Chris Curtis honored as a pioneer of sales and marketing PALATINE, Ill. - December 11 2006 - The Schneider Electric North American Operating Division today announced that Chris Curtis, president of Schneider Electric USA, has been honored as a pioneer of sales and marketing with a 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award from Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company. An award ceremony to recognize Curtis’ accomplishment will take place during the 8th Annual Sales and Marketing 2007, West; a Frost & Sullivan Executive MindXchange on Jan. 21 through 24, 2007, at the Marriott Buttes, Tempe, Ariz. “I am honored to be chosen as a recipient of Frost & Sullivan’s 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award,” Curtis said.
“Over the last three years, our North American Operating Division has made great progress in many areas of our business. Our collective efforts have helped us excel in key areas, including growth, profitability and customer satisfaction improvements, and I am proud to be in a position to help drive the company’s top goals.” The Sales and Marketing Lifetime Achievement Awards are given each year to individuals whose careers are characterized by a legacy rich in accomplishments and achievements. This award recognizes the individual’s vision, style, management and dedication toward making a difference in his or her field. The commitment demonstrated by these individuals is instrumental in spurring excellence in the sales and/or marketing function within the organization.
“Under his leadership, Schneider Electric USA will continue to grow and become stronger in the U.S. market. This can be attributed to Mr. Curtis’ strong understanding of the Schneider Electric culture and continued focus on working with customers to achieve high product quality and customer satisfaction,” said Visual Sapura, program manager, Power Systems Group at Frost & Sullivan.
Along with the award ceremony, Curtis also will take part in an interactive panel discussion Tuesday, Jan. 23, as part of the 8th Annual Sales and Marketing 2007, West; a Frost & Sullivan Executive MindXchange on Jan. 21 through 24. Curtis has an extensive sales and marketing background, with more than 13 years of experience with Schneider Electric’s North American Operating Division. He joined the company in June 1993 as director of industrial marketing and was responsible for planning and managing the company’s industrial marketing programs, including strategic accounts.
In 1995, he was promoted to vice president, mid-Atlantic sales, and directed efforts for the company’s industrial, original equipment manufacturer (OEM), institutional and contractor client base. Curtis became director of OEM marketing in 1996 and developed and implemented the business strategy for all products and services sold to OEMs. Under his direction, the company’s OEM sales grew by more than 20 percent. In 1998, Curtis was named vice president of marketing for the North American Operating Division and led the development and implementation of the business strategy to serve the key market segments, including residential construction, commercial and industrial construction, OEM and strategic accounts.
In 2002, Curtis traveled to Toronto and became president of Schneider Electric Canada, where he was responsible for all business operations. In 2003, after a short but effective tenure in Canada, he returned to the United States and was promoted to senior vice president, sales and services, and finally to president of Schneider Electric USA in July 2006.
About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. Its advisory expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities for clients. While serving clientele ranging from virtually every Global 1000 to emerging companies, Frost & Sullivan’s comprehensive industry coverage includes a global perspective of all vertical and horizontal industries. Its unique coverage combines ongoing analyst of markets, technologies, econometrics and demographics.
About Schneider Electric
Headquartered in Palatine, Ill., the North American Operating Division of Schneider Electric had sales of $2.8 billion (U.S.) in 2005.
The North American Operating Division is one of four operating divisions of Schneider Electric, headquartered in Paris, France, and markets the Square D, Telemecanique and Merlin Gerin brand products to customers in the United States, Canada and Mexico. In the United States, Schneider Electric is best known by its flagship Square D brand, with Telemecanique becoming increasingly known in the industrial control and automation markets and supported by many Square D distributors. For 100 years, Square D has been a market-leading brand of electrical distribution and industrial control products, systems and services.
Schneider Electric is a global electrical industry leader with 2005 sales of approximately $14.5 billion (U.S.).
