Designing a Skills-Based Organization (SBO) for 4,400 engineers across 22 countries – STM

Facing increasing competition in key markets and a fragmented view of internal expertise, STMicroelectronics needed to build a unified, agile, and forward-looking view of its critical capabilities for their engineers dedicate to the microcontrollers business. The challenge was to identify skill gaps, secure knowledge continuity, and enable upskilling at scale  all in a highly decentralized R&D environment across 22 countries.

I initiated and led the design of a Skills-Based Organization within the Microcontrollers & Digital Group at STMicroelectronics, impacting 4,400 engineers worldwide. I conducted in-depth stakeholder interviews, unified 40+ local frameworks into a global skills taxonomy, and co-led the implementation of Eightfold AI to map and anticipate skill gaps. I also ensured alignment with learning platforms and internal career paths.

We achieved a clear and reliable global view of our critical skills, which enabled us to close strategic gaps in emerging technologies such as IoT and AI, anticipate retirements and secure effective knowledge transfer, reduce our exposure to aggressive talent poaching in high-risk countries, and improve mobility and succession planning for over 100 key roles.