Turning digital transformation into business value: Jérémie Profeta shares Sonepar's journey with ESCP students. Posted on 15/09/2026 How can a global company use digital technology and artificial intelligence to transform its business while accelerating the energy transition? During ESCP's Digital Spark seminar, Jérémie Profeta, Chief Transformation Officer and Executive Committee Member at Sonepar, shared the company's transformation journey with Master in Management students, from reinventing the customer experience to using data and AI at scale. Sonepar considers digital transformation a business transformation, extending far beyond an IT project. That was one of the key messages delivered by Jérémie Profeta, Chief Transformation Officer and Executive Committee Member at Sonepar, during his intervention at ESCP's Digital Spark seminar, led by Yannick Meiller, Associate Dean of the Master in Management. With operations in 40 countries and 46,000 employees, Sonepar is the world's largest distributor of electrical products. Its position in the electrification ecosystem gives the company a particularly important role as demand for electricity grows, driven by the energy transition, the development of data centres and the electrification of buildings, transport and industry. For Jérémie Profeta, this context makes transformation an opportunity to create greater value for customers, employees and the wider ecosystem. A global transformation driven by customers Sonepar has traditionally operated through branches and sales teams, serving professional electricians and businesses with the products and services they need. But customer expectations have changed dramatically with the rise of digital. Customers increasingly expect the same seamless experience they encounter in their personal lives: the ability to search, order and interact with a company through multiple channels, switching from a website to a mobile application, a branch or a sales representative without losing information along the way. Sonepar therefore embarked on a profound transformation of how it sells, serves customers, operates and ultimately creates value, by adding digital channels and connecting them. Its omnichannel strategy brings together the branch, website, mobile application and business-to-business system integration within a single customer experience. Customers can begin an interaction on one channel and continue it on another, while employees have access to the same information and tools. For a B2B company, this represented a significant shift. "Customers want a seamless experience anytime, anywhere," Jérémie Profeta explained. The transformation was therefore designed around the customer journey rather than around individual internal systems. The results are already substantial. Sonepar's digital platforms have grown to around €12 billion in revenues, or 37% of total revenues, demonstrating how a transformation initiated in response to changing customer behaviour can become a major business driver. Data as a strategic asset Behind this transformation sits another strategic decision: treating data as a core business asset. For years, Sonepar's competitive advantage was largely based on its people, local presence, product availability and ability to serve customers efficiently. But Jérémie Profeta explained that the company anticipated that data would become increasingly important, particularly in a B2B environment where understanding what customers buy, when they buy it and which solutions they need can create a significant advantage. Sonepar therefore invested in building a large data foundation across its markets. That investment has become even more important with the arrival of generative AI. Jérémie Profeta stressed a simple principle: without data, there is no effective AI strategy. Sonepar is now using AI across multiple functions, including sales, supply chain, marketing, finance and technology. Rather than treating AI as a standalone innovation programme, the company is integrating it into concrete business processes where it can improve efficiency, predict demand and enhance customer service. One example is order processing. Customers do not always place orders in a standard digital format; information can arrive through different channels and in different forms. AI can help interpret that information, complete missing details, check availability, optimise delivery and accelerate the overall process, with an objective of solving real business problems at scale. AI to support people and accelerate electrification For Jérémie Profeta, the impact of AI also needs to be considered in the context of a broader challenge: the shortage of skilled electricians. As electrification accelerates, the world needs more professionals able to install and maintain electrical infrastructure, from buildings and homes to industrial facilities and data centres. Sonepar therefore sees productivity-enhancing technologies as part of the answer. AI can help sales teams manage growing volumes of requests, assist employees in finding the right products and solutions, and automate repetitive tasks. This allows people to focus more on customers and on higher-value activities. The same principle applies across the supply chain. AI and data can help optimise inventory, transport and delivery routes, ensuring that the right products are available at the right time while reducing unnecessary logistics and associated emissions. Technology thus becomes a means of addressing both business efficiency and the wider energy transition. Making sustainability part of the transformation Sustainability is another dimension of Sonepar's digital transformation. As a major distributor, the company sits between manufacturers and the professionals who ultimately use electrical products in buildings and infrastructure. This gives it an opportunity to influence purchasing decisions across the ecosystem. Data and digital tools can make the environmental characteristics of products more visible to customers, helping them identify more energy-efficient and lower-carbon solutions. Jérémie Profeta presented this as a shared responsibility: Digital transformation cannot happen in isolation. Manufacturers need to develop better-performing products. Distributors need to make those products accessible and understandable. Customers need to adopt more efficient solutions. And the logistics connecting the different parts of the ecosystem also need to become more sustainable. Transformation is an ecosystem effort This was perhaps the broader lesson at the heart of Jérémie Profeta's intervention: transformation only works when the whole organisation is engaged, and when companies work together beyond their own organisational boundaries. At Sonepar, transformation brings together people from digital, sales, marketing, supply chain, finance, IT and many other functions. A digital platform cannot succeed if the products are unavailable, logistics are inefficient or employees cannot support customers effectively. The same applies at industry level. As a global leader in electrical distribution, Sonepar works closely with manufacturers, technology companies and other partners to create a more connected ecosystem. Jérémie Profeta compared this to the transformation experienced by other industries, where closer integration between companies has enabled entire value chains to become more efficient. For Sonepar, the energy transition and digital transformation are closely connected. Neither can be achieved by one company acting alone. A transformation built for the long term Sonepar's journey also reflects a distinctive feature of the company: its long-term perspective as a family-owned business. The group has invested billions of euros in transforming its supply chain, digital platforms and operating model, including major investments in warehouses, automation, software and data capabilities. For Jérémie Profeta, this scale of investment reflects a fundamental belief: digital transformation takes time. It requires new technologies, but also new skills, new processes, new ways of working and new forms of collaboration. His message to ESCP students was therefore beyond the technologies Sonepar is using today, but more about understanding transformation as a continuous process, one that combines business strategy, technology, data, people and partnerships. For future leaders, the challenge will be to navigate this complexity while keeping sight of the purpose behind it. In Sonepar's case, that purpose is particularly tangible: using digital transformation to serve customers better, empower employees, improve efficiency and help accelerate the electrification of the world. Through its partnership with ESCP Business School, Sonepar brings this first-hand experience of transformation into dialogue with the next generation of managers, offering students a concrete view of how digital, AI and sustainability are becoming inseparable from the way global businesses operate and grow.

Regional electrical distributors hire top talent at one of nation's largest Job fairs in arlington. Crawford Electric, Irby, and Summit Electric Supply connected with candidates at the North Texas Job Fair, an event that hosted more than 670 employers representing 68,000 positions in the region. August 19, 2026 10:11 ET | Source: Sonepar ARLINGTON, TX, Aug. 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Regional electrical and utility distributors Crawford Electric, Irby, and Summit Electric Supply participated in the 2026 North Texas Job Fair at Globe Life Field, highlighting their commitment to workforce development, military hiring and community engagement throughout North Texas. Hosted by U.S. Representative Beth Van Duyne, the annual event is one of the largest workforce and hiring events in the United States. This year's fair brought together 50,000 attendees with more than 670 employers representing approximately 68,000 open positions across the Greater Dallas, Fort Worth and Irving markets. Crawford, Summit and Irby are subsidiaries of the world's leading electrical distributor, Sonepar. Hiring managers from the companies conducted prescreening interviews and recruitment conversations for positions spanning operations, sales, customer service, logistics and more. "The quality of talent at this year's North Texas Job Fair was exceptional," said Michelle Blair, Vice President of Human Resources for Summit. "Our team was able to speak with and prescreen enough qualified candidates that we fully expect to fill all of our current openings throughout our Fort Worth and Irving markets." In addition to its presence at the North Texas Job Fair, Sonepar teams participated in the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and RecruitMilitary Career Fair at AT&T Stadium, expanding outreach to veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses. The coordinated effort reflects Sonepar's ongoing commitment to attracting and supporting military-connected talent. "We were able to connect exceptional talent with opportunities across our operating companies and give candidates direct access to hiring managers and decision-makers," said Chris Miles, Military and Veteran Relations Manager for Sonepar USA. The event also highlighted Sonepar's partnership with Klein Tools, raising funds for the Bob Woodruff Foundation. A portion of proceeds from exclusive American flag-engraved Klein Tools lineman's pliers sold through Sonepar operating companies is being donated to support programs benefiting wounded veterans, service members, and their families. Sonepar's military recruiting efforts are also supported through partnerships with organizations like the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP), P3 Private Public Partnership-Army Reserves, Vets2Industry, Veterans in Energy, Workforce Development Boards, and Work for Warriors. In 2026 the company received the DAV Patriot Employer of the Year Award for its support of veterans and their families. Through events like the North Texas Job Fair, Crawford Electric, Irby, and Summit continue to invest in talent, strengthen community partnerships and create pathways to meaningful careers. About Crawford Electric Supply Crawford is an electrical product and solutions provider serving the eight states in the Southeastern United States. Crawford empowers customers with its inventory levels, technical expertise, and exceptional customer service. www.crawfordelectricsupply.com. About Irby Celebrating 100 years as a leader in utility fulfillment and solutions, Irby delivers innovative materials and customized services to customers across distribution, transmission, substation, generation, renewable energy, EPC, broadband, and gas. With a network of 58 locations and more than 1,000 associates, Irby serves customers in all 50 states. www.irby.com About Summit Electric Supply Summit Electric Supply is a leading distributor of electrical products and solutions. Founded in 1977 in Albuquerque, NM, Summit operates 22 service centers in the US, along with its Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EP&C) division in Houston, TX, and its Industrial Marine division in New Orleans, LA. summit.com. Crawford, Summit and Irby Are Part of Sonepar Sonepar is an independent family-owned company standing as the world leader in B2B distribution of electrical equipment, solutions, and services. In 2025, Sonepar achieved sales of $37.9 billion. Present in 40 countries with a dense network of brands, the Group is leading an ambitious transformation to make its customers' lives easier providing them an omnichannel experience and sustainable solutions in the building, industry, and energy markets. Sonepar's 46,000 associates are committed to accelerating the world's electrification and driven by a shared Purpose: Powering Progress for Future Generations. www.sonepar.com *Figure converted to dollars from €33.6 billion at 1.129 EUR/USD average rate. Contact Info