Twelve women graduate in the first cohort of 'Women Electrifiers' to promote equality in the electrical and manufacturing industry. Reading Time: 3 mins read The initiative led by Centelsa by Nexans in partnership with SENA, Sonepar, Legrand, the Antonio José Camacho University Institution and the Mayor's Office of Cali certified the participants as Technicians in Manufacturing Processes with an emphasis on basic electricity. In a significant step toward closing the gender gap in demanding industrial sectors, twelve women successfully completed their training in the first cohort of the Women in Electricity program. This initiative, promoted by Centelsa by Nexans, fosters inclusion and expands women's participation in the country's electrical and manufacturing industries. The graduates completed the Manufacturing Processes Techniques program, with an emphasis on basic electricity, integrating theoretical training modules with direct practice in operational plants. During the technical phase, they developed competencies in strategic areas such as Logistics, Production, and Quality at Centelsa by Nexans, in addition to strengthening soft skills such as teamwork, discipline, and problem-solving. "This program seeks to address one of the industry's major challenges: increasing women's participation in a sector where they have historically had a limited presence. At Centelsa by Nexans, we believe that industrial development also depends on our ability to create opportunities, strengthen technical talent, and build more diverse work environments ," stated Luz Karime Gallego, Coordinator of Welfare & Social Development at Centelsa by Nexans. Public-private partnership for the energy transition. The program's success lay in the synergy between the private sector, academia, and the local public sector. The initiative had the strategic support of the Cali Mayor's Office, through the Undersecretariat for Gender Equity and Casa Matria. * SENA: Led the curriculum design, technical instruction, and official certification process. * Antonio José Camacho University Institution: Provided its academic infrastructure and facilities for the development of the training sessions. * Sonepar and Legrand: They contributed technical knowledge of the sector and supported the implementation of the initiative. * Centelsa by Nexans: It coordinated the program and made its industrial plants available for the participants' work experience. This alliance is strategic in addressing the challenges of the energy transition and the electrification projects underway in Colombia, which demand a skilled and diverse technical workforce. With the completion of this initial cohort, the partner organizations plan to consolidate the program as a replicable model for training and job placement in the region.

Sonepar announces $560 million in AI investments. PARIS, France - Sonepar, a world leader in the B2B distribution of electrical products, solutions, and related services, brought together 300 executives and key players from the global electrical industry at the Palais Brongniart in Paris for its Strategic Supplier Summit. During the summit, Philippe Delpech, Sonepar President and CEO, announced $560 million in future investments aimed at accelerating the industrialization of artificial intelligence on a global scale. Before executives from across the electrical industry value chain, Sonepar announced one of the most ambitious investments in artificial intelligence in its sector: $560 million to enhance its digitalization and industrialize AI on a global scale. Through these investments, the Group aims to combine commercial performance and operational excellence in support of its customers' energy transition. This AI investment builds on Sonepar's long-standing commitment to transformation. Since launching its transformation in 2021, the Group has committed nearly $4 billion to reshaping its business model, including nearly $3 billion in the modernization and automation of its global supply chain, and $1 billion for its digital transformation, including the development of Spark, its global omnichannel platform. Artificial intelligence is now at the heart of Sonepar's operating model. Deployed at scale across the Group, AI supports team performance and improves customer service through a range of practical applications, including: * Forecasting demand and optimizing inventory to improve product availability in a market where speed of execution is a key differentiator. * Personalizing the customer experience by recommending products tailored to each customer's actual needs. * Automating administrative and sales-related tasks, such as quotation generation. * Allowing sales teams to focus more on advisory services and customer relationships; and * Unlocking the value of global data, particularly to calculate product carbon footprints and advance the sustainability goals of Sonepar and its customers. "The real challenge of electrifying the world lies in our collective ability to deliver at scale. This requires high-performing infrastructure, a resilient supply chain, and advanced capabilities in data and artificial intelligence. With these $560 million future investments, we are taking a new step forward in making AI a performance driver that benefits our customers, suppliers, and associates alike," commented Philippe Delpech, Sonepar President and CEO. Since 2002, Sonepar has organized a Strategic Supplier Summit around every five years. The Group brings together its partners to share its strategic priorities, identify growth opportunities, and help shape a common vision. Sonepar designed this Summit as a platform for reflection, dialogue, and collective mobilization across its ecosystem This year the event also featured global technology and AI leaders, including Arthur Mensch, CEO of Mistral AI, and Maurice Lévy, emeritus chairman of Publicis Group. Alongside Publicis former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Leta, they joined the panel "AI: Who Will Win the Next Decade?" to examine the economic, technological, and geopolitical shifts likely to shape the years ahead. In addition, Sonepar was proud to have testimonies from Judson Althoff, CEO Microsoft Business; Laurence Parisot, Chairwoman at Citi; and Nigel Vaz, CEO at Publicis Sapient.

Sonepar PowerON brings together Spain's electrical industry. 13.10.2026 From October 6-8 2026, The Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid provided the perfect setting for Sonepar to bring customers, suppliers and industry professionals together for PowerON, its first national customer event, welcoming more than 6,000 visitors and 56 exhibitors. Held as Sonepar celebrates 40 years in Spain, the three-day event brought together the Spanish electrical ecosystem around innovation, collaboration and the markets shaping the industry's future. By bringing together industry key players and experts, Sonepar showcased its leading position in the Spanish market through product demonstrations, dedicated areas covering digitalization, sustainability and talent development, technical workshops, and nine roundtable discussions structured around three themes: Electrification, Connected Solutions, and Sustainability. Bárbara García Florén, President Sonepar Spain, commented, "After three days of PowerON, I am left above all with the conversations, meetings and ideas shared with so many players in our sector. A sector that is undergoing an extraordinary transformation and in which we have many opportunities ahead of us." PowerON brought Sonepar's transformation journey closer to customers, as the business continues to strengthen its digital capabilities through the ongoing deployment of Sonepar's omnichannel platform, and the modernization of its supply chain, futher supporting customer success and sustainable growth. Forty years after Sonepar established its presence in Spain, PowerON marked both a celebration and a milestone, bringing customers, suppliers and teams together while setting the direction for the next chapter of Sonepar in Spain.