APC 2009 Annual Report Download - page 4

2009 REGISTRATION DOCUMENT SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC2
MESSAGE FROM JEAN-PASCAL TRICOIRE
PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
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Message from
Jean- Pascal Tricoire
PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
2009 was an intense year. A crisis of unprecedented scale
confronted the global economy and reshaped the world in a way
unseen before. While mature economies were challenged to their
core, new economies, in particular China, emerged as the world’s
growth engine, showing an impressive degree of resilience. Amid
the crisis, the energy challenge also topped the world’s political,
environmental and economic agendas, thus creating new
opportunities for our generation.
With this backdrop, Schneider Electric had two options. We could
hunker down and wait for the storm to pass; or we could use the
crisis as an opportunity to transform our company and emerge
stronger. We chose the latter, with passion and determination. We
accelerated the implementation of the Group strategy, we rolled out
our new company programme, One, launched in January 2009,
and focused on three key transformations to make Schneider
Electric the global specialist in energy management.
First, we stepped up our move towards solutions. Building on our
high-quality products and global network of long-term partners, we
have developed complementary capabilities to supply pre-tested
solutions that fi t the specifi c needs of our customers. To support this
goal, we have launched our foundation architecture, EcoStruxure,
which bridges our expertise from all businesses and leverages
technology to achieve energy effi ciency in all our segments. We
also strengthened our solution execution centres and refocused
our sales force providing one face to our customers, making their
life simpler when it comes to energy management.
Second, we continued to invest in new economies, tapping into
the impressive talent pool of those countries, and reinforcing our
presence there to better serve our customers. These countries
already account for 34% of our sales and 42% of our people. We
are convinced that we must develop a dedicated, tailored and
original approach to meet their specifi c needs. Our investment in
these dynamic economies is multifaceted and encompasses all of
our expertise: from commercial, marketing, industry, technology, to
all business processes and decision centres.
Third, we drastically accelerated our move to become one simple
company and one team in front of our customers. We implemented
many initiatives to increase the satisfaction of our customers and
employees and gain effi ciency. We streamlined our organisation
which focuses on customer needs and reduces complexity for
them. We converged our brands, to increase our market impact
and support the consistency of our solutions. We simplifi ed many
aspects of our company, and worked assiduously on developing
a more productive and innovative relationship with our suppliers.
Simplifi cation drove our cost base down and helped us deliver on
our fi nancial commitments.
In a nutshell, One was our compass as we navigated through the
storm, implemented our strategy, and supported the resilience
of our business. For Schneider Electric, 2009 was a year of real
strategic acceleration.
2009 has also been the year where we have conducted one of our
biggest acquisitions with Areva T&D. In January 2010, together with
Alstom, Schneider Electric signed the fi nal agreement with Areva
for the acquisition of its Transmission & Distribution activity. When
approved by the relevant competition authorities, the acquisition
of Areva’s Distribution activity will allow us to build an even more
comprehensive offer in medium voltage and power automation. It
will strengthen our access to worldwide utilities and electro-intensive
customers and enhance our position in the middle of the Smart G rid
technological revolution.
We continue to develop the fundamental DNA of our company:
dedication to our customers, investment in innovation, commitment
to sustainable development and engagement of our people.
All of these are a source of pride and motivation for each of our
associates.
We are totally committed to the satisfaction of our customers; it
is fundamental to our identity. We constantly analyse customer
preferences and aspirations, as well as our processes and strategies
to improve ourselves. There is endless progress to pursue and
achieve in this domain – and we will do so.