Black History Month is a time for reflection – not only on history, but on how lived experience continues to shape leadership today.
Across Schneider Electric, Black employees bring their full selves to work every day: their stories, values, and ways of leading. This month, we’re sharing a few of those voices – not to speak for a community as a whole, but to listen to individual journeys that reflect resilience, craft, and service in action.
These perspectives connect with ongoing conversations at Schneider Electric about leadership and resilience, including a recent blog by Robin Oliphant on resilience as a leadership competency. Together, they remind us that leadership is not defined by titles or moments, but by how we show up consistently for our teams, our customers, and one another.
Leadership shaped by lived experience
For Jerrold Robinson, leadership is inseparable from identity, service, and community.
Growing up between the South and the Midwest as one of seven children, Jerrold learned early lessons about unity and standing up for one another. Calling a sibling “half” was never acceptable – identity and belonging were non-negotiable values reinforced at home by parents who modeled resilience and sacrifice.
That foundation carried into his time in the military, where Jerrold discovered leadership not as authority, but as service. “Leadership is not about titles,” he reflects. “It’s about service.”
Since joining Schneider Electric, Jerrold’s journey has spanned roles in Quality, Plant Transformation, Manufacturing, and now Material Productivity. Along the way, developing people and leading change with transparency and empathy became central to his approach. His involvement with the Black Professionals Employee Resource Network (BPERN) reinforced the importance of representation, mentorship, and allyship – not as abstract ideals, but as daily practices that support growth and connection.
Rooted in heritage and lived experience, Jerrold’s story reflects how leadership grows when purpose, service, and inclusion are actively supported.
Turning intention into execution
For Keonna Coleman, leadership shows up in systems, processes, and the discipline of execution.
As a first-generation college graduate with a degree in Engineering, joining Schneider Electric marked a major family milestone. Her early career in the Columbia, South Carolina facility exposed her to flagship production lines, root cause analysis, customer audits, and continuous improvement – experiences that shaped both her technical expertise and leadership mindset.
“Black History teaches us that greatness is built on perseverance and purpose,” Keonna shares. “Every milestone achieved began as an intention – and became reality through systems that supported progress.”
Now a Senior Quality Engineer at ASCO Power Technologies in Welcome, North Carolina, Keonna leads the deployment of Quality Fundamentals and helps drive a culture of quality across the facility. Her leadership philosophy mirrors her engineering approach: success isn’t about avoiding failure, but learning, improving, and creating processes that empower others to rise.
In her role as Vice President of the BPERN Welcome chapter, Keonna also helps foster connection and engagement across the organization – extending her impact beyond the production floor and helping create pathways for future leaders.
Leadership through partnership and trust
For Marcus Thomas, leadership is about connection, collaboration, and turning difference into strength.
As a Strategic Account Executive supporting Schneider Electric’s Semiconductor segment, Marcus leads complex customer initiatives that require trust, long-term vision, and strong executive partnerships. With more than five years at Schneider Electric, he has helped position the company as a trusted partner to major semiconductor manufacturers by aligning services strategy across lifecycle services, digital solutions, and managed services.
“True leadership is measured by the courage to embrace diversity,” Marcus says, “and the wisdom to turn cultural differences into collective strength.”
Marcus’s work operates at scale, but his leadership philosophy remains grounded. Whether building relationships with customers or collaborating across internal teams, he approaches leadership as a shared effort – one that values perspective, respect, and accountability.
A shared commitment to progress
Across these stories, leadership takes many forms – service, execution, partnership – but the thread connecting them is consistency. Leadership practiced over time. Progress built intentionally.
That progress is supported by communities that create space for connection, development, and shared learning. Schneider Electric’s Employee Resource Networks (ERNs) are employee-led communities that foster inclusion and growth across the organization, bringing together employees across shared backgrounds, experiences, and interests. Allies are welcome, and all employees are encouraged to participate.
Within this network, the Black Professionals Employee Resource Network (BPERN) supports the development and retention of Black employees through mentorship, engagement, and advocacy. BPERN’s work reflects a broader commitment to creating environments where individuals can grow, contribute, and lead authentically.
This commitment also extends beyond our walls. Through employee-led engagement with partners like National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), team members gain leadership experience while strengthening industry connections and supporting community outreach efforts that help inspire future generations.
These themes are explored more deeply in a recent reflection by Robin, whose blog examines resilience not as a personality trait, but as a leadership competency – something shaped by experience, supported by systems, and strengthened through community. Her perspective brings language to what these employees demonstrate every day: that resilience shows up in how leaders listen, adapt, and create space for others to succeed.
As we honor Black History Month, these stories represent just a few of the many ways Black employees contribute to Schneider Electric every day. Their experiences reflect how lived experience shapes leadership – and how progress moves forward when we lead with intention, care, and accountability.
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