We’re excited to introduce Vera Schnitzlein, one of Valtech’s strategy leaders in helping manufacturing and industrial companies navigate digital transformation.
From reimagining operations with data and AI to tackling some of the sector’s biggest challenges, Vera brings a unique perspective shaped by hands-on client work and a passion for innovation. In our Meet the Expert conversation, she shares what drives her, the lessons learned from working with manufacturers and the opportunities that keep her inspired about the future of the industry.
Intro and personal background
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your role at Valtech?
With a background in brand and management consulting, I’ve always been driven by one question: How do we turn strategy into something tangible? At Valtech, I help companies connect business and customer strategy with digital products and experience delivery, ensuring that what we build is commercially meaningful and aligned with the way the business actually runs.
What first sparked your interest in the industrial/manufacturing world?
The complexity of the work, the kind of deep, specialized topics few outside the industry understand and by how much personal trust shapes business here. Also, there’s a real difference between working together with your customers for years, even developing solutions jointly and just shipping off-the-shelf products to them. Relationships matter in manufacturing.
Outside of work, what’s something that inspires you or keeps you curious?
Whenever I can, I head to the mountains near Munich. Hiking is my way to step away from the city, and somehow the best ideas come when you’re on the move.
Daily work and perspective
From your experience, what’s the biggest challenge manufacturers face when starting their digital transformation journey?
The toughest part is creating value. Like most companies, manufacturers invest in innovation labs, AI pilots and experiments, but the challenge is scaling those ideas to deliver tangible impact on revenue. Experimentation is easy, commercialization is hard. That’s why I love diving into the organization and finding out where the challenges and opportunities lie, so that we can deliver the client value. Be that growth, loyalty, efficiency or something else.
If you could change one misconception people often have about digital transformation in manufacturing, what would it be?
That digital transformation is mainly about technology. In reality, the most important part is organizational, aligning often siloed knowledge of people, processes and priorities around where value is created. Oh, and one more thing: speed. Transformation must happen incrementally, yet with real urgency.
Thought leadership and impact
What excites you most about the opportunities data and AI bring to industrial and manufacturing companies right now?
We’re seeing experience innovation at a scale we haven’t seen before. Companies can now connect insights from across their value chain, from design, to production, supply and service and use them to make real-time, data-driven decisions that unlock both efficiency and growth.
If you could give one piece of advice to industrial leaders navigating rapid change, what would it be?
Chase value instead of technology. Start small, but focus relentlessly on where digital (and yes, AI) creates measurable business impact. The companies that succeed are the ones that learn fast, scale what works and make digital part of how they operate.