EXPERT OPINION
The domino effect : How past events have influenced present success
On April 1 , 2023 , Mark Yeeles began his journey in the Secure Power Division at Schneider Electric as Vice President for the UK and Ireland . Seven months on we sat down with him to reflect on his experience so far , future-gaze on what ’ s ahead and glean his thoughts on how data centres can form part of the solution to global sustainability challenges .
cCan you tell us about the trajectory of your journey up to this point – what inspired you to take up a career in this field ?
I ’ ve always had a desire to learn , try new things and challenge myself . This has been integral to every role I ’ ve accepted in the past , so the idea of doing a job which involved a challenging change and the opportunity to be surrounded by forwardthinking people and innovative new technologies , was something I relished .
Leading up to this point , however , my journey began as a 16 year-old apprentice at Perkins Engines and having been guided by some amazing tutors along the way , I progressed into sales , engineering and leadership roles at Rockwell Automation , before joining Schneider Electric ’ s Industrial Automation Business .
Are there any pivotal moments that have stood out for you , influencing the course of your journey and contributing to your leadership approach ?
I believe that with every role and in every challenge , you learn something new and in all honesty , the more I understand about people , the better leader I have become .
One pivotal moment arose when I worked with Proteus on a strategic leadership project in a previous role .
Following this , I became acutely aware of the power of leading by example , by being open with my team and encouraging them through mentoring and coaching . This has been hugely influential in the way I have approached leadership .
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