Product category:
Electrical and Electronic Subassemblies
News Release from: Schneider Electric
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 30 March 2001
New MD of operations in UK for
electrical giant
Schneider Electric has appointed Gael Dutheil de la Rochere as Managing Director of its operations within the United Kingdom.
Schneider Electric has appointed Gael Dutheil de la Rochere as Managing Director of its operations within the United Kingdom In this role, he is responsible for both the day-to-day operation and future direction of Schneider Electric and its brands - which include Merlin Gerin, Modicon, Square D and Telemecanique
In addition, subject to final approval of the Schneider Electric-Legrand alliance by the EU authorities, de la Rochere will also be heavily involved in bringing together the UK operations of these two companies.
Gael de la Rochere has been employed by Schneider Electric for more than 12 years, and has worked for the organisation in France and in the United States.
He joins the United Kingdom operation from Schneider Electric's world headquarters in Paris, where he recently completed a highly successful term as President and Chief Operating Officer of Schneider Electric High Voltage, the company for Schneider Electric's high-voltage assets located in France, Italy, Brazil, the Middle East and Indonesia.
"I believe that this is a time of enormous opportunity for Schneider Electric in the United Kingdom," said de la Rochere.
"For example, investment will be returning to the national infrastructure in the years to come, which is one of our prime areas of focus.
We're working hard to address - and even anticipate - the needs of our customers in this sector, and in the other sectors where we have traditionally had our major strengths.
"There are, however, exciting new opportunities," continued de la Rochere, "some of the most important of which relate directly and indirectly to the Internet - and it's worth remembering that the UK is well ahead of every other European country in its adoption of Internet technologies.
"We are already achieving major successes in supplying equipment for Internet Data Centres, but the next big push is for our web-enabled Transparent Factory and Transparent Building concepts.
These are revolutionising automation and power distribution systems by making it possible for users to control and gather data from their installations from anywhere through the Internet, which allows for their better maintenance and cost savings".
One of de la Rochere's first actions as UK MD has been to form a specialised sales and marketing team to increase "digital economy" related sales with this concept, which embraces virtually every product range offered by the brands of Schneider Electric, from programmable controllers to medium-voltage switchgear.
Gael de la Rochere is also looking forward to the challenges of bringing together Schneider Electric and Legrand, along with two other recently acquired companies, Lexel and Wiremold.
"For me, the concept of constructing an organisation which can effectively manage multiple brands, multiple markets and multiple routes to market, while maintaining its strong and clear customer focus, is very exciting," he said, "as is the knowledge that we will be working closely with our contractor and distributor partners, and all of our other major customers, to ensure that they share in our success." With its brands, Merlin Gerin, Modicon, Sarel, Square D and Telemecanique, Schneider Electric offers a full range of products and services for the electrical supply industry, equipment manufacturers, panel builders, OEMs, contractors, specifiers, the electrical supply industry and end users of electrical equipment in the commercial and industrial sectors.
Schneider Electric is the leading UK and world expert in the development and manufacture of products for the distribution and application of electricity.
In the UK, Schneider Electric operates from 18 industrial sites, product development centres and commercial locations, providing employment for 2,300 people, and achieving an annual turnover in excess of £260 million.
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