Faster, Harder, Better, Crazier

Who are the people behind Accenture? What drives Marissa Jaggan and inspires her on a daily basis? How has Shruti Pathania's life, career, ambitions and dreams developed over the years? What difficult choices has Javier Leonor made in his life? Through a series of portraits, we answer these questions and introduce you to our people: those who make Accenture the thriving company that it is.

Introducing Jeffrey Hodiamont, Project Management Officer at Accenture

‘What struck me the most during my job interview at Accenture was the fact that I was asked “what I wanted”. Besides being pleasantly surprised, I immediately blurted out that, if possible, I didn’t want to work full-time. Only working 32 hours per week gives me the time and space to spend the rest of my time on my true passion: cycling.’

Ultimate Way to Challenge Myself

‘During racing season, those hours are reduced to 15-16 hours per week, but not a day goes by where I don’t cycle or focus in some way on the sport. Either through a quiet or intense training session, getting a massage, seeing the physiotherapist, buying equipment or tweaking my bicycle – I’m always fueling my passion in some shape or form. For me, cycling is the ultimate way to continuously challenge and improve myself.’

Two Jobs at the Same Time

‘Giving up cycling was not an option. That’s one of the reasons why I was so pleased that Accenture gave me the opportunity to do both. For me, they are two completely different things – when I am cycling, I hardly ever think about work, and vice versa. I sometimes joke that I have two jobs: one for 32 hours per week and the other for 20 hours per week. The fact that I am able to do two things that challenge me enormously is one of my greatest achievements in life so far.’

Not Prepared to Move

‘My life started 24 years ago in Brunssum, a small town close to Heerlen. I have lived in Heerlen all my life, I feel very attached to the city and the region. That’s why after graduating my bachelor Facility Management, it took a while before I found a job – I wasn’t prepared to move over the province borders. After six months I found a job at an insurance company in Sittard. Then after 1,5 years I got a phone call from a recruiter asking me if I was interested in a job at Accenture Technology, but I have to admit, I never even heard of the name.’

Twenty Minutes of Extra Training

‘Besides taking my personal wishes into consideration, the growth possibilities at Accenture were another aspect that appealed to me greatly. As a bonus, instead of having to use public transport for 1.5 hours a day to get to Sittard, I could now cycle to work in 10 minutes: another twenty minutes of training every day!’

Not an Easy Start

‘However, my first few days at Accenture didn’t go too smoothly.  I had to get used to the new environment, office – which, at that point, only comprised six employees – and routine, everything. On the other hand, racing season was in full swing; I trained nearly every free hour. When, after one month on the job, I fainted on my bicycle on my way to work, I realized something had to change. It was a necessary wake-up call; from then on I took things a bit more ‘realistically’ and started listening to my body more. I eased up on the strict diet I was on. In many ways, 2015 was an eye-opening year in which I really got to know myself.’

Faster, Harder, Better, Crazier

‘The desire to always get the most out of myself is one of my strongest features, and it’s what makes me stand out in cycling and work. I’m very competitive, I give whatever I do my best. What I excelled in this week needs to be improved upon the following week. It always needs to be faster, harder, better and crazier. Taking things easy or – worse! – sitting still is not my cup of tea. But what I really hate is letting myself down; it’s my biggest fear to not exceed my own expectations.’

Nipping on My Sparkling Water

‘My ambitions often result in a side-effect in the form of selfishness. I skip many social events and gatherings, both work-related ones, as well as birthday parties of friends and family, for instance. Combining everything can be challenging; having to make choices is inevitable. Luckily my good friends – the ones I have had since primary school – are still close to me and fully understand the choices I make. Although they too sometimes seem slightly peeved when I am sipping my sparkling water and leave the bar at 10pm, of course.’

Ultimate Relaxation

‘I am very happy with my life as it is, especially with the balance I have found. Even though I am aware that I can’t keep performing at this level forever, I cherish every day, week and month while I still can. How do I relax? Through playing video games and watching series – I never miss an episode of Game of Thrones. I also enjoy going for walks with my mom.’

Share the Pride

‘Even though 2015 was tumultuous; in retrospect, I wouldn’t do anything differently. I love the progress I made in cycling and at work. Working in an enthusiastic, energetic and dynamic environment like Accenture is amazing. Even though I am not an IT person in essence, far from it, I feel proud to be a part of this team. At the Campus, the sense of pride is shared by everyone – from the junior employers all the way up to members of the management team.’

Jeffrey Hodiamont (1992)

Studied: Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Facility management, Hogeschool Zuyd (2013)

Started working at Accenture: September 2015

Relationship status: Single

Loves: Happy times with family and friends

Gets annoyed by: Injustice, insincerity and conformists – for instance, when during a World Cup everybody all of a sudden is fanatic about the Dutch soccer team, while most people don’t even understand what offside means.

Favorite food: Spaghetti Bolognese

On my nightstand: My phone, nasal drops and a bottle of water

Listens to: Hip-hop, rock and some dance.

Last purchase: Clothes (two casual t-shirts and a work shirt) and a box of energy sport bars.

Would like to sit next to in the plane: Cyclist Tom Dumoulin; I would ask him how he lives his life, and get some insights about his training routines.

Life-changing event: I really can’t think of one specific life-changing moment.

The best lesson life has taught me: Try to get the most out of life, and be happy and cherish the people around you.  Live in the moment and always retain a sense of self.

The best advice I was ever given: ‘Just act normal’ (thanks mom!)

Most beautiful place on earth: Camerig, Limburg. It’s my favorite mountain to train on; the views from the top are amazing, parts go through the forest – it’s truly a beautiful piece of nature.

Hobbies/passions: Cycling, video games and reading books about training and the human body.

What nobody knows about me: That I might come across as cool and collected, while inside I have my doubts and insecurities about myself and how I handle things. I also still have my childhood teddy bear, Teddy, which is my cycling mascot.

Life motto: As long as you try your best and really give something your all, then you can get the most out of your life. And when you do, it doesn’t matter if you come in first, second or fiftieth; as long as you gave it your best shot and remained true to yourself along the way.