After almost 10 years with Schneider Electric, Natalya Makarochkina has risen to the role of senior vice president, managing a team of over 700 across MEA, East Asia, the Pacific, Japan, and South America. The most important investment she has made, she tells us, has been in her professional development. “The world is changing so quickly, it is important to learn every day to keep pace with that change,” she says. As a women’s leadership ambassador for Schneider Electric, she’s always championing inclusivity and empowerment.  

A firm believer in giving people room to express their creativity because it plays an important role in innovation and transformation, she is guided by her own beliefs. “Someone once told me that you will never make a career if you think about your people. This was some of the worst advice I’ve ever heard! However, it inspired me to follow my guidance,” she says. She stresses that putting people first and growing with them–but not at their expense–has helped her find her style as a leader and a manager.  

Over the course of her career, Makarochkina has inspired others to achieve their career goals as she aims to facilitate an environment where people can bring their real selves to work. Not only does it enable teamwork and cohesiveness, but also invites innovation in every area, and that is the result she has seen in her work. “Under my leadership, Schneider Electric’s Secure Power Division has experienced double-digit growth every year since 2021, with FY23 yielding a strong performance of +14% increase,” she says.  

She aims to continue to push for responsible, sustainable growth and provide opportunities for diverse groups. Playing the role of a catalyst for change, Makarochkina does not stop at professional endeavors. Instead, she reaches out to wider audiences through social impact programs. Together with her team at Schneider Electric, she has contributed to an educational project in Nairobi and the Conserve My Planet Program for school students in India. 

Having picked up nuggets of wisdom along the way from her mentors, Makarochkina does not hesitate to share them freely with other women aspiring to be part of the engineering and tech industry. “Firstly, believe in yourself. Ignore the incorrect perceptions that some people may try to put on you.” She adds the most important aspect to this wisdom: “Opportunities will come and there is room to pursue your dreams. My advice is to dive in, listen, and learn.”