"We are about to launch the new global brand Akkodis combining the vast expertise of both Modis and Akka in the IT and engineering space and turning into a leader in Smart Industry. The new brand will have presence in over 30 countries with over 50,000 digital engineers and experts," Philippe Rouvrais, general manager at Akkodis, says in an interview for the SEE TOP 100 annual ranking by SeeNews.
Following is the full text of the interview.
What business needs will Akkodis meet?
The new Smart Industry leader will meet the increasing demand for digital transformation and engineering capabilities that organisations have, together with all challenges and difficulties they might face.
What is the business rationale behind the merger of Akka Technologies and Modis?
Modis is one of the three main brands of the Adecco Group and is specialised in the IT and digital field. With over 30,000 consultants around the globe, the company has been organically growing for the past years. To further expand the business and diverse its portfolio of services, the Group decided to acquire another company similar in size and merge its business with the one of Modis. Akka Technologies turned out to be the best choice with its long-year expertise and large portfolio of engineering solutions.
A year after the deal has been confirmed, we are about to launch the new global brand Akkodis combining the vast expertise of both Modis and Akka in the IT and engineering space and turning into a leader in Smart Industry. The new brand will have presence in over 30 countries with over 50,000 digital engineers and experts.
What business needs will Akkodis meet?
The new Smart Industry leader will meet the increasing demand for digital transformation and engineering capabilities that organisations have, together with all challenges and difficulties they might face. Akkodis will position as a trusted partner for businesses in seven key industries: automotive and transportation; aerospace and defence; information and communication technology; manufacturing and logistics; banking and financial services; life science and healthcare; energy and clean technology. The new company will introduce extensive capability in data and AI, software and applications, cloud and infrastructure, cybersecurity and data protection, product design and assurance, Industry 4.0 and connected products, and emerging technologies. In other words, Akkodis, together with other brands within the Adecco Group will be able to offer a 360-degree ecosystem of complimentary services including technology solutions, workforce solutions, and talent development and career transition. Akkodis itself will stand out with its global network of competency centres and consultants in the technology solutions field.
What are the highlights of your business plans for the next three years?
The company will be focused on growing in headcount and clients’ portfolio, further strengthening its business. This includes Bulgaria as the biggest delivery centre in the organisation. Traditionally, we are experienced in IT outsourcing and BPO solutions, software engineering, cloud solutions, and data infrastructure services having launched our business in the country back in 2005. Currently, we employ close to 1,200 specialists in the country, mostly software developers, people with technical background and talents with foreign language capabilities.
I must say that Bulgaria has always been and will keep being a key location for our global organisation. Here is the largest delivery centre for IT and software solutions for Modis and for the new Akkodis organisation on a global level. Within the next three years we are going to expand our capabilities in the software, cloud, and digital transformation fields and employ a few hundred specialists in these domains. And I do not mean just headhunting them from our competitors. We are launching extensive programmes for internal training and upskilling, academies for beginners in software development, and partnerships with educational institutions which will help us build the next generation of tech talents in Bulgaria and the SEE region.
What are the key projects that you will be working on in the next three years?
We are taking on several complex long-term projects within our key technology practices. Our teams in Bulgaria are working on software applications and a platform for education of young children, a number of software automation (RPA) projects, the development and addition of a mapping service for one of the global tech leaders, and many more. In fact, you would be surprised to know how many of the world’s tech giants we support and how meaningful software and IT projects we lead for them and for their clients. In future, we will continue leading digital transformation, software, and cloud projects for our partners counting on our expertise, talent base, and efforts for continuous improvement.