Senior expert professionals are often the quiet powerhouses inside technology, engineering, and industrial companies. They design breakthrough processes, file patents, and devise the prototypes that can become tomorrow’s growth engines. When these professionals are equipped with skills to navigate the business side of innovation—aligning with marketing priorities, securing executive sponsorship and managing cross-functional execution—their best work can deliver higher value to customers.

Building an innovation pipeline 

Electrifiers for Impact, Schneider Electric’s custom executive education program with MIT Sloan School of Management, was launched in 2023 to strengthen ties between experts and leadership, break down silos, and give top technical talent the tools to connect innovation directly to business outcomes. A nine-month accelerated learning engagement co-created with MIT Sloan Executive Education, the program blends digital modules with four and a half days of immersive learning on MIT’s campus. 

“We’re not just running training programs; we’re codifying skills, mapping future needs, and preparing for the long term,” said Tina Mylon, Schneider’s SVP Talent Inclusion and Culture.

Maria Begona Ochoa, Senior Manager, Leadership Development and Coaching Impact, appreciated the MIT Sloan approach: "MIT took the time to interview different experts at different levels, identifying gaps and brainstorming solutions. They really understood what the Electrifiers needed."

Cohort 1 participants with MIT Sloan Executive Education faculty and staff. 

Read more about the Electrifiers for Impact program experience and outcomes. 

Investing in long-term growth

When companies sponsor advanced business development, whether through custom executive education or open-enrollment leadership programs, they send a clear message: we see you as part of our future. According to LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report, 94% of employees say they would stay longer if their company invested in their career development.

Equipped with skills in stakeholder management, resource planning, and strategic communication, senior engineers and R&D leads can:

• Shorten innovation-to-impact timelines, bridging the gap between filing a patent and launching a commercially viable product. Chad, a director of Cybersecurity Architecture at Schneider, described how the program helped him finally bring one of his 14 patents to market: “It’s one thing to have a good idea; it’s another to demonstrate it can produce return on investment.”
• Secure executive buy-in, translating technical potential into business cases that attract funding and attention. In its first year, three of seven participant projects earned executive funding and moved into execution.
• Engage more deeply in the company’s vision, understanding financial drivers and strategic priorities. As one participant put it, “Now I understand that I matter to Schneider. They’re investing in me because they believe in me.”

See how MIT Sloan Executive Education works with organizations to equip technical leaders with strategic business acumen.

Offering experts an opportunity to expand

For Schneider Electric, early program outcomes point to stronger networks, greater confidence, and a noticeable shift in mindset from technical contributor to strategic leader. The Electrifiers are seeing this experience as much more than a token of appreciation from their employer. For them, it is an opportunity to learn, grow, and expand their impact on the organization’s success. 

Olivier Bouffet, Schneider’s expert community leader, illustrates the program experience for the participants: “When you speak to our Electrifiers about MIT, their eyes light up! The brand, the experience, the quality of learning—it all matters.” 

Learn more about MIT Sloan Executive Education programs for organizations.