Monthly spotlight

Karen McClellan

Who are you, Karen?

A graduate from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, with an MBA from the University of Dayton, I started as a buyer for Dayton Power and Light. I was attracted to Schneider Electric because of its image in the community and in the electrical equipment industry and have been with the company for over ten years. I’m now Real Estate and Property Group Manager. I enjoy spending time with my family, like to travel and to go boating and have “a passion for baseball”.

It’s the first time we interview a Real Estate Manager. It’s likely many Schneider Electric people don’t know what that means! Can you tell us about your job?

The SENA Real Estate and Property Management Group provides guidance and support to best meet the property and space needs of Schneider Electric facilities located in North America. In other words, my three employees at the Palatine facility and myself are involved each time there is a need for a new facility. We will assist in locating the right property, negotiating the terms of the lease, and coordinating the set-up of the facility. In addition, we are involved with lease renewal negotiations, property dispositions, office moves, and space planning and reconfiguration.

Does your group work on its own, or does it rely on outside resources?

We certainly do not work alone. First of all, we interact on a routine basis with many SENA departments, like the legal, risk management, environmental and facilities group. But we also rely on the expertise of several outside suppliers who are a critical part of our team’s success. Namely Portfolio Solutions Group (PSG), who manages our database, CB Richard Ellis (CBRE), our broker, with whom we have an exclusive contract in North America for all transactions and Affordable Office Interiors (AOI), who handles space planning and furniture needs across the company.

Does that mean you and your team coordinate all these people?

Yes, I spend a great deal of time on the phone each day with internal customers, defining requirements and working with our broker and other partners to complete projects and fulfil their requirements. But, occasionally, I will also tour properties with the local group or meet at the facility to better understand the requirements.

How have you come to take up that job?

Originally, I joined as a Commodity Manager in the Purchasing Department. When the Manager position of the Real Estate Department opened up, four years ago, I was given the opportunity to take the job because of my negotiations experience and my work with the facilities as part of my job in Purchasing.

Did you get specific training?

Yes, Schneider Electric supported me through the classes and tests I took to get my Real Estate License in the State of Ohio. It gave me valuable expertise on rules regarding leases, financing, transfers of property, etc. Having bought and set up a private house isn’t enough to give one the ability to manage real estate and property at corporate level! Sometime, the people from a newly acquired entity may believe so, and I feel great when I can convince them of our added value and get them excited about the resource we offer.

You have experience with other companies. What would you say are the striking features of Schneider Electric? What makes it a company worth staying with?

I would say Schneider Electric can be characterized as a company that is growing and adding market share and new affiliate companies every day. It is a company that sets a high priority on employee safety and welfare. And, lastly we all are on a mission for our customers and it shows! It is a great place to work and young people should be aware that they will always have opportunity for growth and advancement and will never go without the appropriate tools and training for their job.