Heather Cykoski
Schneider Electric
Senior Vice President, Industrial and Process Automation
Heather Cykoski, Senior Vice President, Industrial and Process Automation, Member of the Executive Leadership Team, leads the Industrial Automation business in North America to be our customer’s digital and automation partner for sustainability and resiliency. A passionate global business leader with 25 years of international experience leading multi-divisional, multi-cultural teams across the energy value chain, Heather brings a strong track record of excellence in both business and leadership. She began her career at the Foxboro Company in 1998, as a member of the Professional Leadership Program, with roles in engineering and business development. Starting in 2005, she held several leadership roles at ABB in marketing, sales, and strategic investments. Joining as North American Manager for British Petroleum and Shell in 2007, Vice President, Group Accounts, working with The Dow Chemical Company, successfully executing chemical plants and new investments in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North America. In 2010, she led ABB’s partnership with Dow Chemical and Saudi Aramco’s joint venture from concept through lifecycle, in Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia. In 2012, she managed Group Strategic Project investments including East Africa’s liquid natural gas and North America’s gulf coast chemical and liquid natural gas investments. Most recently, leading ABB’s global Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Industry business. In August 2023, Heather returned to Schneider Electric with a clear mandate to be an “impact maker” in energy transition, harnessing the full portfolio and strength of our company, AVEVA, and strategic partnerships. In addition to her professional experience, Heather is deeply involved in the community and is a fierce advocate of women in STEM. She serves on the Board of Directors of Fluitron and the World of Affairs Council. She has been honored with the Gamechangers Progress Champion Award in 2022 and 2023; WeQual Americas Leadership Excellence Award in 2021 and named a Global Leader of Influence, World Affairs in 2021; 10 Most Influential Women in Technology 2020 and a member of the Global Women’s Forum for Economy & Society, Paris France. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Distribution from the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University and IMD’s Executive Leadership from IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland. Heather resides in Houston, Texas with her husband and two daughters.
