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 the Country President, New Zealand, Ray Dunn, who is responsible for developing and delivering the commercial strategy and operational excellence nationwide. Ray has been with Schneider for over 30 years, starting his career as a sales representative for PDL in Christchurch and became part of the Schneider Family at the time of the acquisition in 2001. Ray has continued his career path with Schneider, taking on sales leadership roles and eventually becoming GM for the Home & Distribution entity before taking on the role of New Zealand Country President in 2011.
As a member of the Pacific Zone Leadership Team, Ray develops the growth strategy of the business, in line with people priorities. He has led (and continues to lead) the team through significant changes such as business re-structures, making sure efficiency gains do not impact customer satisfaction or the employee experience, while also growing (year-on-year) margin and top line sales.
Ray has more than 20 years’ proven leadership experience. He is committed to creating environments with diverse teams that allow people to be their best version of themselves – honing their strengths to collaboratively achieve exceptional results. Ray is truly passionate about people and firmly believes you’re only as good as your people – excellent individuals, in the right roles, create outstanding, high performing teams.
What motivates and excites you about your role at Schneider Electric?
I am excited to be leading a team that is dedicated to making a real impact in New Zealand and the Pacific Zone and spending as much time as I can with customers and our people.
What makes you most proud of your team?
What makes me most proud of my team is its dedication to excellence and commitment to our customers. They are always looking for ways to improve our products and services, and they consistently go above and beyond to make sure our customers are satisfied. The collaboration across the business and the fact that we work as Schneider New Zealand ahead of standalone business units.
How do you see the New Zealand market evolving in the next 5 years?
I see the New Zealand market evolving in the next 5 years to become even more focused on sustainability and renewable energy. There is a growing demand for energy storage solutions and I believe that we will see an increase in the use of electric vehicles.
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?
Schneider Electric is one of the leading companies in the world when it comes to sustainability, and our New Zealand business is committed to reducing its own environmental impact. We have implemented sustainability initiatives within our own operations, such as removing single use plastic from distribution centre operations and achieved a 20% CO2 reduction of parcel in the network.
Describe a ‘customer first’ moment that you’ll never forget.
There are too many in my career to call out a favourite but every time I have been able to help a customer to grow their business that has always been what matters most to me.
Which of our other values resonates with you most and why?
The value that resonates with me the most is ‘customer first’. Without the customers, there is no point being here. Solving problems and continually delivering a consistently high service level for people dealing with Schneider is key to customer intimacy.
What makes someone a leader?
Leadership for me has always been about listening to someone and making sure that I am present and understand what they say. I have always tried to guide and encourage for more, rather than tell and demand.
Who has influenced you most during your career and how?
The people who have influenced me most during my career have been in leadership roles, some of which I have thought were best in class but often I learnt the most from leadership styles I thought were worst in class.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Believe in yourself and go with your gut even when you only have 80% of the information.
