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 Power & Grid Segment Director Akanksha Sharma.
Akanksha has over 10 years’ experience in the energy industry across the UK and Australia. Passionate about clean energy and digital transformation driving the energy transition, Akanksha’s technical expertise and business acumen has enabled her to support top utility organisations with their DSO ambition and enable their transition to a renewables-ready grid.
A determined optimist and lifelong learner, Akanksha is a member of the Association of MBAs and currently sits on the Advisory Board for Enlit Australia.
What motivates and excites you about your role at Schneider Electric?
At the risk of sounding very cliché, for me it really is the fact that I get to directly contribute to the once-in-a-lifetime energy transition that we are going through. Schneider’s portfolio, the expertise of our people, and our focus on sustainability puts us in such a key position to really make a difference. I love that I get to be part of this.
The other thing that really inspires me is the fact that I work with diverse teams from different backgrounds, expertise, and geographies that are empowered to make a difference. No two days are the same!
How do you see the market for Power & Grid evolving in the next 5 years?
I am of course biased, but the P&G segment is going to be THE most exciting market in coming years as the energy sector races to achieve net zero ambitions by 2030. We have a phenomenal task ahead of us if we are to stand any chance of meeting the Paris Agreement target. Last year was a transformational year for the Australian clean energy sector when we finally committed to 82% renewables generation by 2030, after many years of heavy reliance on fossil fuels and misaligned policies.
However, this requires a huge overhaul of the existing grid infrastructure, heavy investment in utility-scale renewables generation to accelerate our transition away from coal, and a growing prosumer market as we focus on electrification via the Rewiring Australia program. Great news is that all of it plays right into Schneider’s capability and positioning around decarbonisation and sustainability.
The challenge for us is going to be how best to focus ourselves to capitalise on this massive potential.
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?
With the focus on decarbonisation and the energy transition, sustainability is a critical theme in the Power & Grid segment. Every day we are working with end users and EPC customers on how we can support their pipeline of renewables projects (wind, solar, BESS, microgrids, and now green H2) which directly enables the transition away from fossil fuels.
In addition to this, we are working with our customers to help them with their Scope 1, 2, and increasingly Scope 3 targets. Sustainability reporting and transparency of their decarbonisation strategy is more and more becoming a requirement for our customers and our Sustainability Business is well positioned to provide advisory support on this.
What makes someone a leader?
Leadership for me has many facets. However, for me a good leader is inspirational, authentic, and provides the vision of the future.
Leadership is also about building the best teams – through diversity of thought, experience, and empowering people to be the best version of themselves in a culture where we encourage innovative thought and high performance.