Jennifer Curtis
Schneider Electric
“I started as an engineer and worked in global supply chain for the first five years of my career.”
Jennifer Curtis has been named to the Talent 100, Class of 2026, the annual award recognizing up to 100 leaders in each category of talent acquisition. Honorees are nominated by peers or found by committees that look for excellent work wherever it happens, then chosen for the depth of their craft and their impact on hiring. This is Jennifer's story.
For Jennifer Curtis, VP Talent Acquisition, NAM at Schneider Electric, a career in talent acquisition began far from the world of recruiting.
Her professional journey started as an engineer in the energy management industry, where she spent the first several years of her career working in global supply chain and negotiating electrical commodity contracts. At the time, a move into human resources seemed anything but conventional. “I started as an engineer and worked in global supply chain for the first five years of my career.”
The pivot came while she was leading a development program within the business, an assignment that gave her exposure to HR and led to an invitation to join the function. It represented a significant career shift, but the opportunity aligned with her growing interest in leadership, organizational development, and people strategy. As she completed her MBA and expanded her experience across multiple HR disciplines, Jennifer discovered that she was most energized by the Center of Excellence side of HR.
That realization eventually led her into talent acquisition, where she began leading employer branding and early career programs before recently stepping into her current role leading North America Talent Attraction for Schneider Electric.
Embracing AI with Purpose
Like many talent leaders, Jennifer sees artificial intelligence as one of the most significant developments shaping the future of recruiting. But rather than viewing AI as a replacement for recruiters, she sees it as an opportunity to eliminate repetitive work and elevate the strategic value of talent acquisition teams. “There's a lot of excitement.”
For Jennifer, the greatest opportunity lies in reducing the manual and administrative tasks that often consume recruiters' time. By automating routine activities and streamlining workflows, recruiters can focus more on the aspects of the role that create the most value, consulting with hiring managers, building talent strategies, and delivering exceptional candidate experiences.
She also sees tremendous potential in leveraging AI capabilities already embedded within existing technology platforms. Rather than constantly adding new tools, Jennifer believes organizations should focus on maximizing the value of their current technology investments while working closely with partners to shape future capabilities. As organizations evaluate new vendors and solutions in the coming years, she expects AI capabilities to become a standard part of the conversation.
Advice for Talent Leaders in 2026
As the industry continues navigating rapid technological change, Jennifer encourages leaders to remain curious, adaptable, and open-minded. “Continue to be open and improve your learning agility.” Talent leaders, she believes, must embrace experimentation and accept that there is no established playbook for the future. Organizations will need to test new approaches, learn from failures, and continuously evolve as technology advances.
Jennifer often compares today's AI revolution to the early days of the internet. At the time, many organizations were uncertain about how the technology would impact business and society. Looking back, those concerns seem almost unimaginable given how deeply the internet is woven into everyday life, and she believes artificial intelligence may follow a similar trajectory. “We're at the very beginning.”
For talent leaders, that means maintaining a growth mindset, helping teams adapt to change, and creating environments where learning and experimentation are encouraged. By combining technical curiosity, business alignment, and a people-first approach to innovation, Jennifer Curtis represents the kind of talent leader helping organizations navigate the future of work while staying grounded in what matters most: people.
The Talent 100 exists to celebrate the people shaping the future of how the world hires, and few embody that better than Jennifer. We are honored to welcome Jennifer Curtis to the Talent 100, Class of 2026, and grateful for the experience, perspective, and craft they bring to this community. Congratulations, Jennifer. Welcome to the Talent 100.
About the Talent 100
The Talent 100 is an annual list spotlighting the leaders who push HR and talent acquisition forward, organized by Noon AI. Honorees are selected through peer nominations and independent selection committees. Selection is entirely merit-based, with no fees or pay-to-play requirements.