Ana is a Customer Satisfaction and Quality Senior Manager Manager for Logistics and leads distribution and transportation quality strategy for Schneider Electric North America with a strong focus on customer experience transformation.
Originally from Mexico, Ana started her Schneider Electric career as an intern before joining as a full-time employee.
She joined the Schneider Electric Development Program where she participated in hands-on rotations in various areas in the field.
Since then, she has held different roles in Global Supply Chain of increasing responsibility. Procurement, Project Management, and Customer Satisfaction are some of the areas she has worked in.
Currently located in El Paso in Texas, Ana shares fives reasons why she recommends tSchneider Electric's Development Program.
Finding an instant connection with Schneider Electric's culture
Ana first heard about the Schneider Electric Development Program at a job fair at her university. The program was just starting in Mexico, but she was immediately drawn to Schneider’s sustainability vision and strong focus on early career talent acceleration. Right on that day, she knew she wanted to work for Schneider Electric and join their Development Program.
"I was too young and not at all close to graduate, so I applied for an internship first at one of the plants. I was studying industrial engineering and working at a manufacturing plant was super exciting," Ana explains. "When I finished my internship, I got a full-time offer as a production supervisor. To this day that role has been one of the roles I value the most. It was a great learning experience and yes, it was tough and challenging!"
Pushing her to give her best and learn quickly
A few months after Ana finally made it to the Schneider Development Program. She moved 1,800 miles from home to the Tijuana plant in Mexico for her 1st year in the program. The two rotations were manufacturing oriented, working on the shop floor with welding equipment, assembly lines, efficiency, kaizen, and so on.
"I still remember my first day at the plant after completing the training. It was 7 am, I got a little notebook and my manager said “Welcome! We have a machine down let’s go see how you are going to fix it” I was freaking out inside – “Line is Down”, gulp!" she remembers.
"Reflecting, that is one of the reasons why I loved the program. It always pushed me to give my best and learn fast. I ended up enjoying working with machines and successfully reducing downtime. Being in the program, you only have 6 months to know the role, set up your network, and close projects before you move on to the next roller coaster so it sets up your mind to be very agile and manage time and priorities well. Connecting with other graduates was great. They were my support system and we had fun all living similar experiences," she adds.
Meeting people nationally and internationally
Ana finished her 1st year and moved to Monterrey, Mexico.
"It’s crazy but after one year I was mentally ready and prepared to pack and go again," she says.
In her first 6 months, she worked procurement and the last 6 months customer order entry. The program really gave her a wide scope to learn upstream, downstream, and manufacturing all wrapped in 2 years.
She also got to meet great people nationally and internationally and learned a lot about how big Schneider Electric is.
Challenged to drive regional transformation
Creating a strong network through the program and the different roles that followed was instrumental for Ana's last 2 roles.
She joined the Customer Satisfaction and Quality organization almost 3 years ago and was challenged to drive a regional transformation to reduce damage in transit and improve the delivery experience for customers, based out of the US.
For Ana, leading change has not been easy but having a broad understanding of Global Supply Chain manufacturing and distribution processes and being able to connect and partner with the front office, work together and communicate effectively with different stakeholders including customers themselves have helped a lot to manage the exciting transformation.
"My challenge remains to continue to energize the cross-functional teams I work with to continue to put #CustomerFirst," she adds.
Key reasons to join Schneider Electric's development program
Reflecting on her great experience at Schneider Electric, Ana knows that it really all took off when she joined the program.
So if you are thinking about joining or want to know more about the program, here are Ana's top five reasons why she recommends the Schneider Electric Development program.
1. Accelerated learning experience
The program tests your adaptability and agility on many levels both personally and professionally but as you go through the challenges you come out stronger and better prepared for future roles. "I really learned how to keep my energy and positive mindset in changing environments," explains Ana.
2. #SEGreatPeople
Rotations, cities, and network sessions that are integrated into the program help you connect with a lot of people, always willing to share their experiences, a laugh, or even a coffee. "Being part of this program creates a special bond between graduates. To this date, I am still close friends with many graduates and we often reach out for advice," Ana comments.
3. Early career exposure to leaders
The program fosters a lot of interactions with leaders in the organization. "You get privileged access to their knowledge, their vision, and their expectations. They are always open, very humble, and will challenge you to deliver the best results," says Ana.
4. Career is intentional and it’s yours
"One thing I really value about the program was getting to know more about the company and the different paths you can take. Schneider is a big promoter of empowering employees and owning your development and provides a lot of tools to do it. The program is a great way to help you find what excites you the most," Ana believes.
5. Schneider Electric's culture
"Schneider’s core values, diversity, equity and inclusion, digital transformations, and vision for the future make you feel proud to work at such a great company. Joining through the Schneider Development Program is just the cherry on top," suggests Ana.
Join talented women like Ana at Schneider Electric
At Schneider Electric, women like Ana are advancing their careers thanks to professional development support from the company.
If you’re looking to start and advance your career in global supply chain, check out Schneider Electric careers.
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Disclosure: Where Women Work researches and publishes insightful evidence about how its paid member organizations support women's equality.