategy for them.   

2.    What makes you stay awake at night?  

I really cannot stand what drugs do to people. They ruin your body and make you unpredictable and irrational. 

3.    What is the 1 thing you cannot live without? 

My kids and a cup of tea.

Lucy is the Director of Global M&A & Nordics Learning and Knowledge Management at Cognizant in the Nordics.

1. What advice would you give to someone who just started working at Cognizant?

Take the time to  build a network, ask questions about what each person does you meet, this will help you get to know the company well, and have contacts to go to for support!

2. What is the 1 thing you want to do, but never seem to find the time for?

Gardening- would love to be able to spend the day planting flowers and vegetables!

3. What fitness activity would you recommend for people to do daily?

Walking- it’s easy to do, requires no equipment or costs, and makes you feel much better for doing it!

Anne-Sofie is the Head of Nordics & Baltics at Cognizant.

1. What is your favorite industry podcast & book?

HBR ideacast – favorite podcast. John Kotter, Leading Change – favourite book.

2. During the summer, how do you usually like to spend your summer holiday?

I like to spend a week of summer walking in the mountains in Dolomites in Italy. This year with no traveling abroad, I recommended people to find a mountain near and climb it.

3. If you had to choose another profession, what would it be?

A dancer. It was a dream of mine a long time ago.

Thomas is our CTIO at Cognizant in the Nordics. 

1. You have worked at Cognizant for less than a year, what has been the most impressive moment so far?

Impressive moment, the people. Every day I meet more and more great people at Cognizant. The people make the culture and we have more than 200k great people, simply awesome!

2. If you had to become an inventor, what would you like to invent?

A method of helping people who suffer from mental illness to feel better and not struggle with the things that most of us take for granted.

3. If you knew that today was your last day on earth, how would you spend it?

Playing with my kids, after having gone for a really hard mountain bike ride while eating Chinese food with my wife, as she throws food at me for being so annoying! A perfect day!!!