Michael Ivanovich

Live from Las Vegas: Part 1 - opening remarks
August 15, 2008

It's August 14, and I’m at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas attending the Schneider Electric Init@iative 2008 event, which is providing about 1300 of their customers and distributors with educational sessions on industry challenges and the solutions Schneider Electric is bring to the market.

There are about 1,300 attendees here, not including over 500 Schneider Electric staffers and executives.

There are 100 seminars scheduled over the next two days, one of which is an editor-to-editor panel discussion on energy, which I will be participating in along with several colleagues from other technical publications and four Schneider Electric executives.

Moderating is Jeff Harris, vice president of programs, Alliance to Save Energy. As part of my blog, I’ll post the questions I answered along with the answers.

Meanwhile, Chris Curtis, president and CEO of Schneider Electric North American Operating Division, has just completed his opening remarks. Here’s a few notes that I was able to capture from his presentation:

Schneider Electric's 2007 global sales: 17.3 billion euro; which is about $23.7 billion US; up 26% from 2006 revenue.

North America Division had $4+ billion in revenue in 2007, Including Canada and Mexico;

U.S. revenue alone is $3.94 billion

They've been making strategic acquisitions: Latest is Xantrex; an inverter company for wind and PV systems. Xantrex is based in Vancuver, Canada; they hope to close in October. Here's a link to the press release.

There are six global trends Schneider Electric views as very important to its business:

1. Energy : as the key challenge for our planet
2. Emergence of new economics: as a major opportunity for our generation
3. Connectivity: for everything, everywhere at any time
4. Globalization allowing anybody to get the best of the world
5. Simpler solutions; for the increasing complexity of our life and work
6. Security; as a growing and global concern

Current brands within Schneider Electric:

•  Square D
• APC (data center power and cooling solutions)
• TAC: small 5 yrs ago; now signicant
• Pelco (security – camera based)
• Juno Lighting Group
• CST (custom sensors and technologies for non-building markets) automotive, etc.

 Division Strategy; strategic objectives

• Provide a superior customer experience (Reset the market expectation for quality and effective customer service.)
• Build a solutions based business
• Focus on target markets

How Schneider Electric sets themselves apart

• Commit to knowing your business
• Commit to a customer facing organization
• Commit to offering the leading solution set

Entire leadership team is here from Canada and US.

..108 F today. Little reason to go outside.

(I Agree)

Posted by Michael Ivanovich on August 15, 2008 | Comments (0)