Mercedes Jul, Women in Service

I am Mercedes Jul, Head of Product Management & Strategy, GPG Service Solutions and Power Consulting based here in Switzerland.

In short, I am one of those rare people who truly enjoy what they do. Fortunately, I have managed to combine my passion for the energy sector with my purpose of sharing my insight to create a positive impact in the world - all with the best work environment and team I could ever hope for.

As the product management and strategy team, we plan, monitor, and develop a global product portfolio in strategic service businesses, including substations, power quality solutions, and transportation infrastructure.

While it may not sound terribly exciting, it is. Together, we place the customer at the heart by defining the most suitable products to meet their needs and, by doing so, we have a significant impact on how our company is perceived. That is why one of our most crucial tasks is to align our product portfolio with the company strategy, mission, vision, and values.

Change managers

I would like to say that product managers are, in fact, change managers. Every time we launch a new product, we enter a complex process to ensure that this product is adopted both internally and externally. Consequently, with solutions such as PowerConnect (AI-based Q&A knowledge sharing platform), we drive diversity and inclusion. Likewise, we have solutions that contribute to transforming our culture and daily work into a more sustainable and digital one.

Moreover, the company gives me the opportunity to contribute personally to gender diversity in many ways: through my role both in the Female Network DACH and in the Global Female Network; as mentor in our Early High Potential program and working together with our Power+ trainees.

As one of few women in leadership roles, I believe that we still have a long way to go, but I am also convinced that our organization is putting the right actions in motion to get there.

What I am most proud of is my team.

Thanks to our diversity, we have an ideal mix of skills and experience. We are not just a group of people working together, we comprise a powerful, synergistic whole. Every time someone refers to their impressive performance, I feel genuinely honored to have the privilege of leading them.

I am #ProudToBeHitachiEnergy because of our remarkable history as an innovation pioneer and our promising future as a gamechanger for a net-zero power sector.