Up the ranks: Janet Man joins Schneider Electric as VP, talent management

Starting May 2017, Janet Man is Schneider Electric’s new vice president, talent management. In her new role, Man will be responsible for building the leadership pipeline and managing related programmes. She reports directly to Tina Mylon, SVP for talent and diversity.

Man's focus will be on building a strong and diverse pool of high potential talent who could succeed to top leadership positions. Apart from identifying these individuals, she is also responsible for organising programmes and creating exposure opportunities for them to get to know senior leaders of the organisation and vice versa.

When asked about her priority for the upcoming year, Man told Human Resources magazine: "Over the last few years, Schneider Electric has spent time reviewing incumbent leaders holding the top 1,000 positions, so we have a good sense of the strength of our leadership pipeline.

"To address identified gaps as well as continue building the talent pool from within, one of my top priorities is to identify a group of early- and mid-career individuals who have the potential to advance two or three levels upwards and take up global roles in future. The company is committed to developing and accelerating the growth of these top potentials whose career will be closely managed."

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Another priority for Man and her team is to support the business by identifying digital disruptors who are able to lead change and innovation in the organisation, and creating an environment that will allow this critical group to drive transformation.

On the topic of talent challenges, Man says there are many. "But if I have to pick one, it's engagement," she says. "We spend a lot of effort on identifying, assessing, and developing talent, but if we're unable able to keep them, then that effort will have been wasted.

"What makes engagement challenging is that people are different. What motivates and drives you doesn’t necessarily have the same impact on me. As there is no right formula when it comes to engagement, it is probably one of the hardest challenges for HR to master."

Man brings with her 20 years of experience in the HR industry, as well as an MBA and a degree in learning and organisational change. Most recently, she was senior director of talent management at McDonald’s, where she joined in 2009. She continues to be based in Hong Kong.

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