Starting out: From graduate to engineer
I am Li Shijuan, ELM Department Manager of the LH R&D team at Beijing Leader Harvest Electrical Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Schneider Electric Industrial Automation China. After graduating from university in 2009, I joined the company and began my career as a Mechanical Engineer, focusing on the cooling structure design of medium-voltage drives (MVD).
Adapting to change and embracing a new role
Later, due to a business restructuring, I transitioned into a newly created role as a Thermal Simulation Engineer. This position challenged me not only to resolve thermal issues through simulation analysis and product testing, but also to establish the MVD thermal simulation workflow and drive simulation technology that would shape our product development roadmap.
During this time, I experienced the power of cross-team collaboration. Learning at Schneider Electric’s Shanghai R&D center and exchanging ideas with French thermal simulation experts helped me develop a problem-solving mindset and refine my own working style.
Stepping up: Leading innovation projects
As my career progressed, I naturally sought to broaden my skills and take on new responsibilities. Schneider Electric once again gave me the opportunity to grow – this time as a New Offer Creation Project Manager, leading the development of a high-power water-cooled MVD.
It was a highly complex and innovative project, and our team spent five years bringing it to life and achieving breakthroughs in customer applications. As the project leader, I honed my leadership skills, not only by learning business knowledge across market, quality, manufacturing, and service domains, but also by managing communication and resolving conflicts within the team.
I’m deeply grateful for the trust and support I received at Schneider Electric, which empowered me to take ownership, make timely decisions, and drive the project forward.
Looking back, Schneider Electric’s diverse and inclusive work environment has played a vital role in my career development. It has continuously inspired me to uplift my team and pursue continuous improvement. Today, as the manager of the MVD R&D mechanical team, my responsibilities often extend beyond my formal role. For example, before the project manager for our high-power water-cooled MVD initiative officially joined last year, I stepped in part-time to lead the project: building the team, planning the product roadmap, and driving prototype development within just six months. Though it was exhausting, I was excited to gain new experience. Working with global teams gave me valuable insights, helped me understand cultural differences, improved my English communication skills, and taught me rigorous thinking and work styles.
Continuously empowered to lead
In summary, I’m proud to work at Schneider Electric, a company that truly embraces diversity and inclusion. As a female leader here, I’ve never felt limited by my gender. I’m thankful for the open and fair platform the company provides, where anyone willing to put in the effort can pursue their career dreams. Discover more in our Life @ Schneider Blog.
About the author
Shijuan Li, MVD R&D Center ELM Function Manager
Shijuan LI is based in Beijing, China, and has over 16 years of experience working at Schneider Electric. After graduating in 2009, she joined Schneider Electric as a Mechanical Engineer and continued to extend her career by taking various roles, such as thermal simulation engineer and OCP project manager. She is proficient in project management at cross-functional collaboration, having worked closely with marketing, quality, industrialization, and manufacturing. In her free time, she enjoys reading and jogging.
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