Chantal Maria Scaccabarozzi is Talent Acquisition Manager, UK & Ireland, at Schneider Electric. In the following interview she shares insight into her career with Schneider and her progression, and offers advice for further women looking to develop their digital skills and join the energy management sector.
What interests you in your role, and how has your position developed since you joined Schneider?
I have an interest in people and innovation, I am extremely curious, and I enjoy questioning status quo and dealing with change and evolving situations. I joined Schneider as HR Business Partner in Italy in the fast growing business of Field Service, then moved to a mature business, but even more challenging, is experiencing a deep evolution in human capital and sales strategy. I really enjoy my work and to observe how powerful People Strategy can be in change has been incredible. My career then reached a crossway; I was keen on pushing towards a new challenge into an HR position with a broader complexity and international experience, and Schneider offered me the opportunity to join UK & Ireland as a Talent Acquisition Manager.
What's a big challenge for you right now?
I have just moved to the UK with my family. The big challenge for me is understanding the UK landscape and getting the most from this amazing experience, both for my family and myself. Schneider has given me the opportunity to have a real international and exciting experience.
How would you explain your job to people not from your industry?
I work with people from the business and HR to attract the best talent to our sites and offer them the best experience and career path with Schneider Electric.
How has Schneider supported you?
People have always supported me. I joined the company as a young mother in a completely different business environment and I have always been impressed of how supportive people and leaders have been with me - welcoming me, involving me and working with me - doors have always been open to collaborate and try to find the best solution for the company, even when the situations were hard and challenging, or I had made mistakes. I always found an environment of inclusiveness, support and strive for the best. A number of leaders have supported me at different stages of my career, some by challenging me, or advising me, others by showing me the business challenges and talking through the future as an exciting opportunity to work towards.
Who has been a guide or role model to you at Schneider?
I have been very lucky, there have been three different people whom have, in different ways, taught me how to balance ethical principles (and being an HR professional, this is important to me) and innovation. How to be patient but also drive change in a deep and disruptive way. The last leader, whom is actually a man, has taught and inspired me on how to accept myself as a whole, as a mother and wife, but also as a female professional with a desire for a career.
What makes it exciting working in your industry?
The industry is evolving in different directions - connected products, digitization and rising competition are only some of the biggest challenges this industry is facing, and it is very exciting to be part of the transformation, to be aware that every person can and does have an impact in the company's journey. At Schneider bold ideas are always welcomed, there is space for everyone to innovate - this for me is the most exciting feature of my company.
What's impressive you about Schneider Electric in terms of its people, culture and opportunities?
People are always willing to support. In my experience up to today, I have always found open doors and support, while there is a culture of innovation and openness to different opinions and disruptiveness. Managers are seeking different ways of working and the are a number of opportunities to do it.
How can Schneider support the progression of female careers across the company?
I think females are supported across Schneider. Flexibility at work and the family policy are some of the common ways of working for mums and dads. The radical change sits in the different leadership style that different managers might have, and Schneider is moving from a technical leadership, to an inspirational leadership - in this space there is a great opportunity for female, and all kind of non-traditional Schneider professionals, to make an impact in the company.
How does Schneider Electric promote a flexible working culture, how does this relate to yourself?
Flexible working to me has meant allowing me to be a mother alongside my professional development, to take time to check in with my children's homework when working from home, to take time off coherently with my children’s school breaks, to move to a different country and take my family with me and being supported logistically by Schneider as a family, rather than an individual. As a manager I support team members that need time to juggle family responsibilities and allow them to take the time they need to manage everything. I believe we are colleagues but also people with a life beyond work, and to have a good balance allows each of us to be successful and fulfilled, and as a team a positive environment is a high performing one.
What advice would you give to your 'younger self'?
Not to be afraid - you can’t know everything, but you can find solutions, and if you accept it, you can actually really enjoy trying to find creative and disruptive solutions.
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Creative, disruptive, explorer.
What's the one best piece of career advice you've been given, and why is it relevant at Schneider Electric?
“Enjoy it and don’t get too upset about it” - I don’t like failing and sometimes I do put too much pressure on myself.
How do you spend time outside of work and ensure you maintain good well-being?
I love reading and exploring. At the moment we spend the weekends travelling around Sussex as a family, along with reading books and art. These are the activities that keep me going and enthusiastic. As a mother I have set myself a couple of rules: one of them is to limit business trips to day trips, and try to be home for dinner or breakfast with my family the next day, and when I get home after dinner I don’t check my emails or work until after the children go to bed. I also believe great well-being is built up of small successful moments.
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