Welcome to the next edition of Leadership Matters where we ask leaders around the Pacific Zone for their insights and advice about leadership matters to support our continuing journey of personal and professional development.
In this edition, we hear from Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Claire Machin, who is responsible for driving financial transformation in the Pacific. Since joining the Pacific finance team in 2020, Claire was the Transactional Businesses Finance Director and, more recently, Projects & Services Business & Finance Director before her appointment as CFO in August 2022.
Starting her career at Schneider Electric in UK&I in 2004, Claire has worked across multiple business and finance functions. She also has a keen interest in employee engagement and previously led the New Ways of Working Pacific group.
What motivates and excites you about your role at Schneider Electric?
Being part of our business transformation. Since joining Schneider, the business has seen many changes, and that’s the great thing about Schneider: no two days are ever the same. As CFO, I am driving the direction and success of the Pacific business using the past 18 years of knowledge I have gained. I really enjoy being a true partner to the business, delivering growth and supporting our customers.
What makes you most proud of your team?
The team’s resilience. The team has undergone so much transformation in the past few years, and has tackled this head on, bringing new ideas and a digital mindset to ensure that Finance provides relevant and insightful information to support the business. The passion the team has is inspiring and I am proud to lead such a great team.
We’re one of the leading companies in the world when it comes to sustainability. How is your part of the business contributing to this leadership?
The Finance team has to be agile and adaptable. We have changed how we report information and seek to be more efficient enabling the investment needed to meet and exceed our sustainability targets.
Describe a ‘customer first’ moment that you’ll never forget.
Recently there have been many moments, specifically lead times being continually pushed out due to the shipping crisis. On multiple occasions the team has pulled out all stops to find alternatives, including investigating alternate countries’ stock for utilisation and employing air freight to satisfy customers’ lead time requirements. The collaboration between supply chain, operations, and finance has been amazing and really shows being ‘customer first’ is in our DNA.
Which of our other values resonates with you most and why?
Act Like Owners. This is so important, not just in finance, but across all business functions. If you ‘act like owners’, you will always make the right decisions. It’s about seeing the bigger picture and not getting caught up with the small details.
What makes someone a leader?
A great leader is someone who can lead with empathy, give employees the space to use their judgment, and build a great team. It’s also about being able to debrief good and bad situations, including having those ’difficult conversations’ when things haven’t gone so well, and finding a solution together. Building trust and leading with integrity is also very important.
Who has influenced you most during your career and how?
My first manager at Schneider always had an unwavering belief in me and my capabilities, often pushing me outside of my comfort zone but always there to support. He has always championed my career and challenged me to try new things. He’s always been, and still is, a great mentor to me.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Build your network. This has always been a big part of my leadership journey. I always make time to get to know people and what motivates them. We recently launched ‘Coffee Connect’ to encourage employees to build their networks and it’s been a great success. People do business with people, and it’s much easier to ask for help when you already know the person you need help from!
