Schneider Electric appoints Mark Yeeles as vice president for Secure Power

Schneider Electric has appointed Mark Yeeles as the new vice president of its Secure Power division in the UK and Ireland. Yeeles joins the Secure Power division from Schneider Electric’s Industrial Automation business, where he delivered a sustained period of growth through its robotics and process automation solutions.

From April 2023, Mark Yeeles will be tasked with driving profitable growth by working with Schneider Electric’s data centre customers, end-users and IT channel partners to address the challenges associated with data centre sustainability, efficiency, energy security and resilience. He will also work directly across the company’s OT and electrical channels, including its electrical contractors, panel builders and distributors, to diversify the Secure Power businesses’ EcoStruxure for Data Centres hardware, software and services offerings, and fast-track growth among its partner base. 

“I’m honoured to have been appointed the new VP for the Secure Power division in the UK and Ireland, and look forward to working with our customers to solve their challenges in the wake of the energy crisis,” said Yeeles. “I believe that ecosystem collaboration is vital to help this sector address its environmental impact, and that by harnessing the power of software and digitalisation to unlock new efficiencies and minimise energy waste, we will ensure data centres play a key role in a more resilient and sustainable future.”

Commenting on the appointment, outgoing SVP Marc Garner said: “I’m delighted to name Mark Yeeles my successor for the UK and Ireland and believe both his appointment and his customer-first approach will be essential as we continue to grow our engagement and relationships with owners, operators, and partners across this mission-critical sector.”

Electricity 4.0

In his new role, Mark will also deliver the company’s vision for Electricity 4.0 – helping customers harness the power of electrification and digitalisation to reduce CO2 emissions, lower energy consumption, and embrace grid-ready technologies to ensure that data centres can become part of a sustainable, resilient energy system.

Schneider Electric’s Secure Power division provides data centre physical infrastructure solutions for customers using data centres, server rooms and edge computing solutions. Its EcoStruxure Data Centre Solutions, for example, bring together racks, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), energy efficient cooling systems, and data centre infrastructure management software (DCIM) systems to support IT equipment in mission-critical environments.

Proven track record

Yeeles first joined Schneider Electric’s Industrial Automation business in 2015, and during his tenure as VP, led a diverse team of experts to drive growth across end-user segments that included Industrial Manufacturing, Consumer Packaged Goods, Water and Wastewater, Plant and Machinery. Yeeles’ team, for example, helped its customers reap the benefits of digitalisation and automation, while increasing the uptake of Schneider Electric’s interoperable automation software, EcoStruxure.

A passionate advocate for diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) and early careers, Yeeles believes that encouraging more young people to pursue rewarding careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and investing in equal opportunities for mentorship, coaching and leadership will be crucial to solve the data centre sectors’ skills gap.