Spotlight: Frank Campbell

Eaton reorganised its worldwide structure to better power its customers’ businesses. As part of the reorganisation, Frank Campbell took up his new position as President of Eaton’s Electrical Sector in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) in February this year.

To begin with, please tell us about your career.

I joined Eaton in 1994 with the acquisition of Westinghouse, where I worked for ten years. At Eaton, I have held leadership positions in sales, marketing and operations, most recently as Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing in Eaton’s electrical business segment. I am now responsible for all of the company’s electrical business in the EMEA region.

How do you see the outlook for the electrical market in EMEA?

We live in a world with increasing demand for highly available and efficient electrical power. One example is data centres – according to Uptime Institute, 42% of IT managers say their data centres will run out of capacity in the next 12–24 months. There is no end in sight for this trend, thus bringing tremendous opportunities for Eaton and its partners.

How is Eaton positioned in this market?

We have become a key global player, especially with the recent strategic acquisitions that widened our manufacturing footprint in Europe. The successful integrations of The Moeller Group and MGE Office Protection Systems make Eaton a global leader in power distribution equipment and the world’s second-largest supplier of UPSs. With our new regionalisation strategy, we are laying the foundations for tackling the EMEA region as a core market.

What benefits does the new organisation bring to Eaton’s customers and partners?

With the Electrical Sector now divided into Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific, major decisions will be made in the respective regions. This allows us to be closer to our markets, act more quickly and autonomously in a local sense and, eventually, help customers and partners to grow their businesses more efficiently.

What products and services does Eaton offer for the electrical market?

Industry-leading power quality, power distribution, control and industrial automation products and services. Our broad portfolio serves the power system needs of data centres as well as industrial, institutional, government, utility, commercial, residential and OEM markets worldwide.

How is Eaton’s one-brand strategy reflected in the electrical business?

We have now incorporated the expertise of some of the market’s most respected players and are able to deliver a comprehensive product selection from a single source: Eaton. We still have a variety of important proprietary brands that we use commercially. When relevant, we gradually transition them under the Eaton brand, as we recently did with Powerware and MGE Office Protection Systems.

What further developments are on the horizon for Eaton’s electrical business in EMEA?

We live in a power-hungry society. The largest greenhouse gas generators are not cars and trucks – it is the creation and distribution of electrical power. To comply with the ever-increasing demand for highly efficient and reliable power, Eaton will remain focused on delivering innovative solutions that help its customers to manage power more effectively and safely.