Who is Energy Leader Schneider Electric's New Senior VP?
Schneider Electric has confirmed Vanessa Miler-Fels as its new Senior Vice President for Global Supply Chain (GSC) Safety, Environment, Real Estate, and Sustainability, effective October 1.
She succeeds Piao Jin, who is set to assume the role of Senior Vice President for the GSC East Asia Industrial Cluster.
The leadership transition forms part of Schneider Electric's plan to infuse sustainable practices throughout its global supply chain. The company is actively working to enhance its operations by embedding sustainability as a core principle across all levels.
Find out where Schneider Electric ranks in Sustainability Magazine's list of the Top 250 Most Sustainable Companies in the World.
Renewable energy experience
Vanessa Miler-Fels brings more than wo decades of experience in environmental policy and climate leadership fields.
In her current role as Global Environment Vice President within Schneider Electric’s Sustainability team, she has been instrumental in shaping the organisation’s climate strategy.
Her career has spanned roles in the French Ministry of Energy, contributions to a UK-based green infrastructure fund and spearheading projects focused on decarbonisation at Microsoft, where she concentrated on renewable energy procurement and minimising environmental impacts throughout supply chain operations.
In her new position, Vanessa is tasked with accelerating Schneider Electric's environmental and social initiatives throughout its value chain, particularly in sustainability, safety and real estate strategy – all in alignment with Schneider Electric's broader environmental and operational objectives.
She joins the GSC leadership team and will report directly to Chief Supply Chain Officer Mourad Tamoud.
“I am honoured to take on this role at such a critical moment in our supply chain transformation,” Vanessa shares.
“Sustainability and safety are not just operational imperatives – they are strategic levers for impact and powerful engines of innovation. I look forward to working with our global teams to accelerate environmental and social progress across the full value chain.”
Alignment with wider business goals
The appointment of Vanessa underscores Schneider Electric’s commitment to keeping sustainability as a core element of its supply chain model.
The company’s goal is to develop an efficient, safe and environmentally-responsible framework. Vanessa's new role is part of broader leadership changes aimed at advancing these objectives.
Mourad adds: "Vanessa’s deep expertise in climate and environmental strategy, combined with her global perspective, makes her uniquely positioned to lead this next chapter.
"Her appointment reflects our unwavering commitment to building a supply chain that is not only resilient and efficient, but also safe, sustainable and aligned with our purpose.”
The GSC unit at Schneider Electric is responsible for managing global logistics, manufacturing and supplier operations. By integrating sustainability into this framework, Schneider Electric aims to meet regulatory requirements and customer demand for transparent and responsible sourcing and production practices.
Real estate and safety
In addition to environmental priorities, Vanessa's role encompasses the oversight of real estate and safety strategies within the GSC framework.
These areas are becoming increasingly interlinked with environmental targets as effective facility management contributes to energy efficiency and carbon reduction initiatives across the company’s global operations.
By consolidating these functions into a single portfolio, Schneider Electric seeks to enhance coordination across environmental goals, physical asset management and workplace safety. This structure fosters cross-functional collaboration and ensures climate-related responsibilities are embedded across its operations.
Vanessa's policy experience and operational insights, coupled with a proven track record of delivering climate outcomes, position her ideally to guide these unified efforts. She steps into a vital role within the leadership team responsible for overseeing the company’s global supply chain operations.
Her appointment comes amid a period of transformation within Schneider Electric’s GSC operations, characterised by increased emphasis on supplier collaboration and low-carbon logistics, along with responsible material sourcing. Vanessa is charged with achieving environmental and social priorities while ensuring the supply chain continues to meet global business demands.
