SaaSy Talk S01.36: Electric Dreams: Louise's Journey from Sparky to Leadership at Schneider Electric

01/21/24 • 32 min

About The Guest(s): Louise has over 20 years experience in technical and leadership roles across a range of sectors and disciplines, including technology, real estate, facilities management, and working as an electrician in the mining industry. This diverse experience underpins her passion for how people and technology can shape real estate experiences and improve the world we live in.
Louise joined Schneider Electric in November 2020, as the Vice President Digital Buildings, Australia, leading a 350 strong team delivering sustainability and efficiency solutions to the built environment.
Prior to that Louise was at AMP Capital, where she was most recently the Program Director for Technology and Innovation, ensuring delivery of client and business value from technology investment and leading real estate's digital and innovation team. Louise has also held senior roles in property management, operations and facilities management.

Louise is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a member of Chief Executive Women, holds a Masters of Facilities Management, and remains a qualified electrician.

Summary: Louise shares her unique career journey, from starting as an apprentice in the mining industry to becoming a leader at Schneider Electric. She discusses the challenges and opportunities in the industry, including the shift towards open platforms and the integration of IoT. Louise also highlights the importance of diversity in leadership teams and the need for continuous learning and skill development. She emphasizes the role of AI in making buildings more efficient and addresses the challenges of the skills shortage in the industry. Louise concludes by sharing her vision for the future and the legacy she hopes to leave as a leader.

Key Takeaways:

Louise's career path was unique, starting as an apprentice in the mining industry and transitioning into facility management and real estate.
The industry has seen significant changes in the past decade, with a shift towards open platforms and the integration of IoT.
Diversity in leadership teams is crucial for success, including a mix of skills, backgrounds, and experiences.
AI plays a significant role in making buildings more efficient and addressing the challenges of the skills shortage.
Louise's vision for the future includes continued growth and development in her role at Schneider Electric.

Quotes:

"I would like for people that have worked in the businesses I lead to look back at that period and be like, that was a good part of my career."
"The biggest challenge locally, I think it holds true globally, is going to be skills shortage."
"It's about investing in and growing their capability rather than reducing the workforce."
"The application of technology to meet outcomes and getting that right is crucial."

Chapters 00:42 Louise's Unique Career Journey

01:45 Transition into Facility Management and Real Estate

02:28 Role at Schneider Electric

03:21 Industry Changes Over the Last Decade

04:18 Adapting to Open Platforms and IoT

04:59 Challenges and Solutions in Data Integration

08:12 Working with Partners and Vendors

13:49 The Future of Schneider Electric

18:09 Leadership and Career Reflections

22:56 Looking Ahead: Challenges and Opportunities

25:38 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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Louise is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a member of Chief Executive Women, holds a Masters of Facilities Management, and remains a qualified electrician.

Key Takeaways:

Louise's career path was unique, starting as an apprentice in the mining industry and transitioning into facility management and real estate.
The industry has seen significant changes in the past decade, with a shift towards open platforms and the integration of IoT.
Diversity in leadership teams is crucial for success, including a mix of skills, backgrounds, and experiences.
AI plays a significant role in making buildings more efficient and addressing the challenges of the skills shortage.
Louise's vision for the future includes continued growth and development in her role at Schneider Electric.

Quotes:

"I would like for people that have worked in the businesses I lead to look back at that period and be like, that was a good part of my career."
"The biggest challenge locally, I think it holds true globally, is going to be skills shortage."
"It's about investing in and growing their capability rather than reducing the workforce."
"The application of technology to meet outcomes and getting that right is crucial."

Chapters 00:42 Louise's Unique Career Journey

01:45 Transition into Facility Management and Real Estate

02:28 Role at Schneider Electric

03:21 Industry Changes Over the Last Decade

04:18 Adapting to Open Platforms and IoT

04:59 Challenges and Solutions in Data Integration

08:12 Working with Partners and Vendors

13:49 The Future of Schneider Electric

18:09 Leadership and Career Reflections

22:56 Looking Ahead: Challenges and Opportunities

25:38 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Subscribe on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/3ZVkJ12FIqD39oqgj7Kcjq

Subscribe on Apple:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/saasy-talk-unfiltered/id1709426070

Subscribe on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@SaaSyTalkUnfiltered

Subscribe on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/saasy-talk-unfiltered

Subscribe to our Newsletter:

https://substack.com/@saasytalkunfiltered

Visit our Website:

https://saasytalkunfiltered.transistor.fm/

Follow Ricky Sevta on Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickysevta/

Follow Sean Diljore on Linkedin:

Previous Episode

SaaSy Talk S01.35: Leading Tradify to Global Success: Unfiltered with CEO Michael Steckler

About The Guest(s): Michael is an award winning leader. He was part of the management team that grew advertising technology company Criteo (NASDAQ: CRTO) from 50 to 2,500 employees and $2BN USD in annual revenue. Prior to Criteo, Michael was Managing Director of AOL UK. He has also held executive positions in the US and has lots of experience scaling businesses internationally.

Michael is currently the CEO of Tradify, a job management application used by thousands of trade businesses globally to simplify their job quoting, scheduling, management and invoicing.
Summary:

Ricky and Sean interview Michael Steckler, the CEO of Tradify. Michael shares his journey into the tech industry, from starting in media sales to working at Microsoft and Criteo. He discusses the challenges and rewards of transitioning from a founder to a CEO and the importance of building a strong leadership team. Michael also talks about the unique aspects of the New Zealand tech scene and the opportunities and challenges of running a global software company from a remote location. He emphasizes the importance of having a support structure as a CEO and the value of networking and learning from other leaders. Michael shares his insights on budget planning, pricing strategy, and the key factors that have contributed to Tradify's success. He also discusses the importance of authentic company values and metrics in driving business growth.
Key Takeaways:

The strongest founders recognize their weaknesses and build a team that complements their strengths.
Moving from a founder to a CEO requires measurable impact, trust, credibility, and understanding company culture.
Building a support structure as a CEO is crucial, including a strong network of mentors and peers.
The most rewarding moments for Michael at Tradify are seeing long-term employees reflect on the company's growth and impact.
Building a successful company culture involves authentic values, leading by example, and fostering open communication.
Key factors contributing to Tradify's success are a great product, understanding the customer, and a scalable go-to-market strategy.
Metrics play a crucial role in driving business growth, differentiating between vanity metrics and operational metrics.

Quotes:

"The strongest founders...assemble great teams and recognize that."
"If you're going to be a CEO, you need to...thoroughly understand that business."
"Values aren't about being that value 100 percent...It's about calling each other out on it."
"Having a great product and understanding your go-to-market are the key factors in cracking the code for business success."
"Understanding...the most important metrics to the business...is probably the most important thing for me."
"Understanding the difference between vanity metrics and metrics that really drive the business...is important."
"If you have a bad ENPS, everything else you're worrying about is irrelevant."
"Keep executing, keep growing the business, keep growing the team, do all the things that we're doing well, and fix things that we're not doing so well."
"The number one thing I care about is respect...That is the most important thing."

Chapters 00:00 Michael’s Background

00:05 Journey into Tech and Early Career

03:28 Taking the Helm as CEO of Tradify

04:35 Reflections on Past Experiences and Lessons from Microsoft and Criteo

06:05 Adjusting to NZ's Tech Scene

08:02 Transition from Founder to CEO

09:35 First 100 Days as CEO

17:05 Building a Support Structure as a CEO

19:39 Learning from Mistakes and Pricing Strategy

23:57 A Day in the Life of a CEO

25:39 Budget Planning for 2024

28:12 Most Rewarding Moments at Tradify

29:52 Building a Successful Company Culture

35:19 Cracking the Code: Tradify's Success Factors

40:20 Looking Ahead: Future Plans for Tradify

42:06 Quick Fire Round: Getting to Know Michael

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Next Episode

SaaSy Talk S01.37: The Power of Community: An In-depth Chat with Nisha Baxi

About The Guest(s): Nisha Baxi is the Director of Digital Customer Success & Community at Gong and former Head of Marketing and founding team member of Monte Carlo Data. She has had the pleasure of growing a prominent Silicon Valley entrepreneurship community organization to 15K members, built programs and frameworks at Microsoft, Salesforce, and Facebook that are still used today continuing to drive adoption and fostering loyalty.

Her passion comes from the joy of bringing people together to achieve a common goal. You'll find Nisha putting together a panel of Fortune 100 execs, enabling teams who are passionate about a new idea, and mentoring and being mentored by folks along the way.

Nisha is also the Co-chair of Tiffany Circle NCCR, Board Member of the Silicon Valley Chapter and is on the Committee of the SF Gala which raises $1M annually for the Red Cross. She has been a volunteer since 1999 when she joined as a High School Freshmen in Youth Services and confers the Annual Nisha Baxi Award for the Volunteer of the Year for a Youth yearly.

Nisha is on the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross, enjoys golfing and lives in Mountain View, CA with her husband, Neel Mehta.

Summary: In this episode, Nisha Baxi, Head of Community at Gong, shares her insights on the power of community building. She discusses her career journey, the importance of connecting people on multiple attributes, and practical tips for starting and maintaining a community. Nisha also dives into the challenges of community building and how to measure its effectiveness. She emphasizes the value of giving back and leaving a legacy of helping others.

Key Takeaways:

Building a community is essential for building brand equity and creating a category in the market.
Connecting people on multiple attributes leads to the most successful communities.
Starting small and focusing on connecting people with similar challenges or interests is a great way to begin building a community.
Measuring the effectiveness of a community can be done through metrics such as support case deflection, product feedback, acquisition touchpoints, user-generated content, and customer success.
The ultimate goal of community building is to create a space where people can learn, connect, and support each other.

Notable Quotes:

"The most successful communities are ones where you connect people on not just one attribute, but two really good ones." - Nisha Baxi
"In order to get brand equity, you need strong content and a strong community. That's how you build a category." - Nisha Baxi
"People judge you by what you've done, not by your potential." - Nisha Baxi

Chapters 00:06 Career Journey and Experience in Big Companies

02:25 Insights from Working in Startups

02:57 Role as Head of Community at Gong

03:36 Building and Maintaining a Community

04:29 The Importance of Connecting on Multiple Attributes

07:38 Practical Tips for Starting a Community

15:05 Measuring the Effectiveness of a Community

15:26 The SPACES Framework for Community Building

23:19 Favorite Community Building Story

26:25 Discussing Challenges in Tech

26:41 Keeping People Excited and Engaged

27:09 The Importance of Building a Community