At a time of rapid technological innovations and call for sustainability, impactful leaders are as much defined by how they lead others, as they are by what they achieve.
It is with Joe Craparotta that anecdote proves true. He’s a leader defined by integrity, entrepreneurial drive, and a values-based vision. These qualities have propelled him to become a key force behind Schneider Electric’s growth and an influential figure in shaping the digital and energy futures of Australia, New Zealand, and beyond.
The Foundation: A Life of Values
For Joe, his personal values are the cornerstone of his professional life. His marriage to his high school sweetheart – now spanning over thirty years – is, in his opinion, the highlight of his life. This partnership has been a steady base that’s helped him stay focussed and grounded through every challenge and success.
He feels that the individual you share your life with, in essence, overshadows any one choice you will ever make in your business or your finances. Family, good friends, and long-term relationships are the core from which he derives his strength and joy. This deep understanding of what in life really matters is a principle that guides his leadership philosophy.
Entrepreneurial Start: Learning in the Deep End
At 23, in the early 1990s, Joe started his own IT company — this was at a time when technology was just beginning to take shape and transform the way we live and work.
Over the next decade, he built the business on a foundation of entrepreneurial passion, sharp decision-making, and with the customer at the centre – this would later become his hallmark. His eventual exit in 2003 marked more than the end of a venture—it was a moment that solidified his core beliefs about how businesses should operate.
Joe attributes this early lesson to sharpening his action instinct. He states, “When your personal residence is collateral and your own life is on the roulette wheel, every decision matter”, “You become bold but guarded, swift but determined in belief,” he adds. It was a masterclass in risk taking, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to delivering customer value—qualities that would serve him well as he plunged into the dynamic world of multinational enterprise.
Bringing an Entrepreneurial Spirit to A Global Leader
Joining Schneider Electric some eighteen years ago, Joe became a part of a company whose purpose complemented his own values: empowering people to get the best from our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all.
Coming out of start-up life into the sophisticated systems of large business didn’t dull Joe’s entrepreneurial cutting edge—instead, it honed it.
His early meetings with then-CEO Jean-Pascal Tricoire left a lasting impression. He was ignited by Jean-Pascal’s clear and purposeful vision for sustainability—one that went beyond corporate goals to embrace global impact. It was a compelling alignment of values that resonated deeply and marked the beginning of a meaningful professional connection.
And ignited he remained, throughout his tenure with Schneider he has headed segments ranging from industrial automation to energy systems prior to assuming his current role of Vice President, Cloud & Service Providers for Australia and New Zealand. Every one of these experiences put his skills to the test to predict market trends, motivate teams, and create value in fast-changing, fast-moving environments.
Culture and Strategy
Have you ever heard the phrase “culture eats strategy for breakfast”? This is one of Joe’s guiding principles – his ‘north star’. For him, building a team isn’t just about assembling high performers; it’s about cultivating curiosity, deep customer engagement, and a shared passion for innovation. He sees culture as the engine that drives strategy forward, especially in times of rapid change.
This is something that he credits to Schneider, that the company has been developed to the extent that experimentation is accepted into practice, and failure merely a learning curve.
“Our people must feel safe to challenge the status quo. Growth happens when we’re comfortable being uncomfortable.” Joe often says. This ethos of psychological safety empowers employees to test ideas, embrace new technologies, and stay agile— qualities that have become increasingly essential in the Cloud & Service Provider space.
The Power of Momentum
Indecision is the quiet assassin in high-stakes, high-growth businesses. “Not to decide is still a decision —and usually the wrong one,” he explains. That belief compels him to push his teams with velocity and direction. He encourages leaders to enable their teams to make decisions near the customer where the business heartbeat beats strongest. This way, they remain in motion, react immediately to changing dynamics, and, as a result, become the partner of choice for customers.
Guiding Australia and New Zealand into the Cloud era
Joe’s attention is now on one of the globe’s most advanced industries: data centres. As Vice President of Cloud & Service Providers, he leads a team of almost 500 people in Australia and New Zealand, tasking them with future-proofing digital infrastructure for the AI era – no small feat by any stretch.
The data centre industry is the globe’s fastest-developing sector, and it isn’t without its own set of complex problems. Luckily for everyone, instead of seeing problems, they see opportunity. An opportunity to chart the digital course forward.
As of now, on that course, there’s four key priorities. First, giving the next generation AI factories a reliable and strategic connection to clean, green power—a challenge that requires grid-side ingenuity, utility collaboration, and sophisticated energy buying strategy.
Second, architectural transformation and design adaptability. As AI demands infrastructure that differs significantly from traditional cloud environments, Schneider Electric is rethinking the blueprint. In collaboration with partners like NVIDIA, the company is building next-generation data centres that are not only future-ready but also cost efficient—bringing AI into commercial reality with smarter, scalable infrastructure.
The third priority is tackling the industry-wide skills deficit. As the sector grows at a pace that outstrips the availability of skilled professionals, Schneider Electric is stepping up with a long-term commitment to talent development. Through targeted investments in education, apprenticeships, and upskilling programs, the company is empowering the next generation of engineers and tradespeople. For Schneider, this isn’t just a responsibility—it’s a strategic priority to ensure the future workforce is equipped to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving industry.
And lastly, enhancing global competitiveness—positioning Australia and New Zealand as premier destinations for digital infrastructure investment. With a sharp strategic emphasis on attracting hyperscalers, empowering colocation providers, and enabling AI workloads.
Sustainability at the Core
At the core of everything is sustainability. Joe remarks, “The data centre industry is much more than a power user—they’re a constructive participant in the international energy revolution.” And he’s proud to say that, at Schneider Electric, this belief drives a relentless commitment to embedding sustainability into every aspect of the business—from design and construction to daily operations.
Take data centre buildings, for example. Through strategic investment in advanced solutions—from real-time optimisation using digital twin technology to predictive maintenance powered by smart software—these spaces are evolving beyond energy efficiency. They’re becoming resilient, adaptive, and equipped to meet the demands of an unpredictable future. This transformation isn’t happening in isolation; it involves close collaboration across the entire value chain—governments, utilities, operators, and technology partners—to create infrastructure that is not only performance-driven but also deeply sustainable.
Driving Digital Transformation from the Inside Out
Schneider isn’t just leading digital transformation; they’re living it. They’ve become one of the largest software players in the world and is investing digital capabilities into every aspect of the business.
From smart platforms that enhance daily convenience to technology streamlining design and construction, Joe sees digitalisation as life’s greatest modern luxury freeing up the one resource we value most: time. “It’s not a matter of time management, it’s about priority management.” he emphasises. By removing the burden of repetitive tasks and enabling more intelligent decisions, digital tools empower individuals to focus on what truly matters—nurturing family bonds, enhancing personal well-being, and pursuing purposeful goals with greater clarity and freedom.
A Vision for Tomorrow
Looking ahead, Joe has a clear and ambitious vision for Schneider Electric’s Cloud & Service Provider business. His five-year strategy? Supporting the Data Centre Segment by building future-power and cooling innovations, propelling smart software for real time optimisation, and pushing ecosystem collaboration to make the pace.
Placing Schneider as the partner of choice in building the world’s most sustainable, resilient, and future-ready data centres. It’s a bold direction—one that reflects a deep commitment to innovation, environmental responsibility, and long-term value creation in an industry that’s rapidly evolving.
He views the Australian and New Zealand market as a global leader in the way customer focus, innovation, and sustainability come together. By remaining close to changing customers’ needs—whether hyperscale’s, colocation users, or AI visionaries — Schneider will be right there, at the edge of industry revolution.
People at the Heart
We know by now, that for him, business isn’t about business or technology metrics. It’s people. Building trust, developing talent, and empowering the next generation to excel. Joe is proud to invest in high-end graduate and apprenticeship programs that enable fresh talent to develop robust, long-term careers in the digital infrastructure business. With investment in diverse talent streams and putting curiosity and courage at the heart of his teams, he guarantees that Schneider Electric’s legacy will be as much about its people as its innovations.
Words of Wisdom
Something Joe shares freely with new leaders is that “We juggle many balls in life, the one that represents family is made of glass, avoid dropping this one as it may shatter and break. The others will always bounce back.”
In business, he practices working as much with customers as possible, decision-making by reality-based requirements, not assumptions inside. And above all else, he challenges leaders to remain curious and open-minded and embrace ambiguity as a driver of expansion.
A Legacy of Purpose and Progress
Joe, who is first and foremost a family man, then leader, then executive, stands for the values of courage, authenticity, and infinite curiosity. His corporate skills infused with entrepreneurial passion have enabled Schneider to ride seismic change across the digital and the energy realm with unflinching commitment to its fundamental purpose of sustainability and efficiency.
From boardroom to shop floor, from dinner tables to data centres, Joe’s story is all about trust, belief, and harmony for the future. In a company where change is the one and only thing that remains constant, he believes purpose-led leadership, humanity, and a culture of experimentation and trust hold the seeds of true advancement.
While the world is hurrying towards an AI, cloud and renewable powered future, Joe’s dream is straightforward: to create a digital world in which technology, people, and planet coexist in balance and can thrive together. And as he does so, he still challenges everyone around him to not just create better businesses, but a better world.
“Sustainability isn’t a side project — it’s embedded in every layer of what we do.”
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