Jonathan Townsend

Digital Governance Leader at Schneider Electric

Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

About

I am responsible for Real Estate Governance and Operations at Schneider Electric, with a focus on digitization at scale for the footprint of around 1,000 buildings. I have expertise in RE portfolio & organizational strategy, advisory and transformation project & program management. I'm excited to be leading the charge with a global energy technology player to address the key challenges in the CRE world: decarbonizing real estate portfolios, the digitization of buildings and workplace experience, and fostering collaboration, inclusion and belonging at work.

Experience

  • Schneider Electric (7 yrs 4 mos)
    • Head of Digital Governance, Workplace Standards & Security
      Feb 2026 - Present · 6 mos

    • Director Real Estate Governance & Operations | Global
      Jan 2022 - Feb 2026 · 4 yrs 2 mos

      Within the Global Governance organization, my scope is the end-to-end governance and transformation of the domain, which means working across-the-matrix at SE (geographies and businesses) on the full real estate lifecycle. I organised the domain as three pillars: a) the portfolio of sites and the physical footprint, b) the global real estate network of personnel and partners, and c) the digital and technological environment facilitating the interface between people and places. As a real estate & digital SME for the group, I have a role as a change leader, portfolio futurist, and as a coach and animator of the global community and my team.

    • RE Manager (Interim) | UK&I, NL
      Jul 2021 - Dec 2021 · 6 mos

      During the Europe role, I took additionally the responsibility for the UK, Ireland & Netherlands commercial RE portfolio, working closely with FM teams, driving key right-sizing opportunities and execution against the country strategies. I led the selection of a co-working office in central Amsterdam for the eCommerce business, a 65% downsizing of a mixed use hub in Galway, and supported the sale of a former industrial asset in UK midlands above NBV.

  • Cushman & Wakefield (2 yrs 7 mos)
    • Senior Consultant
      Oct 2018 - Apr 2019 · 7 mos

      As part of a consulting team across Europe, I designed and implemented solutions to the real estate and business challenges of each client in manufacturing, life sciences, and energy and technology sectors. I developed recommendations for management on how to facilitate growth, change, and address long term organisational, talent, workforce and portfolio strategies of large companies globally.

    • Consultant
      Oct 2016 - Sep 2018 · 2 yrs

  • National Regional Property Group (3 yrs)
    • Development Manager
      Nov 2014 - Oct 2016 · 2 yrs

      I supported delivery of more than £250m of residential and mixed use city centre regeneration projects in the South East of England from land acquisition to financial exit, overseeing technical due diligence, developing partnerships with authorities and structuring complex deals within a small, dynamic team.

    • Land Acquisition Manager
      Nov 2013 - Oct 2014 · 1 yr

  • Printing Technician at David Charles Group
    2013 - 2013 · Less than a year

    I supported a small team providing bespoke technical garment manufacture for high-profile Formula One clients, learning a range of technical processes such as heat transfer vinyl, dye-sublimation, direct to garment printing, and embroidery. Later, I helped management implement a stock control strategy using early experience in retail to increase workshop space and liquidate redundant assets.