Products to Solutions: Leading Digital Change in Construction

Ursula, a transformational executive driving large-scale digital change across global organizations, she specializes in leveraging technology for business growth, operational excellence, and risk management. A multilingual leader with international experience across six countries, she is known for curiosity, cultural adaptability, and delivering impact through innovation.

In an insightful interaction with Global Woman Leader Magazine, Ursula shares her views on how digital transformation is reshaping the building materials industry and redefining leadership in a global context. She reflects on aligning technology with business strategy, leading multicultural teams, and how women executives can drive sustainable growth and enterprise-wide transformation. Read the full article below for deeper insights.

The building materials industry is evolving rapidly. How do you see digital transformation redefining its future, and what new leadership expectations does this create for women executives globally?

Over the past three decades, many industries have been digitally disrupted, while the construction and building materials sector remained relatively insulated due to its strong physical foundations. The construction industry experiences present-day changes because artificial intelligence, GenAI and advanced digital technologies work to transform all aspects of the sector. The current period brings me excitement because sustainability, smarter resource use and innovation work together to transform our approach to design and construction. Technology enables us to develop solutions for two different needs which range from energy-efficient building upgrades in developed countries to sustainable urban growth solutions for emerging markets like India.

For me, digital transformation has never been about pushing technology—it is about driving business impact. Today, technology leadership requires executives to possess both business knowledge and skills to develop effective digital transformation plans. To achieve success in organizational change from product-based systems to solution-based environments, leaders need to establish connections between their data and operational procedures and team members who work in different departments.

This shift also raises new leadership expectations. Women executives, like all leaders, must combine strategic vision, collaboration, and resilience while guiding organizations through complex transformation—connecting people, processes, and technology to create lasting value.

As a woman leading digital transformation at Saint-Gobain, how do you approach change management and align technology into business strategy across the firm?

For me, change management begins with a shared vision. I don’t see myself simply as an IT leader; I see my role as contributing to the company’s overall success by using digital technology to enable business strategy. My focus is on building alignment and trust with business leaders so that technology is seen not as a complex “black box,” but as a clear enabler of our ambitions. That requires constant dialogue, transparency, and empathy, along with determination to move forward together. In a traditionally male-dominated industry, authenticity, confidence, and clarity of purpose are essential.

I believe effective leadership is about orchestrating collaboration—bringing people, processes, and technology together so the organization can deliver on its strategy and create lasting value.

Working across geographies and cultures, how have you used digital initiatives to create alignment, inclusion, and shared purpose while leading diverse global teams?

I truly value working in multicultural environments because they provide diverse perspectives which improve team performance and project outcomes. My life experience includes three different cultures; I grew up in Austria and married an American and work today in a French company. People from different cultures need to understand their respective motivational drivers according to their cultural background systems when leading international teams. Different cultures have distinct methods for handling collaboration, planning and decision-making which require people to understand these cultural differences in order to create shared understanding.

I have often seen that even highly capable teams can struggle if their working styles differ significantly, simply because expectations and approaches are not aligned. For example, some cultures prefer detailed planning before execution, while others thrive on iterative progress. My role as a leader is to orchestrate these differences, ensuring that teams appreciate each other’s strengths and work toward shared goals. When leaders embrace cultural awareness and adaptability, they unlock stronger collaboration and far more effective results.

From a woman leader’s lens, how do you ensure digitalization delivers both growth and profitability while maintaining governance, resilience, and risk discipline at an executive level?

At the executive level, my responsibility is to ensure that digitalization contributes to long-term value creation for the organization. My responsibility as executive leadership team member involves supporting the company to achieve its goals of sustainable financial growth and profitability while maintaining effective governance and organizational resilience and risk management practices.

The principles which guide me include trust and responsibility with ethical thinking and sustainability which must become integral parts of all strategic decision-making processes. Digital transformation must ultimately serve the business—improving productivity, strengthening resilience, and enabling responsible innovation. I have always maintained leadership according to three principles which include operational execution and protecting the company’s best interests.

I believe that business credibility develops through complete understanding of organizational operations and supporting initiatives that benefit the organization.

The demonstration of my career achievements depended on my ability to show measurable results which created actual impacts.

When leaders remain authentic, principled, and committed to the organization’s long-term success, they create both personal credibility and meaningful business outcomes.  

In senior technology leadership roles often dominated by men, how have you shaped your leadership voice to influence decisions, build credibility, and drive enterprise-wide transformation?

In senior technology leadership roles that have traditionally been male-dominated, I have always focused on staying authentic and being true to who I am. I strongly believe that credibility and influence come from consistency, conviction, and a genuine commitment to what is best for the organization.

My leadership voice exists to create impact through three main goals which include producing results and creating workplace environments that support team members to work effectively while maintaining their enjoyment of their tasks. The process of building credibility happens through various stages which require you to prove your ideas will help your organization achieve its goals. I consider leadership to be a process that demands communication skills, empathetic understanding, and the capability to unify people under a common goal. Trust develops through your authentic self which helps you connect with stakeholders and achieve consistent outcomes while your organization undergoes change.

What advice would you like to share with women leaders globally who aspire to drive large-scale digital transformation in traditional industries and advance into enterprise-level leadership roles?

My advice is simple: be authentic and believe in what you do. Early in my career I learned that waiting quietly for opportunities to arrive will not work because people must actively choose to approach others and speak their thoughts. People need to demonstrate assertiveness through their confidence and they should share their ideas to create professional success.

People need to develop their careers through secure workplaces that match their personal principles with organizational values. People will gain power to advance their development when they experience mutual respect and trust and their achievements receive acknowledgment. Every person must determine their own path to success because I believe success is a personal journey. People need to work toward their goals with dedication and determination and enthusiasm after they achieve their first step of knowledge.