From Operations to Project Management: How Jill Boisvert Drives Success in Perficient’s Salesforce BU 

April 10–11, 2025, marked an exciting milestone for Perficient India as we hosted our hackathon – Perfathon 2025. Held at our Bangalore office, this thrilling, high-energy event ran non-stop from 12 PM on April 10 to 4 PM on April 11, bringing together 6 enthusiastic teams, creative minds, and some truly impactful ideas.

Setting the Stage

The excitement wasn’t just limited to the two days — the buzz began a week in advance, with teasers and prep that got everyone curious and pumped. The organizing team went all out to set the vibe right from the moment we stepped in — from vibrant decoration and  music to cool Perfathon hoodies and high spirits all around.

Our General Manager, Sumantra Nandi, kicked off the event with inspiring words and warm introductions to the teams, setting the tone for what would be a fierce, friendly, and collaborative code fest.

Meet the Gladiators

Six teams, each with 3–5 members, jumped into this coding battleground:

• Bro Code

• Code Red

• Ctrl Alt Defeat

• Code Wizards

• The Tech Titans

• Black Pearl

Each team was given the freedom to either pick a curated list of internal problem statements or come up with their own. Some of the challenge themes included:  Internal Idea & Innovation Hub, Skills & Project Matchmaker , Ready to Integrate AI Package etc. The open-ended format allowed teams to think outside the box, pick what resonated with them, and own the solution-building process.

 

 Let the Hacking Begin!

Using a chit system, teams were randomly assigned dedicated spaces to work from, and the presentation order was decided — adding an element of surprise and fun!

Day 1 saw intense brainstorming, constant collaboration, design sprints, and non-stop coding. Teams powered through challenges, pivoted when needed, and showcased problem-solving spirit.

Evaluation with Impact

Everyone presented their solutions to our esteemed judges, who evaluated them across several crucial dimensions: tech stack used, task distribution among team members, solution complexity, optimization and relevance, future scope and real-world impact, scalability and deployment plans, UI designs, AI component etc.

The judging wasn’t just about scoring — it was about constructive insights. Judges offered thought-provoking feedback and suggestions, pushing teams to reflect more deeply on their solutions and discover new layers of improvement. A heartfelt thank you to each judge for their valuable time and perspectives.

This marked the official beginning of the code battle — from here on, it was about execution, collaboration, and pushing through to build something meaningful.

Time to Shine (Day 2)

As Day 2 commenced, the teams picked up right where they left off — crushing it with creativity and clean code. The GitHub repository was set up by the organizing team, allowing all code commits and pushes to be tracked live right from the start of the event. The Final Showdown kicked off around 4 PM on April 11, with the spotlight on each team to demo their working prototypes.

A team representative collected chits to decide the final presentation order. In the audience this time were not just internal leaders, but also a special client guest , Sravan Vashista, (IT CX Director and IT Country GM, Keysight Technologies) and our GM Sumantra Nandi, adding more weight to the final judgment.

Each team presented with full energy, integrated judge and audience feedback, and answered queries with clarity and confidence. The tension was real, and the performances were exceptional.

 And the Winners Are…

Before the grand prize distribution, our guest speaker, Sravan Vashista delivered an insightful and encouraging address. He applauded the energy in the room, appreciated the quality of solutions, and emphasized the importance of owning challenges and solving from within. The prize distribution was a celebration in itself — beaming faces, loud cheers, proud smiles, and a sense of fulfillment that only comes from doing something truly impactful.

After two action-packed days of code, creativity, and collaboration , it was finally time to crown our champions.

Code Red emerged victorious as the Perfathon 2025 Champions, thanks to their standout performance, technical depth, clear problem-solving approach, and powerful teamwork.

Code Wizards claimed the First Runners-Up spot with their solution and thoughtful execution.

Black Pearl took home the Second Runners-Up title, impressing everyone with their strong team synergy.

Each team received trophies and appreciation, but more importantly, they took home the experience of being real solution creators.

 

Thank You, Team Perfathon!

A massive shoutout to our organizers, volunteers, and judges who made Perfathon a reality. Huge thanks to our leadership and HR team for their continuous support and encouragement, and to every participant who made the event what it was — memorable, meaningful, and magical.

   

We’re already looking forward to Perfathon 2026. Until then, let’s keep the hacker spirit alive and continue being the solution-makers our organization needs.