Siemens Canada offers cool possibilities for techies

When she joined Oakville, Ont.-based Siemens Canada Limited in 2021 as a data analyst, Shivani Nagpal wasn’t sure what to expect. A dedicated techie hired out of the University of Waterloo’s vaunted master’s program in electrical and computer engineering, Nagpal had the smarts to work anywhere. But at Siemens, a 177-year-old global leader in engineering, she found a place of rapid transformation – and exciting possibilities.

Today her title says it all: data analytics and AI product owner. Siemens is embracing cutting-edge artificial intelligence and digital innovation, and Nagpal has embraced Siemens. “The longer I’ve been here, the more I’ve seen the opportunities here and the expertise you can build,” she says. “And you’re not just limited to your own business unit or your own country, but there are opportunities across the company, which is huge.”

That kind of early career success is a matter of pride for Rose Rakovalis, head of people and organization, Canada, who is keen to attract more young graduates like Nagpal to the Siemens in Canada team of about 4,300, working alongside some 312,000 employees worldwide.

”Siemens is a tech company,” says Rakovalis, “and there are many interesting and unique opportunities to lead and accelerate innovation. Working for a large global tech company gives our young talents the opportunity to grow and develop a long-term, diverse career. We offer a lot of diversity because of the scope of our businesses and the global reach that we have.”

Nagpal, who grew up in Delhi, India, has already experienced some of that. Under a monthlong program called Beyond Homezone, a global Siemens initiative that allows employees to temporarily work in different departments to gain new skills, she worked virtually with counterparts in Germany and the U.S. “You get a feel of, okay, how are other teams functioning? What tools and technologies are they using?” she says.

Nagpal was also chosen in 2023 for an elite annual potential-development program called GO (for growth and opportunity), joining about two dozen others from across the country. “It allows you to really step out, collaborate with them, and develop this big-picture thinking and understand the company’s strategic goals,” she says.

Joining Siemens, she felt “like a baby,” Nagpal adds. “I really needed guidance and mentorship to help me transition from academia to industry.” She says she found that support through Siemens’ mentorship groups, known as “pods,” often led by senior executives. Her mentor, a factory automation leader based in the U.S., was instrumental in her growth.

“It makes our leaders really accessible,” she says. “He pointed me to the right people and opened doors for me.”

Rakovalis says Siemens has a very high-performing culture. “It’s an empowered culture,” she notes. “The mindset is that we give our people the opportunity to create and innovate, and we trust that they will deliver. When you give people that space, they come back with some really cool initiatives and products.”

For people not employed on a shop floor, Siemens offers a hybrid work model with two to three days in the office on average, says Rakovalis. “At the end of the day, it is about deliverables,” she says. “And our people deliver, every single day.”

As for Nagpal, she finds it’s “a really nice place to work. You just look around and find your next opportunity to learn and grow, because opportunity is literally everywhere.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Canada's Top Employers for Young People winners, published January 21, 2025 in The Globe and Mail. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.

Siemens Canada HQ is a showcase for green technology

For Natalia Malafeeva and Anna Bremermann, there’s an easy way to point to the sustainability strengths of Siemens Canada — they show off their headquarters in Oakville, Ont. Their president and CEO, Faisal Kazi, has called the uniquely renovated building a “living lab” for the company’s technologies addressing energy transition, smart buildings, electric mobility and digitalization. The company regularly tours visitors around the building to show what’s possible when it comes to decarbonization.

As head of sustainability, Malafeeva has dedicated the last 15 years of her career to enhancing energy efficiency in buildings by improving their control strategies. By applying this approach at headquarters, Siemens has significantly reduced its energy consumption. One key aspect is the use of LEDs, complemented by Siemens’ subsidiary product Enlighted, which uses sensors to control lighting levels across all floors and rooms. “We managed to cut our lighting electrical consumption by around 75 per cent,” Malafeeva explains. “Previously, lights would be on late, even on a Sunday, but now our office is dark when unoccupied.”

In fact, a key sustainability principle since the 1980s has been first finding ways to reduce consumption. “You want to minimize that energy consumption so that the solar panels, wind turbines or battery storage that you procure only need to produce the least amount of energy, as such technologies can be very costly,” she says.

Siemens has also achieved a 30-per-cent reduction in overall electricity consumption at its headquarters by utilizing its own building automation system, Desigo CC, in conjunction with existing building commissioning. This system optimizes mechanical equipment for heating and air-conditioning, contributing to significant energy savings, according to Malafeeva.

All of which makes Bremermann’s job easier. She’s a strategic business development analyst who supports the company’s corporate business development and sustainability efforts. “We are proud to be showcasing Siemens technologies and our sustainability portfolio through our living lab,” says Bremermann, who works closely with Malafeeva. “It’s a very tangible way to show customers how they can implement innovative technology in their operations.”

Bremermann joined Siemens in 2024 after earning a bachelor of science honours degree from Queen’s University followed by a master of science in sustainability management degree from the University of Toronto as well as interning at Siemens. “I found my values completely aligned with those of Siemens,” she says, “The idea of technology with purpose resonated with me. Their approach is very strategic, with its strong emphasis on decarbonization. Sustainability is intertwined throughout the Siemens portfolio.”

Malafeeva adds another example from Siemens’ own operations. Its largest Canadian manufacturing plant, located in Drummondville, Que., is about to implement a major decarbonization project for its processes producing electrical panels, circuit breakers and other such devices. A major element is electrifying processes that today require burning natural gas. Because the factory is located in Québec, where electricity is produced mainly by hydro power, this factory is the first to be decarbonized at Siemens Canada.

“What makes me the proudest working for Siemens is that we drive for physical emission reduction without relying on purchase of carbon offsets,” says Malafeeva. In fact, in 2015 Siemens was one of the first major industrial companies to commit to becoming carbon neutral in its own operations, pledging to achieve net-zero scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030.

With offices across Canada, Siemens is also electrifying its vehicle fleet and has banned one-time-use plastic bottles and cutlery at office sites. Since 2019, the company has reduced global emissions by 60 per cent and, Malafeeva adds proudly, “what Siemens Canada does definitely impacts the overall story — the efforts that Siemens is making globally.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Canada's Greenest Employers winners, published April 22, 2025 in The Globe and Mail. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.