Schneider Electric has announced a major strategic move in its quest to become an AI-fueled organisation. The French multinational company announced the appointment of its first Chief AI Officer and also the opening of a global AI Hub. Schneider Electric is leading the digital transformation of energy management and automation and is now also focusing on advancing its AI strategy.
Philippe Rambach is Schneider Electric’s first CAIO
Schneider Electric has announced Philippe Rambach as the first Chief AI Officer (CAIO) of the company. In his new role, Rambach will be tasked with driving AI innovation at scale, both internally and for its customers. The French company has already implemented several flagship AI business cases but it now wants to focus on AI business cases in a big way to improve overall efficiency and sustainability using data-based insights.
As a graduate of Ecole Polytechnique, Rambach joined Schneider Electric in 2010 from AREVA. With more than 20 years of experience in strategy, innovation and business responsibility in many industries, he is nicely positioned to transition an old industry into the cutting edge of artificial intelligence. With his international career background, Rambach will be leading Schneider’s transformation into an AI-driven company from France.
With the appointment of Philippe Rambach and the creation of a new AI Hub focused on ensuring scalability and delivery of measured value to current and AI projects, Schneider Electric is committing to AI innovation. The company says the focus going forward will be to provide the right technology platforms, analytics, process guidance and expertise. It will also partner with all data platform owners to create the right foundations for data federation, which is an essential step in the digital journey of every company.
“At Schneider Electric, we believe that AI has the potential to transform entire industries. As such, it requires a clear, bold AI strategy and C-suite attention,” says Peter Weckesser, Chief Digital Officer at Schneider Electric. “We must create the best possible conditions and partnerships to design, build and deliver AI solutions that meet the challenges of our customers. The appointment of Philippe and the opening of the AI Hub enable us to deliver uniquely innovative AI projects at scale and future proof our business.”
AI to unlock efficiency and sustainability
Schneider Electric sees the appointment of its first chief AI officer and AI Hub as the way to help its customers unlock efficiency and sustainability. The newly created global AI Hub will also focus on the development of internal AI applications used at Schneider and study their viability for adoption at scale. The Hub will also play a key role in turning the company into an AI-driven organisation across all internal domains and combine technology, process and human enablers.
The company is also focusing on helping its customers collect data from the whole value chain, which will be crucial in decision making. Schneider Electric is also helping its customers become more agile and decarbonise their operations. From turning unstructured data into valuable insights into actionable business and environmental decisions, the company is making all the right moves in its AI-driven business model.
“We listen to our customers and see the need for advanced AI technologies to solve their challenges in energy management, industrial automation, and sustainability,” says Philippe Rambach, Chief AI Officer at Schneider Electric. “As an organisation, we are constantly striving to promote digitalisation and ensure we work in the most efficient ways. In my new position, I want to answer one critical question: How can we leverage the benefits of AI to drive efficiency, sustainability, and quality in everything we do? I’m excited to see what the future of AI at Schneider Electric holds.”