Schneider Electric, a leader in energy management and automation, has appointed Chris Collins as the new Country President for Ireland.

Chris Collins takes over from Kelly Becker, who became the Zone President for UK & Ireland at the start of this year. Based in Maynooth, Chris Collins, who now reports to Kelly Becker, will play a vital role in directing the next phase of growth and strategy for Schneider Electric Ireland.

Commenting on the appointment, Kelly Becker said: “With his extensive experience leading multi-disciplinary teams in the US, Chris is the ideal candidate to support our Irish customers with their sustainability transformations. Based on my time leading the Irish market, I know that Chris’s passion for leveraging digital innovation to drive sustainable change will be invaluable to our customers in the region.”

Chris Collins began his career working in engineering and operations roles with field services teams. He then joined Schneider Electric as a Business Development Manager in 2003, responsible for building automation and security products in the North East region of the US. Over the past seventeen years, he has grown his career and held senior board-level positions at the multinational energy management brand. He is a seasoned business leader having overseen Schneider’s smart buildings business, covering both the commercial and residential sectors in the US, and most recently held the role of Vice President Systems Transformation, Digital Energy.

Currently living in Dallas, Fort Worth, he plans to move with his family to Dublin later this year, after which he will be based in Schneider Electric’s Maynooth office.

Chris Collins said: “Ireland is a real growth engine in the zone for Schneider Electric, so I’m thrilled to be taking up the Country President role and looking forward to meeting the fantastic team in person.

“The close-knit business structure in Ireland has significant advantages, bringing a broad range of expertise across industries together to provide more robust solutions for our customers.

“I am also passionate about driving and adding to the great work already carried out to support early career development initiatives in Ireland. This is particularly important to me as we strive to bring the best talent into our industry to help us achieve a new energy landscape and net-zero future.”

Schneider Electric has deep roots in Ireland, stretching back to the creation of ‘Schneider Electric Ireland Limited’ in 1984 and its acquisition of APC, including the Galway manufacturing facility, in 1994. Schneider Electric Ireland currently employs approximately 400 people across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland with Dublin, Galway, and Belfast facilities.