The industrial evolution of brand: Inside Schneider Electric’s shift

What happens when a 190-year-old industrial company starts calling itself an energy technology company?

Join Gabe and Holly as they explore how Schneider Electric is repositioning from a behind-the-walls manufacturer to a global energy tech leader, and what that means for brand, communications, and marketing leaders.

Chief Brand and Communications Officer Monique Elliott helps unpack how an engineering-led, rules-based organization built an integrated brand and communications function, created a dedicated brand storytelling capability, and turned customer “impact makers” into the heroes of its narrative. She shares what it really took to sell storytelling into a technical culture, why brand and comms were brought under one roof, and how that shift unlocked new value internally and externally.

You’ll hear practical insights on:

• Moving a heritage “industrial” brand into a technology-led positioning without losing credibility
• Structuring brand and communications as an internal consulting function to the business
• Building a brand storytelling team (and how they hired for the right skills)
• Using customer stories and thought leadership to move beyond product marketing
• Balancing governance and guidelines with creativity in large, rules-driven organizations
• Leveraging AI to synthesize analyst and market signals so brand can respond faster

For anyone leading brand in complex B2B organizations - especially legacy or engineering-driven companies - this conversation offers a clear look at how to modernize your brand without discarding what made it strong.