Collaboration has always been the backbone of progress in eMobility. The biggest leaps this sector has made - from early infrastructure rollouts to today&rsquo;s scaling challenges - have happened because the right people, companies and ideas connected at the right time.
That&rsquo;s why I&rsquo;m excited to share a new partnership between Hyperion Search and Elevathors. 
Elevathors are a specialist advisory for EV charging companies with an expert network of consultants who have enabled some of Europe&rsquo;s greatest EV charging success stories. Their value doesn&rsquo;t stop at advice but actual delivery. Interim specialists, project leads, commercial execution, whatever&rsquo;s needed to close the gap between where a business is today and where it needs to be.
That&rsquo;s why this partnership makes sense.
Elevathors help companies get clarity and momentum. Hyperion Search helps them build the long‑term leadership and senior teams to sustain it. Together, we&rsquo;re supporting the EV value chain with immediate execution and the long‑term leadership to carry it forward.
Looking forward to building this out with Martin and the team 
Stephen
&nbsp;

Partnership Announcement: Hyperion Search x Elevathors 

<div style="text-align: left;">
For years, data centres operated on a familiar playbook: secure enough power, build in layers of redundancy, and scale capacity as demand grew. That model made sense when growth was predictable, and grids had room to absorb it. However, the acceleration of AI has pushed energy demand to a level that now resembles the growth curve of entire cities, and the infrastructure supporting that demand is straining under the pressure. The conversations I have point towards a shift - it&rsquo;s no longer just about sourcing power, but about how data centres fit into the increasingly complex systems that deliver it.&nbsp;
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<div style="text-align: left;">
The industry is moving from a simple consumption model to one that requires genuine integration with the grid. The challenge&nbsp;isn&rsquo;t&nbsp;only how much energy a facility uses;&nbsp;it&rsquo;s&nbsp;whether that energy can be delivered reliably, sustainably, and in a way that aligns with local constraints.&nbsp;Power‑purchase&nbsp;agreements&nbsp;don&rsquo;t&nbsp;guarantee grid capacity, renewable projects&nbsp;don&rsquo;t&nbsp;solve transmission bottlenecks, and remote generation&nbsp;doesn&rsquo;t ease the strain on local infrastructure. What used to be framed as a sustainability issue has become a far broader&nbsp;energy&nbsp;infrastructure challenge.&nbsp;
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<div style="text-align: left;">
On top of this,&nbsp;increasingly,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s&nbsp;a talent challenge.&nbsp;
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<div style="text-align: left;">
As data centres become more&nbsp;intertwined&nbsp;with&nbsp;energy systems, they need capabilities that historically lived inside utilities, transmission operators, and energy&nbsp;market specialists. Power&nbsp;systems engineering, grid&nbsp;connections management, energy&nbsp;market structuring, storage optimisation, and&nbsp;real‑time&nbsp;operational flexibility are no longer niche skills.&nbsp;They&rsquo;re&nbsp;becoming fundamental to how modern data centres&nbsp;operate. Yet the pool of people who can do this work is small, highly specialised, and already in high demand.&nbsp;Hyperscalers, developers, utilities, and energy companies are all competing for the same&nbsp;expertise.&nbsp;
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This matters because energy constraints are already slowing projects, but talent constraints are increasingly doing the same. Without the right people, organisations struggle to navigate interconnection complexity, design&nbsp;viable&nbsp;energy strategies, integrate storage and flexibility, or&nbsp;operate&nbsp;dynamically with the grid. Even when power is technically available, the capability to use it intelligently may not be.&nbsp;
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The operating model for data centres is evolving across three stages: procurement, alignment, and integration. The industry&nbsp;has&nbsp;pretty much&nbsp;mastered&nbsp;the first&nbsp;stage,&nbsp;buying renewable energy,&nbsp;and many operators are progressing through the second&nbsp;i.e.&nbsp;locating&nbsp;facilities near generation and available capacity.&nbsp;The third stage, true integration with the grid, is where the real opportunity lies. It requires flexible workloads, integrated storage and cooling, active grid participation, and&nbsp;real‑time&nbsp;system intelligence.&nbsp;Critically, it requires&nbsp;the&nbsp;people who know how to design and run these systems.&nbsp;
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We&nbsp;observe&nbsp;several talent functions&nbsp;emerging&nbsp;as the most strategically important,&nbsp;and the most constrained.&nbsp;&nbsp;
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<ul role="list">
<li role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">
Senior commercial leaders who can articulate the value of&nbsp;multi‑asset&nbsp;energy systems to developers, utilities, and large&nbsp;energy‑intensive&nbsp;enterprises.&nbsp;&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<ul role="list">
<li role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">
Grid and interconnection specialists who understand&nbsp;load‑flow&nbsp;modelling, utility coordination, and the realities of congested queues.&nbsp;&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<ul role="list">
<li role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">
Project&nbsp;delivery leaders capable of orchestrating complex deployments across storage, solar, cooling, and&nbsp;AI‑based&nbsp;controls.&nbsp;&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<ul role="list">
<li role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1">
Supply&nbsp;chain experts who can navigate equipment scarcity, long lead times, and the growing need for vertically integrated technology partners.&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
These roles are becoming foundational to the next generation of&nbsp;data‑centre&nbsp;operations&nbsp;-&nbsp;and they are exactly where organisations are feeling the pressure.&nbsp;
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This is also where Hyperion Search is playing an increasingly&nbsp;important role. As the sector&rsquo;s talent demands shift from traditional&nbsp;data‑centre&nbsp;operations toward deep&nbsp;energy‑system&nbsp;expertise, Hyperion is helping operators, developers, and utilities secure the specialised leadership and technical capability&nbsp;required&nbsp;to build, integrate, and&nbsp;operate&nbsp;these new&nbsp;energy‑centric&nbsp;facilities. The firms that succeed in the coming years&nbsp;won&rsquo;t&nbsp;just secure power;&nbsp;they&rsquo;ll&nbsp;secure the people who know how to model it, manage it, and integrate it.&nbsp;
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
In a market where grid capacity is tight, scrutiny is rising, and complexity is accelerating, competitive advantage will be built as much on people as&nbsp;it is&nbsp;on power.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
David Beeston
</div>
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&nbsp;
</div>

Data Centres, Energy, and the Talent Bottleneck 

This week, we mark five years of David Beeston at Hyperion Search. To celebrate, we set him five questions - one for every year - covering the moments that shaped him, the market shifts he's witnessed, and where he sees the energy transition heading next.
<h4>1. Cast your mind back to day one - what drew you to Hyperion Search, and did you have any idea what the next five years would look like?</h4>
Well firstly, that feels a lot longer than 5 years ago!
The answer to this one is quite simple &ndash; impact. At the time, I was looking for a new challenge that would inspire me and Hyperion did just that, presenting the exciting opportunity to build the Energy Storage &amp; Grid practice as part of fast-growing, transformational energy transition. Alongside this, it was the chance to have a positive impact on the planet and people&rsquo;s lives, which was very refreshing after 9 years in executive search across primarily &ldquo;dirty&rdquo; industries like O&amp;G and chemicals.
The 5 years have exceeded all of my expectations. I&rsquo;ve had the chance to work with some wonderful colleagues, who are as equally driven and passionate as I am and deliver some fantastic value to international clients.
The entrepreneurial culture has been one of the best parts about it &ndash; I&rsquo;ve loved having the opportunity to shape my own future and progress quickly along the way.
<div align="center"><hr align="center" size="2" width="100%"></div>
<h4>2. You've spent most of your time here deep in the energy storage and grid space - what's the single biggest shift you've seen in that market, and how has it changed the way you work with clients and candidates?</h4>
What I&rsquo;ve loved about this space is the rate of growth and market maturity. When I started out, the UK market was one of the main pioneers in BESS but fast forward 5 years and there is huge growth across Europe, with many markets now mature with tangible operational battery capacity. On the technology side, I&rsquo;m blown away by how quickly Storage and Grid technologies have evolved &ndash; whether that&rsquo;s battery analytics, trading and flexibility platforms, or grid management AI - there is now a huge selection of tech providers out there but also fantastic collaboration on show.
As markets and technologies have evolved, so have clients&rsquo; expectations. There is now a real focus on delivery excellence &ndash; those who can not only innovate but also execute the roll out of projects / new products.
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<h4>3. Five years throws up a lot of deals, candidates, and clients - is there one placement or moment that you look back on as genuinely meaningful, where you felt Hyperion really made a difference?</h4>
It&rsquo;s hard to pinpoint just one placement out of many, but I&rsquo;ve been particularly proud of our work with iwell in the last 2 years. We&rsquo;ve played a key role in their expansion outside of their native Netherlands, with 5 key hires across UK and Germany. The UK team build out has been really rewarding &ndash; seeing Mark, the Country Director, doing a wonderful job successfully building the business from a standing start in 2025, and Hyperion supporting further UK hires since then. Moving to the UK came with big risk for iwell, so we&rsquo;re delighted to see the progress made already.
<div align="center"><hr align="center" size="2" width="100%"></div>
<h4>4. Stepping into the Co-Managing Partner role with Steve at the start of this year is a significant shift, how has your perspective on the business changed now that you're helping to lead it, rather than just build within it?</h4>
Firstly, Stephen is a fantastic partner to have alongside me and it is vitally important that we have always shared the same vision and values, alongside Ross, our brilliant long-serving Director of Delivery. Hyperion has always delivered great value to our clients and candidates so in that regard, it&rsquo;s not been about reinventing the wheel. What drives us is providing that value to even more companies and people worldwide but also doubling down on offering a wonderful working environment for our team. We care about our people and want to make this the most fun, rewarding, and impactful company we can.
<div align="center"><hr align="center" size="2" width="100%"></div>
<h4>5. Cleantech and the energy transition are moving faster than almost any other sector - where do you see the greatest demand for leadership talent over the next 5 years, and what does that mean for how Hyperion needs to evolve?</h4>
I featured this in a recent article actually. Clean energy assets are now key pillars of critical infrastructure, and therefore we will need the leadership profiles to match. Holistic leaders, those with the T-shape profile i.e. core expertise in one area, but high capabilities across multiple functions (strategy, finance, policy/regulatory affairs, operations, marketing etc) will be essential. With the rapid rise of AI, those leaders who embrace a strategy that entwines new technologies and human creativity, will success above the rest.
&nbsp;

Five Years In: David Beeston on Building, Leading and What Comes Next

The value of having the right search partner for your business is enormous. A search partner brings a rigorous, research-driven and consultative approach. They proactively map the market, build longlists from deep industry networks and approach high-calibre passive candidates who are not actively seeking new roles. They understand the talent landscape you&rsquo;re competing in.&nbsp;
Where even greater value comes, is elevating this relationship to becoming a talent business partner. This is a true trusted advisor relationship to senior executives and boards. This goes beyond hiring individual roles in a transactional relationship, it&rsquo;s about offering true market intelligence, benchmarking and talent services.&nbsp;
Of course, this doesn&rsquo;t happen overnight. Trust is earned. Often over many years. Only after a search firm has really proven their value can the relationship deepen.&nbsp;
This can mean sharing privileged information with your search firm in order for them to be best placed to support the business. Providing advanced oversight of organisational changes impacting talent requirements can help enormously with creating smooth hiring processes.&nbsp;
A long-term client of ours recently provided advanced notification of some significant organisational changes in the business which would then create specific hiring needs. This gave us the chance to conduct advanced research and talent pooling. As soon as the business was ready to proceed with the search, we had a huge headstart, dramatically reducing our time to provide a candidate shortlist. &nbsp;
Partnering together over many years streamlines each search. Your talent business partner knows your company inside out, knows how to best assess candidate&rsquo;s cultural fit. They know the types of individuals that can be successful in the business.
Your talent business partner knows how to best sell your company to passive A players so that they are intrigued and engage.
Over and above a core search service, your talent business partner can add additional value through a range of talent intelligence services such as talent pipelining and succession planning, competitor talent mapping and analysis, and compensation and equity benchmarking.
Prior to commencing a board search last year, we conducted a compensation and equity benchmarking exercise for our client, where we mapped out the compensation packages for Chairs and NEDs in VC backed businesses at similar stages. This gave greater clarity for our client on how best to structure a competitive compensation package with the right mix of retainer plus equity.&nbsp;
For other long-term clients, we&rsquo;ve advised senior leadership teams and boards on international talent landscapes in advance of overseas expansion decisions. Having recruited in 19 countries, we were able to use our knowledge of different markets to provide key talent insights to aid their business planning.&nbsp;
Elevating your search partner to a talent business partner relationship is based on trust and value provided, and it takes time. However, the time investment that goes into this relationship can be repaid exponentially in added value to your business. 
&nbsp;

Elevating Your Search Partner to a Talent Business Partner

<div>
At the time of writing, the conflict in Iran continues to unsettle global markets, we&rsquo;re once again reminded of how deeply the world&rsquo;s energy system is shaped by geopolitics. Disruption in and around the Strait of Hormuz - through which a significant share of global oil and gas flows - has already pushed fuel prices higher across Europe and the UK. Governments are scrambling to cushion the impact, as we are faced with warnings across agriculture, construction, and logistics about rising diesel and input costs.&nbsp; &nbsp; These price shocks&nbsp;aren&rsquo;t&nbsp;abstract market movements - they ripple through supply chains, household budgets, and business operations. They expose just how vulnerable&nbsp;fossil‑fuel‑dependent&nbsp;economies&nbsp;remain&nbsp;when global tensions flare.&nbsp; &nbsp; But they also underline something more important: the strategic value of accelerating the transition to clean, domestic energy.&nbsp; &nbsp; Wind, solar, energy storage, and electrified transport&nbsp;don&rsquo;t&nbsp;rely on contested shipping lanes or fragile supply routes. Once built, they&nbsp;aren&rsquo;t&nbsp;hostage to geopolitical flashpoints. They generate locally, predictably, and increasingly affordably. And although the transition requires investment in grids, infrastructure, and planning, the direction of travel is unmistakable.&nbsp; &nbsp; Energy security is no longer&nbsp;just about access&nbsp;-&nbsp;it&rsquo;s&nbsp;about autonomy.&nbsp; &nbsp; For the companies we support across renewable energy, electrification, and cleantech, this moment reinforces the urgency of their work. For investors, it highlights why capital continues to flow into technologies that reduce exposure to volatile global markets. For talent, this paves the way for transitioning careers into cleaner, more impactful sectors. And for governments,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s&nbsp;a reminder that resilience and decarbonisation are now inseparable.&nbsp; &nbsp; As a search partner to the organisations building this future, we see firsthand how leadership teams are responding.&nbsp;They're&nbsp;scaling faster, innovating harder, and treating energy independence not as an environmental ideal but as a strategic imperative.&nbsp; &nbsp; In a world where conflict can send fuel markets into turmoil overnight, the case for clean energy has never been clearer or more compelling.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; To everyone affected by the ongoing war in Iran &ndash; including our clients, candidates, and the friends and families connected to them, our thoughts are with you as you navigate this difficult and challenging period.&nbsp;
</div>

Energy, Instability and the Case for Renewables

We wanted to share an important update in the evolution of Hyperion Search.
After more than a decade leading the business, our founder <a style="color: rgb(230, 126, 35);" href="https://hyperionsearch.com/meet-the-team/david-hunt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Hunt</a> will transition from day-to-day leadership into the role of Non-Executive Chair.
David&rsquo;s vision and commitment have shaped Hyperion&rsquo;s identity from the very beginning. His belief in the power of people, his advocacy for the sector, and the relationships he has built across the ecosystem have been central to our success. He will continue to support the business in this next chapter as Non-Executive Chair.
Stepping into leadership as Co-Managing Partners are <a style="color: rgb(230, 126, 35);" href="https://hyperionsearch.com/meet-the-team/stephen-robinson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen Robinson </a>and <a style="color: rgb(230, 126, 35);" href="https://hyperionsearch.com/meet-the-team/david-beeston/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Beeston</a>.
Both bring deep experience across cleantech and energy infrastructure, longstanding relationships across our network, and a shared commitment to the values that define Hyperion. Their leadership has already been instrumental in our growth, and they will now guide the firm through its next phase.
They are supported by <a href="https://hyperionsearch.com/meet-the-team/ross-hoare/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ross Hoare</a>, whose operational leadership and consistency over many years have been central to how we deliver for our clients.
Over the past twelve years, Hyperion has grown alongside the energy and emobility transition - supporting organisations in more than 19 countries and building a platform further strengthened through our integration with <a style="color: rgb(230, 126, 35);" href="https://www.hcgroup.global/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HC Group</a>.
This leadership evolution reflects both the strength of that foundation and our ambition for what comes next.
We remain focused on what has always mattered: helping our clients build exceptional teams, and supporting the people shaping the future of energy and emobility.
Thank you, as always, for your continued trust and partnership.
&nbsp;

Leadership update: Hyperion’s next phase

Renewable Deals, Development & Direction

Future Mobility News & Views: February 2026 Edition

Leadership hiring isn&rsquo;t about who can speak to the most candidates - it&rsquo;s about who can represent your story credibly and compellingly. Next week marks my 10 year anniversary supporting eMobility and cleantech companies to scale - seven of those with Hyperion Search&nbsp;(Time flies!) During that time, one thing has become obvious... Every leadership hire is a leverage point. The right Search partner elevates your credibility with the top performers and operators who matter. The wrong approach risks fragmenting your message, and top‑tier candidates feel that instantly. Briefing multiple 'recruitment agencies' might seem efficient, but it dilutes your narrative and weakens the signal you send to the market. It might work at entry-mid level but for senior leadership and executive level hiring, this approach is, in my opinion at least, one to avoid. I&rsquo;ve captured the why, and the impact in the short piece below and would welcome your thoughts?
You can view the pdf here:<a href="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/d51o7ap6e9fxig4d2a48ba5nnwfj" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> The Case Against Using Multiple Search Firms</a> or view the video below:
<div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><video class="embed-responsive-item" controls="controls" width="300" height="150"><source src="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/0ls4rf97byx6xskkbozn6ival6d5"></video></div>

The Case Against Using Multiple Search Firms

When I moved my Search career into Energy Storage in 2020, the biggest challenge was simple: there wasn't enough accessible talent in the sector. We regularly had to work with clients on where to "compromise" during critical senior hires because the market was still immature.
Fast forward to 2026 and the dynamic has completely shifted. The sectors' rapid and exciting emergence has attracted a wave of new talent, but at the same time, the operating environment of the sector has evolved. Energy Storage is no longer "emerging" - it has matured to an execution-critical phase. Projects are larger, debt and equity capital is flowing faster, and ultimately the pressure to deliver and scale has never been greater.
These parallel trends have made high‑quality senior level hiring more complex than ever.
<h5 id="ember55">The New Leadership Profile</h5>
A clear pattern is emerging from my hiring conversations, and board and investor discussions. Quite simply, the most in-demand talents are those who successfully operate when things get messy, complex, and fast.

<ul>
<li>Commercial‑technical hybrids who can translate seamlessly between strategy, delivery, finance, and policy</li>
<li>Ecosystem builders who create partnerships rather than operating in isolation</li>
<li>Calm operators who stay steady during volatility</li>
<li>Aligners of multidisciplinary, cross‑border teams without losing momentum</li>
</ul>
<h5 id="ember58">The Problem: You Can&rsquo;t See This On Paper!</h5>
We're in murky waters. Yes, the talent pool is broader than ever - but company expectations have sharpened dramatically.
Most senior candidates claim to have "driven growth" or "scaled international teams" on a CV or LinkedIn profile. Here lies the challenge - on paper you will only see what they want you to see. It won't tell you:

<ul>
<li>How they align their team, the board, and investors without losing momentum</li>
<li>How they make decisions when the data isn't all there</li>
<li>How their leadership style actually looks like when the pressure is on - not the polished interview version</li>
<li>Whether they truly drove growth or simply rode the wave of wider teams and market tailwinds</li>
</ul>
This is where companies get caught out: the CV looks great, the references sound fine, but the&nbsp;behavioural reality doesn&rsquo;t match the demands of the role.
This is where a true Search process becomes invaluable...
<hr>
<h5 id="ember64">Why Executive Search Gives You the Truth Behind the CV</h5>
Search is not just about "filling roles". Anyone can forward a CV with an AI-draft attached. True Search goes beyond surface-level screening that you typically see in agency or internal talent recruitment. It digs beneath the surface to uncover the real behaviours, capabilities, and decision‑making patterns that determine whether a candidate will actually thrive in your environment.

<ul>
<li>Validating "real world" leadership behaviours - Using comprehensive scenario‑based evaluation, we assess how candidates navigate the situations you will face in your business - scaling challenges, investor tension, project delays, cross-functional alignment issues, regulatory changes and more.</li>
<li>Advising on the talent archetype your company truly needs - No guesswork. We combine market benchmarking, behavioural assessments, and psychometric profiling to advise on the talent archetype best suited to your stage, execution goals, culture, and values.</li>
<li>Deep dive the market for true A-players - Those making a real difference in the sector are not sat on job boards, they are rarely "available". Search identifies, engages, and lands them.</li>
<li>Placing cultural alignment on par with experience and skills - More often than not, cultural misalignment is the cause of a senior hire not working out. During a Search process, we look not only at what a candidate can do, but how they operate, communicate, and make decisions.</li>
<li>Aligning key stakeholders around what &ldquo;great&rdquo; looks like - Boards, Investors, and Executive teams may view a role slightly differently. Search forces clarity on the required behaviours, leadership patterns, and outcomes, preventing mid-search pivots.</li>
<li>Undertaking thorough, unfiltered referencing - Not only those pre-filtered references, but also discreet, detailed market referencing to get a true picture on candidates' key behaviours for success.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<hr>
<h5 id="ember67">The Outcome</h5>
When you combine these elements, you&rsquo;re no longer gambling on a polished CV, a charismatic interview, or whoever happens to be &ldquo;available.&rdquo; You&rsquo;re choosing from a rigorously selected and evaluated talent shortlist of top talents.
Choose Search and you de-risk your hiring process, at a time where execution is critical, the cost of making the wrong hire has never been higher!
I lead the Energy Storage &amp; Grid practice at Hyperion Search. For 11 years we've been partnering with international clients across the scaling cleantech segment, with success in 19 countries to date. Our robust and comprehensive Search methodology combined with a wealth of sector experience, gives us a unique position to support your key senior and strategic hiring challenges.
David Beeston

Energy Storage is maturing and so should your hiring approach

<h5>For companies scaling electrification technologies, supply chain decisions now shape risk, growth and delivery. </h5>
<h5>Explore why resilience is becoming a strategic capability, not a back-office function.</h5>
<div>
A few years ago, supply chain conversations across cleantech and electrotechnology were largely focused on efficiency. Cost. Speed. Reliability. That mindset belonged to a period when global supply chains were optimised for scale and predictability. Today, it feels increasingly distant. As the energy and mobility transitions accelerate, supply chains are being asked to do far more than deliver components on time. Geopolitics, regulation, sustainability expectations and the push for localisation are reshaping how companies source, plan and operate. What was once considered a back-office function is now a core strategic capability.
<h5> From efficiency to resilience</h5>
For much of the last decade, globalisation delivered clear benefits. Long, complex supply chains reduced costs and supported rapid scaling. Risk existed, but it was largely tolerated or assumed to be manageable. That assumption has been tested repeatedly. Pandemic disruption, geopolitical tension, trade friction and concerns around energy security have exposed how fragile many supply chains really are. In response, governments, particularly across Europe, are reassessing how dependent they want to be on single regions or suppliers for&nbsp;critical technologies&nbsp;and materials. The outcome is a structural shift. Resilience now sits alongside efficiency as a defining priority. For businesses operating in&nbsp;electrification, energy infrastructure and industrial decarbonisation, this shift is not theoretical. It directly influences sourcing strategies, supplier relationships, inventory policies and long-term capacity planning. Decisions that were once optimised almost exclusively for cost must now balance risk, continuity and flexibility.
<h5> Regulation is raising expectations</h5>
Alongside geopolitical pressure, the regulatory environment is becoming more demanding. Across Europe, initiatives covering critical raw materials, net-zero manufacturing, battery sustainability and passports, carbon border mechanisms and foreign subsidy controls are all moving in the same direction. They require greater transparency, stronger traceability and clearer accountability across&nbsp;the value chain. This does not mean every organisation must localise production end to end. But it does mean companies need deeper visibility into their supply chains, earlier insight into potential disruption and a more deliberate approach to trade-offs between cost, compliance, sustainability and risk. What may have once been acceptable as &ldquo;good enough&rdquo; is increasingly insufficient.
<h5> Complexity is increasing, not easing</h5>
At the same time, the technologies underpinning the energy transition are becoming more complex. Electrification, power electronics, advanced materials and grid-connected systems rely on highly specialised components and processes. Many sit several tiers upstream, outside direct control, and cross multiple borders before reaching manufacturing lines or project sites. Longer lead times, constrained capacity and competition for critical materials add further pressure. Managing supply chains in this environment is no longer just about sourcing. It requires forecasting, scenario planning, negotiation and rapid adaptation under uncertainty. The margin for error is narrowing, particularly for companies scaling production or delivering against fixed project timelines.
<h5> Why talent matters more than ever</h5>
As a result, we are seeing a clear shift in how organisations view supply chain and&nbsp;procurement roles. These functions are no longer treated as purely operational. They are being elevated into strategic positions with direct influence on growth planning, capital allocation and risk management. Companies are increasingly looking for leaders who can:
<ul>
<li>
manage complex global supplier ecosystems
</li>
<li>
interpret regulatory and geopolitical risk
</li>
<li>
balance inventory resilience with capital discipline
</li>
<li>
work closely with engineering, finance and commercial teams
</li>
<li>
build supplier relationships that endure through periods of volatility
</li>
</ul>
In other words, they are looking for judgement as much as process. This is particularly critical for businesses moving from early growth into more industrialised phases, where structural mistakes in supply chain design can become costly and difficult to unwind.
<h5>Inventory is now a leadership decision</h5>
Inventory strategy illustrates this shift clearly. Where stock levels were once something to minimise, they are now something to optimise with intent. Holding additional inventory can protect against disruption, but it ties up capital. Holding too little risks missed deliveries, stalled production and reputational damage. Making the right decision depends on context. Market conditions, customer commitments, supplier stability and access to capital all matter. The correct answer is rarely static. This is why organisations are placing greater value on experienced supply chain leaders who have managed through cycles, not just periods of expansion. Leaders who know when to be cautious, when to take calculated risk, and how to explain those decisions clearly to boards and investors.
A more mature phase of the transition
The energy transition has not slowed. But it has entered a more demanding phase. Delivery matters more. Integration matters more. And supply chains sit at the centre of both. For the companies that come together at CWIEME Berlin, those designing, manufacturing and scaling the technologies that underpin electrification, success is no longer defined by technical excellence alone. It depends on organisational capability and the ability to operate reliably in a more complex global environment. Increasingly, that capability comes down to people. The organisations that succeed in the next phase of the transition will be those that recognise supply chain and procurement talent not as a cost centre, but as a strategic asset, and invest accordingly.
David Hunt
This article was written by David Hunt for <a style="color: rgb(230, 126, 35);" href="https://berlin.cwiemeevents.com/articles/supply-chains-strategic-capability?utm_source=linkedin&amp;utm%E2%80%A6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CWIEME, Berlin.</a>
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From Efficiency To Resilience: Why Supply Chains Are Becoming A Strategic Capability

Over the past few weeks, Niall Riddell, (CEO and Co-founder of Paua) and I have been comparing notes on the sheer pace of activity across the European eHGV landscape. It&rsquo;s a sector that&rsquo;s no longer &ldquo;emerging&rdquo; - it&rsquo;s accelerating, diversifying, and becoming far more interconnected than many realise. So, we decided to map it. Together, we&rsquo;ve created a comprehensive view of the companies pushing the heavy‑duty transition forward - charging operators and developers, hardware and software providers, &lsquo;as‑a‑service&rsquo; models, vehicle manufacturers, operators, hauliers and more across the value chain. What became clear very quickly is just how fluid this ecosystem is. Many organisations sit across multiple categories, and innovation is happening in parallel rather than in silos. This first edition captures a broad and representative snapshot, though we know there are more trailblazers out there redefining how zero‑emission freight will operate. As such, future iterations will expand further, especially across operators, developers and the deeper layers of the value chain. We&rsquo;ll also be exploring the three fundamentals that ultimately determine whether scalable, zero‑emission logistics becomes reality: Talent, Capital and Collaboration. At Hyperion, we&rsquo;re deeply embedded in helping the companies driving the energy and mobility transition to scale - because let's face it, none of this happens without the right leadership talent and teams in place. And equally, none of the companies featured will deliver zero‑emission freight alone. This transition depends on partnerships, interoperability, shared infrastructure and a willingness to collaborate across traditional boundaries. Collective progress will be the real catalyst for a fully decarbonised heavy‑duty sector. And of course, none of this happens without committed capital. The continued growth of the organisations featured here is only possible thanks to Europe&rsquo;s impact‑driven investors. Austin Wood and the team at SET Ventures are doing hugely important work on that front (check out their latest report on the topic of eHGV's). We hope you find this market map useful. If you&rsquo;re active in this space or feel you should be featured in future editions - I&rsquo;d love to hear from you.
All the best,
Steve
<a style="color: #e67e23;" href="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/5vztqki7hzjgbocwd6asriax3nxe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">View the European eHGV Market Map here</a>
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European eHGV Market Landscape

January's Energy Storage News & Views

Cleantech hiring has fundamentally shifted.
Looking at 2025 and into 2026, the industry has moved away from narrow specialisms. We are seeing a decisive move toward "Holistic Hiring" - where industry breadth and cross-functional expertise are no longer "nice to haves," but prerequisites.
Why the change? In my recent discussions with company leaders, Boards and investors, there is a clear push for talent that sits at the intersection of the ecosystem. To maximise revenue, companies need leaders who can navigate the integration of renewables, storage, grid connectivity, EV infrastructure, and smart flexibility and optimisation.
The strict boundaries between job functions have also evolved. We are now searching for "T-shaped" professionals i.e. individuals with deep expertise in a core area, but the versatility to add value across the entire project lifecycle.
If you look at Energy Storage specifically, the days of the specialist silo are gone. Batteries have matured into a sophisticated infrastructure asset class and the most valuable hires today are those who can navigate the entire value chain.
Some recent senior search examples from our desk highlight this trend:
🔹 Project Delivery combined with Grid Connection expertise.
🔹 Sales Leadership with a deep understanding of Project Finance.
🔹 Supply Chain Management integrated with Financial Coordination.
🔹 O&amp;M Leadership paired with Commercial Asset Optimisation know-how.
The Bottom Line: Storage is now a staple of institutional infrastructure portfolios. Consequently, leaders are demanding the same level of rigorous commercial and financial fluency across their teams, that you'd expect in any other critical infrastructure class.
The "purely technical" or "purely commercial" roles are narrowing. The present and future belongs to the holistic leader.
<hr>
What about your business? The 'silo' era is over. Is your leadership team built for 2026, or are you still hiring for the past?
We're helping Energy Storage C-suites and Boards bridge this gap right now - let&rsquo;s discuss how we can de-risk your next senior hire. Get in touch with me at <a tabindex="0" href="mailto:david.beeston@hyperionsearch.com" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">david.beeston@hyperionsearch.com</a> to discuss how we can add value impact to your hiring strategy in 2026.
Hyperion Search is a leading international search firm, dedicated to renewables and cleantech sectors. We've supported the clean energy transition for 11 years, placing senior and strategic level talent in 19 countries to date.

The “Holistic” Cleantech Leader Era is Here

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Once&nbsp;you&rsquo;ve&nbsp;made the decision to&nbsp;proceed&nbsp;with a senior hire into your business and engaged with a specialist search firm,&nbsp;if you&nbsp;haven&rsquo;t&nbsp;already,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s&nbsp;time to map out your interview process.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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This is often neglected,&nbsp;with&nbsp;the interview process&nbsp;being&nbsp;made up on the fly.&nbsp;With&nbsp;over&nbsp;a&nbsp;decade&rsquo;s experience&nbsp;managing senior level searches, I can say&nbsp;this&nbsp;rarely&nbsp;makes for a&nbsp;smooth&nbsp;process. Real consideration is required as to what you need to get out of the interview process,&nbsp;in order to&nbsp;give you the confidence to make a candidate a job offer.&nbsp;
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What are the most important things you need to find out from a candidate, and who is best placed in your organisation to obtain this information? Which members of your Exec leadership&nbsp;team&nbsp;need to be involved? Will your investors want the opportunity to interview candidates?&nbsp;&nbsp;
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What are you looking to achieve with each interview stage?&nbsp;Each stage should have a clear purpose, rather than&nbsp;merely&nbsp;getting multiple people to cover the same&nbsp;topics&nbsp;with the candidate.&nbsp;Decide who will be assessing different competencies. Everyone involved in the interview process should have a specific&nbsp;objective.&nbsp;
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Complete interview panel alignment is non-negotiable for senior executive hiring. We saw a C-level search fail when an interviewer,&nbsp;a direct report who felt threatened by the candidate&rsquo;s&nbsp;incoming position,&nbsp;successfully derailed the process, creating&nbsp;a very poor&nbsp;candidate experience.&nbsp;Managing internal stakeholder dynamics early in the process is vital.&nbsp;
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Having&nbsp;a very clear&nbsp;process mapped out from the start and being able to communicate this with candidates, creates a more positive experience and impression of your business. It&nbsp;demonstrates&nbsp;your company is organised and that&nbsp;you&rsquo;re&nbsp;taking this process seriously.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
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<h5>We would recommend no more than&nbsp;three&nbsp;interview stages.&nbsp;&nbsp;</h5>
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Too often we have seen an ad hoc interview process with too many stages,&nbsp;end unsuccessfully. Candidates can get frustrated when new stages keep getting added, increasing the chance of losing great candidates to competitors who move faster and who are more decisive.&nbsp;We recently had a client that insisted on a&nbsp;seven-stage&nbsp;interview&nbsp;process&nbsp;with multiple stakeholders over&nbsp;the&nbsp;course of a couple of months. This was against our advice and&nbsp;subsequently&nbsp;resulted in their chosen candidate accepting an alternative offer.&nbsp;Time kills deals.&nbsp;
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It&rsquo;s&nbsp;important to keep&nbsp;up the momentum&nbsp;in an interview process;&nbsp;to keep candidates fully engaged and motivated, to reduce the risk of them accepting other offers&nbsp;and to stop&nbsp;their enthusiasm&nbsp;from&nbsp;dwindling.&nbsp;When candidates have been shortlisted, work with your key&nbsp;hiring&nbsp;stakeholders to&nbsp;block out diaries and map the process out.&nbsp;You want to avoid weeks between&nbsp;different stages. You want this process to be as tight as possible to give you the best chance of a successful outcome.&nbsp;Unfortunately,&nbsp;we&rsquo;ve&nbsp;seen many processes fail&nbsp;due to the interview process dragging on for months.&nbsp;Equally,&nbsp;I&rsquo;ve&nbsp;seen slick interview processes that cut weeks off client&rsquo;s time to hire, bringing forward the positive impact a new senior leadership hire can have on their business.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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One final tip, interviews are two-way processes. Remember to sell&nbsp;the opportunity of working for your business as well as deciding whether a candidate is the right fit for you.&nbsp;The last thing you want is to make a candidate an offer which is turned down because you missed the&nbsp;opportunity to sell your business and the role.&nbsp;Even in soft markets, top talent is always in&nbsp;demand, and&nbsp;always has options.&nbsp;
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Ross Hoare&nbsp;
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The Importance of a Well-Constructed Interview Process

Just before Christmas I recorded a podcast with Devrim Celal, again!
He first came on Leaders in Cleantech back in January 2019, pre-COVID, in a Manchester office, when he was CEO of Upside Energy. Since then, Upside was acquired by Octopus; the product evolved into Kraken; and the &ldquo;ten years in one company&rdquo; has included multiple lives inside one journey.
It&rsquo;s an extraordinary story, but what struck me most wasn&rsquo;t the scale. It was the texture of it. The unglamorous day-to-day reality of building something meaningful.
Kraken today is contracted to serve 70+ million homes across 10+ countries; it monitors 600,000+ devices, managing just shy of 6GW of optimised power. At one point Devrim mentioned something that landed hard: the managed charging is roughly equivalent to the daily electricity use of a city the size of Manchester.
But the real value of the conversation (for me) was what it reveals about what it actually takes to scale.
There were plenty, but here are a few takeaways I&rsquo;m still chewing over.
<h5 id="ember66">1) The &ldquo;phases&rdquo; are real, and each one asks different things of you</h5>
Devrim described the decade not as one continuous journey, but several distinct phases.
That matters because founders often beat themselves up when things feel harder later, even though the business is &ldquo;successful&rdquo;.
But scaling isn&rsquo;t one skill. It&rsquo;s a sequence of transitions, or phases as Devrim put it.
Early days: you&rsquo;re thinking about payroll and runway, even if you&rsquo;ve raised well. Later: the decisions get bigger, and the cost of being wrong becomes&hellip; louder.
Even going into a new country becomes emotionally different when you&rsquo;re moving at scale. It&rsquo;s not just &ldquo;try it and see&rdquo;; it&rsquo;s &ldquo;try it and see&hellip; with a lot of people watching, a lot of reputation on the line&rdquo;.
<h5 id="ember72">2) The CEO job changes from &ldquo;doing&rdquo; to &ldquo;staying out of it&rdquo;</h5>
This was one of the most honest parts of the conversation.
Devrim talked about shifting into a role where the goal is to bring in brilliant leaders, and then (this is the hard bit) give them licence and get out of their way.
His phrase, effectively: Kick me out. Tell me where I can help, otherwise I&rsquo;m in your way.
That&rsquo;s a muscle.
In the early stage, &ldquo;rolling your sleeves up&rdquo; is the point. At scale, it can become the problem.
You move from execution to coaching; from sprinting to seeing the horizon; from being in the work to building the environment where the work gets done.
That is a huge identity shift for any founder.
<h5 id="ember80">3) Don&rsquo;t fall in love with your strategy</h5>
This is an idea Devrim mentioned years ago, on our first podcast recording, and it still holds.
You need conviction, yes. But you also need enough humility to admit when a strategic assumption no longer holds.
One example he shared was around hardware. Kraken had acquired assets and capabilities that depended heavily on hardware infrastructure. Then, in the push towards independence and scalability, they questioned it.
The outcome was fascinating: instead of relying on their own hardware to understand the grid, they began moving towards an approach that resembles Google Maps: use public infrastructure data plus device-generated data (from hundreds of thousands of distributed devices) to infer congestion, forecast constraints, and optimise around them.
The point isn&rsquo;t the analogy. The point is the willingness to ask:
&ldquo;Are we still solving this the right way?&rdquo;
Most companies don&rsquo;t fail from lack of intelligence. They fail from getting stuck inside a strategy that once worked.
<h5 id="ember88">4) Culture is not a poster. It&rsquo;s a system.</h5>
One line Devrim said deserves to be repeated:
"At any point in a scaling company, more than half the people around you haven&rsquo;t lived the early story."
That&rsquo;s where culture can quietly break.
The solution isn&rsquo;t just &ldquo;hire good people&rdquo;. It&rsquo;s hiring for mission, and then running a rhythm of communication that reinforces what matters.
Kraken&rsquo;s example: a regular &ldquo;family dinner&rdquo; style session where leaders share the good, the bad, and the ugly. Plus open AMAs. Plus offsites. Plus constant repetition of purpose.
Culture doesn&rsquo;t scale by accident. It scales by design.
And it is always under attack by growth.
<h5 id="ember96">5) Timing is everything, and it&rsquo;s rarely tidy</h5>
A lot of scaling stories are told backwards, which makes them sound neat.
Devrim described closing a deal during lockdown, meeting in parks with laptops, runway down to weeks, term sheets half-signed, needing a strategic investor, and then realising the acquisition path simply jumped them forward years.
That&rsquo;s not a polished narrative. That&rsquo;s stress, judgement, and timing colliding.
It reminded me of something I often see with founders: the most important moments don&rsquo;t arrive with a calendar invite. They arrive with uncertainty.
<h5 id="ember101">6) The next wave is obvious&hellip; and still complicated</h5>
We touched on what&rsquo;s coming: V2G, solar and batteries continuing their cost collapse, longer-duration storage, pumped hydro, and of course AI and data centres.
Devrim&rsquo;s take on AI felt measured: real fundamentals, some froth, and a lot of duplication in how grid connection &ldquo;demand&rdquo; gets counted.
But the interesting bit was his view that data centres won&rsquo;t really be flexible in the way people hope, because the capex is so high they&rsquo;ll run like baseload. The flexibility will mostly come from outside the data centre: residential, C&amp;I, and generation-side assets wrapped around the demand.
Again: it&rsquo;s not the prediction that matters; it&rsquo;s the systems thinking.
<h5 id="ember106">The thing I keep coming back to</h5>
Scaling isn&rsquo;t a triumph of technology. It&rsquo;s a triumph of people, timing, and decision-making under uncertainty.
And the longer I work in this world, the more I believe this: You don&rsquo;t scale by finding a single &ldquo;Purple Unicorn&rdquo; leader or talent.
You scale by building a complementary leadership team, with a culture that can survive growth, and a board that offers real insight, not just quarterly nodding. That of course is has been my passion for the last twelve years, supporting cleantech companies to build those cohesive teams and boards, hiring those talents that really move the dial forward, that can navigate all we've spoken about here and more.
That&rsquo;s where our work is at Hyperion.
If you&rsquo;ve scaled a business (or lived inside a scale-up), I&rsquo;d be interested to hear, from your experiences. What was the part nobody warned you about, or that nobody talks about?
And if you&rsquo;d like to listen to the episode with Devrim, it's live on all podcast platforms and on YouTube - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHi5OiqwtQE&amp;t=7s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here</a>. Just search&nbsp;Leaders in Cleantech, and while you're there subscribe and dive into over 150 other cleantech founder/leader stories.
I hope you enjoy the episode!
David Hunt

Scaling Kraken: Talent, Timing, and the Bit Nobody Talks About in Building a Unicorn

Future Mobility News & Views - Q4 2025 & Year-End Round Up

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This morning my inbox served me a dose of terrible-but-well-meaning advice via a Substack I follow. You know the type of advice, every day LinkedIn and Substack and the like are full of it. It&rsquo;s neat, tweetable, and wildly oversimplified. This one went like this:
&ldquo;There comes a moment in every startup where the company feels bigger than the team&hellip; Your ambition is Series B. Your budget is pre-seed. Most founders try to close that gap by competing on salary. The best ones don&rsquo;t. Instead, they reshape the offer.&rdquo;
Come here and build something that wouldn&rsquo;t exist without you. Come here and your work will move the number every week. Come here and grow faster than anywhere else.
&ldquo;This is how you hire 10x operators long before you can match 10x salaries.&rdquo;
It sounds lovely doesn&rsquo;t it, easy, inspiring, even. And if you&rsquo;ve never actually had to hire, or compete for, true high-impact operators in the wild, it might even feels plausible.
But here&rsquo;s the problem.
Every founder says this. Every founder believes it. And every 10x candidate has heard it 200 times.
After more than a decade hiring for VC-backed cleantech startups and scaleups, from Seed through Series D, I can say confidently:
Top talent is not swayed by inspirational slogans or founder pitches, not without more substance. They&rsquo;ve heard them all before. From everyone. Many, many times.
Most founders often genuinely believe that their &ldquo;Come here and build something special&rdquo; pitch is unique. It never is.
If you think this messaging is your secret weapon, here&rsquo;s a useful comparison:
Imagine if fundraising worked like this, how would this pitch work do you think?
Invest here and build something that wouldn&rsquo;t exist without you. Invest here and your money will move the number every week. Invest here and grow faster than anywhere else.
Cool, here, have some money!!! Not likely! As advice goes&hellip; utterly useless.
VCs need diligence, evidence, a thesis, a team, traction, comparables, risk assessment, clarity of strategy, and a believable pathway to scale. Hiring great talent is no different.
The Hard Truth: Hiring 10x Operators Is Not Easy
In cleantech especially, the market is brutally competitive, even in a soft market like now. Good operators are rare. Great operators are unicorns. And everyone wants them.
A strong mission matters. The chance to build something meaningful matters. But these alone do not close the gap between &ldquo;Series B ambition&rdquo; and &ldquo;pre-seed budget.&rdquo;
What does?
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<li id="ember79">A compelling equity story grounded in reality, not wishful thinking.</li>
<li id="ember80">Evidence you can execute.</li>
<li id="ember81">A leadership team that communicates with clarity and humility.</li>
<li id="ember82">A culture that isn&rsquo;t chaos disguised as speed.</li>
<li id="ember83">A role with real scope, not a job held together by hope.</li>
<li id="ember84">A hiring process that reflects the above, and yes, credible compensation.</li>
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The Real Opportunity for Founders
If you&rsquo;re genuinely trying to recruit top-tier talent, here&rsquo;s what works:
1. Be honest about your stage and challenges
A-players can smell spin a mile off. Authenticity builds trust.
2. Show the real &ldquo;why now?&rdquo;
Why this market, this moment, this model? What&rsquo;s the wedge? What&rsquo;s defensible?
3. Make equity meaningful
Not symbolic. Not a rounding error. Genuine shared upside.
4. Demonstrate your learning curve
Great talent joins great learners. Not infallible founders.
5. Move fast, but thoughtfully
The best candidates don&rsquo;t wait. But they also expect professionalism, preparation, and respect. Momentum in a hiring process is critical, as is the process as a whole.
6. Bring in experts when needed
Just as early-stage fundraising needs experienced guidance, so does hiring. (And yes&mdash;an experienced search partner can make the difference between hiring a unicorn and hiring someone who sounds like one.)
Because if hiring 10x talent were as simple as saying &ldquo;build something with us&rdquo;&hellip;
We&rsquo;d have a lot more unicorns.
If it were easy, the executive search industry wouldn&rsquo;t be worth $58 Billion annually*
For useful advice, speak to people who recruit top talent on a daily basis, like Hyperion for example, as so many VCs and Founders already do.
David
* Mordor Intelligence
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Some advice out there really sucks!

As we approach year's end and the holidays season, it's a period of both reflection and planning for everyone.
2025 has been a rather turbulent year for the sector, with sweeping policy reforms, global trade wars, and an investment squeeze. For many, it's been a year of consolidation, or in some cases survival. However, in BESS it has driven an even deeper focus on extracting maximum ROI from every project and a more considered approach throughout the project lifecycle - every decision is now scrutinised with a significant importance placed on clear data. What has encouraged me is the collaboration I'm seeing between developers, asset owners, optimisers and O&amp;M / Asset Managers.
From a talent perspective, it' safe to say we're experiencing a "soft" market at the moment. Here's my advice to business leaders thinking this is an opportunistic time for a quick win hire... be careful!
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<h5 id="ember750">Events</h5>
Recently Hyperion co-hosted the Climate Coffee event - a breakfast networking event at our offices in London. A real success with 60+ people in attendance - we look forward to hosting another in the future!
&nbsp;
<hr>
<h5 id="ember752">Market News</h5>
Global Deployments To Date 39% Up
Cumulative BESS deployments in the first ten months of the year have now reached 156GWh, up 39% year-on-year, according to recent research by Rho Motion mainly dominated by China (no shock there!)
<hr>
Europe Close To Reaching Key Deployment Milestone
Europe is now on the verge of hitting a huge deployment milestone this month - it is expected the region will reach 100GW of cumulative energy storage deployments, according to new analysis from <a tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/lcp-energy/" data-test-app-aware-link="">LCP Delta</a> and <a tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy-storage-europe-association/" data-test-app-aware-link="">Energy Storage Europe Association</a>.
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It's interesting to take a look at the technology breakdown too - over 50% of total deployment is Pumped Hydro with the rest mainly made up of Electrochemical Storage (Batteries, Flow Batteries etc). Interesting, behind-the-meter deployments outweigh front-of-the-meter deployments so far, but from now to 2030 utility-scale BESS is set to soar. The BtM numbers are mainly down to huge residential growth over recent years, but and commercial and industrial (C&amp;I) is gathering pace with installations expected to go beyond 1GW by 2030.
<hr>
Toyota opens US battery plant, confirms $10 billion investment plan
Toyota has confirmed plans to invest $10 billion over five years in U.S. manufacturing with a firm commitment to Battery manufacturing, as it begun production at its $13.9 billion North Carolina battery plant. This site will be able to produce 30 GWh annually at full capacity and house 14 battery production lines for plug-in hybrids and full EVs. It will eventually employ 5,000 workers.
<hr>
UAE's World-Record Solar-Plus-Storage Project
Masdar has broken ground on a monumental solar PV and BESS project in Abu Dhabi, which is claimed to be the largest and most technologically advanced of its kind globally. The $5.9 billion facility combines a massive 5.2 GW solar farm with a 19 GWh BESS and is set to become operational in 2027.
This underlines the commitment of the UAE to the clean energy transition and the scale of some of the Middle Eastern projects is mind blowing!
<hr>
ERCOT BESS Moves
We saw some key BESS project moves in the Texan ERCOT market recently, led by Energy Vault and Jupiter Power. Energy Vault acquired the 150MW/300MWh SOSA Energy Centre BESS for development under its Asset Vault platform, with commercial operation expected in Q1 2027. Separately, Jupiter Power finalised a large-scale, long-term agreement with utility Austin Energy to provide up to 100MW of electricity from a BESS facility.
<hr>
Ireland Opens BESS To Wholesale Market
🇮🇪 Ireland has opened its wholesale electricity market to BESS under a new Scheduling and Dispatch Programme, allowing them to fully participate in trading, charging, and discharging based on real-time market signals.
This major reform, led by EirGrid and SONI, is critical for meeting renewable energy targets, enhancing grid flexibility, and is expected to unlock new revenue streams for battery owners, providing a significant boost to energy storage investment in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
<hr>
French Grid Reform
TURPE 7, 🇫🇷 France's latest grid tariff reform, will introduce dynamic, locational pricing for BESS starting in August 2026. This new "injection-withdrawal" tariff component, approved by the energy regulator CRE, replaces uniform fees with variable rewards linked to grid needs. The goal is to incentivize battery operators to charge and discharge strategically in specific "injection" and "withdrawal" zones to reduce local grid peaks, improving system flexibility and enabling greater renewable energy integration.
A key country to watch for BESS investments and trading and optimisation focus in late 2026 and beyond!
<hr>
🇪🇸 Spain's Significant Investment In Energy Storage
Our last edition featured Spain's commitment to investing in Energy Storage and further details have emerged. The country will allocate nearly &euro;840 million in EU-backed grants to fund 143 selected projects, aiming to add approximately 9 GWh of storage capacity.
The funding, which was increased by 20% due to high demand, supports various technologies including stand-alone batteries, hybrid renewable projects, and thermal storage, with a focus on hybridisation with existing renewables. These combined efforts are critical components of Spain's strategy to meet its target of 22.5 GW of installed energy storage by 2030 and to integrate its rapidly growing renewable energy fleet.
<hr>
A Key Reference Project for Thermal Energy Storage 
Those of you who have followed the newsletter for some time will know of my strong belief in long duration energy storage (LDES) technologies to complement BESS. One such LDES technology stack is Thermal Energy Storage (TES) and it's great to see this flagship project planned.
Rondo Energy will partner with Siemens and Eneco to deploy a 100 MWh TES system, at a Heineken brewery in Seville, Spain, making it the largest project of it's kind in Europe. By replacing the facility's existing gas boilers with a specialised hot air blow and refractory bricks, the TES system is expected to cut the brewery's CO2 emissions by 7,000 tonnes annually, aligning with Heineken's goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.
<hr>
<h5 id="ember778">Recruitment News</h5>
Congratulations... One of the best parts of a career in executive search is seeing the impact that your placements can make. I was delighted to see that&nbsp; Fergal Harrington-Beatty who we recruited for E-magy has recently been promoted to Chief Commercial Officer just 2 years after joining as Senior BD Manager. Congratulations Fergal!
<hr>
It's been a great month of progress on some of our key searches as well as securing several new partnerships with existing and new clients in the space. See below:
Head of Manufacturing (Belgium) - an exciting nex-gen battery innovator in Europe. This role will help drive the company's transition from lab and early manual prototypes to pilot and semi-automated production in coming years.
Business Developer + Technical PM (Germany) - BESS client focused on expanding behind-the-meter storage and energy trading opportunities for C&amp;I customers.

<ul>
<li>The BD will join the existing commercial team and be focused on capturing significant behind-the-meter pipeline opportunities across Germany and wider DACH.</li>
<li>The Technical PM will be focused on overseeing end-to-end delivery of customer projects as well as supporting the commercial function with technical support during customer engagements.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Business Development Lead (Netherlands) + Supply Chain Lead (France) - an exciting long-duration energy storage company, now backed by a strategic industrial investor, and focusing on growth in the maritime, ports and logistics segment.

<ul>
<li>The BD Lead role will focus on developing their commercial footprint in the Netherlands (a key region) secure early pilot and commercial projects with leading tank storage operators in the region.</li>
<li>The SC Lead will be a dual role combining supply chain management and financial coordination. You will be responsible for structuring, optimizing, and managing the company&rsquo;s operational flows &mdash; from procurement to delivery &mdash; while overseeing the relationship with our external accounting and financial partners.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<hr>
<h5 id="ember787">Deals</h5>
Here is a selection of latest deals in the sector!
Statera Energy (UK) - &pound;235 million (Debt) - For its 680MW/1,360MWh Carrington BESS project in Manchester, UK.
European Energy (Latvia) - &euro;37.9 million - for the renewable energy project developer's development of a hybrid solar and energy storage project in Latvia. The solar project is also co-owned by European Energy and Sampension.
FP Investment Partners (Germany) - &euro;500 million battery storage fund - The fund manager has achieved first closing for its European battery storage fund, which will target to raise &euro;500 million to invest in Storage projects across Europe with core target markets of Germany, Scandinavia, Italy and the Netherlands.
Drax Group (UK) - &pound;157.2 million - to acquire 3 BESS projects from Apatura, to complement their already impressive existing Flexible Generation (pumped storage, hydro and gas turbines). The combined FlexGen portfolio will reach 1.8GW of storage and flexible generation across nine UK sites.
Exowatt (USA) - $50 million (Series A extension) - to expand the LDES company's US manufacturing and deployments of their P3 ESS - aimed at meeting the rising power demands of AI data centers and other energy-intensive facilities.
Nanoramic (USA) - $54 million (Series 1 equity) - to further scale the commercialisation of the advanced battery scaleup as they support GWh-scale demand, with commercial shipments scaling up and shifting to global manufacturing sites in 2026.
Enlight Renewable Energy-Clenera (Israel/USA) - $1.44 billion (Debt Financing) - to finance the renewables IPP-developer's Snowflake A project located in Arizona which will combine 600 MW of solar with 1,900 MWh of energy storage.
<hr>
I wanted to end this edition with some of my personal Must Watch / Must Listen Recommendations
1. <a tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/modo-energy/" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Modo Energy</a> Transmission Podcast 
i) <a tabindex="0" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lh03TpFxoC8" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Building Britain's biggest BESS</a> with host <a id="ember799" tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/edcporter/">Ed Porter</a> and guest <a id="ember800" tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-mackay-a822a024/">Lisa Mackay</a> of <a tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/fidra-energy/" data-test-app-aware-link="">Fidra Energy</a>
ii) <a tabindex="0" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH57c6KDljo" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Unlocking investment for flexible assets</a> with host <a id="ember802" tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephmichaelbush/">Joseph Bush</a> and guests <a id="ember803" tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertocastiglioni/">Roberto Castiglioni</a> and <a id="ember804" tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/helena-anderson-a169b47/">Helena Anderson</a>, co-founders of <a tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/ikigai-capital/" data-test-app-aware-link="">Ikigai Capital</a>
2. <a tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/redefining-energy/" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">🎙Redefining Energy</a> Podcast with co-hosts <a tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurent-segalen-2b090a24/" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Laurent Segalen</a> <a tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerard-reid-62164b9/" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Gerard Reid</a>
<a tabindex="0" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/201-battery-boom-or-policy-bust-the-big-ev-divergence-oct25/id1439197083?i=1000733638692" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Battery Boom or Policy Bust? The Big EV Divergence</a> with guest <a tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/iolahughes?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAACUKQRgB4hFeNMGijvdXhXWSk8ERynOHv3A" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Iola Hughes</a> of <a tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/benchmark-mineral-intelligence/" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Benchmark Mineral Intelligence</a> / <a tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/rhomotion/" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Rho Motion</a>
3. Energy Unplugged podcast by <a tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-energy-research-limited/" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Aurora Energy Research</a>
i) <a tabindex="0" href="https://youtu.be/xz9FDN-kvV4?si=UMMKDRnjKCV0_7dv" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Structuring The Future: How FPAs Are Powering Europe's Battery Revolution</a> with <a tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/martindaronnat?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAAA9eUckBtMfd4YfBjhIofoj7iPsfNhfglZ8" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Martin Daronnat</a> of <a tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/engie/" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">ENGIE</a>, hosted by <a tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ACoAABPb7soBcf703_uWmlfL2zmS4sV5dudUlXI?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAABPb7soBcf703_uWmlfL2zmS4sV5dudUlXI" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Dr. Casimir Lorenz</a>
ii) <a tabindex="0" href="https://youtu.be/_f4IZ3hKUrU?si=XcDPtn-01aUn42hV" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Powering The Grid: The Growing Role of Large-Scale Battery Storage</a> with <a tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomrpalmer?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAAAPbmK4BbHbaiD4X9yLAiRwRpiN1ea32Ms0" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Tom Palmer</a> of <a tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/zenobe-energy-ltd/" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Zenobē</a> Network Infrastructure, hosted by <a tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/malavikagode?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAAB9KfDQBj7JQLIfzTx-fxJLlghEw2-85p_I" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Malavika Gode</a>
<hr>
If you enjoyed this edition of the Energy Storage News and Views, please share with your network and don't forget to Subscribe on LinkedIn if you haven't already. There will be a new edition coming soon!
See you next time!
David

November's Energy Storage News & Views

In the world of cleantech scale-ups and scale-ups, few things are more misunderstood, misused or more critical, than board composition.
A well-structured board isn&rsquo;t just a governance checkbox, not at start-up or scale-up stage. It&rsquo;s a strategic asset. The right Chair or Non-Executive Director (NED) brings pattern recognition, investor credibility, and the kind of domain expertise that helps founders navigate scale, fundraising, and risk. The wrong board composition, or no board at all, can quietly stall a company&rsquo;s trajectory, or worse, be a big factor in its demise.
Earlier this year, we partnered with a client to dig deep into this topic. As part of a broader engagement, we produced a detailed benchmarking report on NED and Chair compensation across European cleantech startups, from Seed to Series C. We&rsquo;ve now released a shorter, public summary of that work, and I wanted to share this with you, with a few highlights and reflections.
<h5 id="ember178">There&rsquo;s No &ldquo;Standard&rdquo; Package. And That&rsquo;s the Point</h5>
One of the clearest takeaways: there is no one-size-fits-all model. We saw Chairs working pro bono for equity, and others earning &euro;60&ndash;70k retainers with up to 2&ndash;3% equity. NEDs ranged from equity-only roles to &euro;50k cash plus matched equity. These aren&rsquo;t outliers, they&rsquo;re reflections of different motivations, stages, and negotiation dynamics.
VCs often keep cash low to test alignment. Equity is the primary lever: typically 0.5 -1% for NEDs, 1 - 2% for Chairs, rising to 3% in exceptional cases. UK companies tend to offer higher cash than their continental peers. And committee roles or consulting add-ons can push compensation higher, especially during fundraising or strategic shifts.
<h5 id="ember181">Three Archetypes Emerged</h5>
<div>
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<div class="ivm-image-view-model reader-image-block__img-container">
<div class="ivm-view-attr__img-wrapper
 
 "><img id="ember182" class="ivm-view-attr__img--centered reader-image-block__img evi-image lazy-image ember-view" src="https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/v2/D4E12AQHIejTXNqTzHA/article-inline_image-shrink_1500_2232/B4EZqSf22OKYAU-/0/1763394416524?e=1764806400&amp;v=beta&amp;t=f_alxvoI8rC4LPinUEXg2Fd7J_WG7GTzdWtmm7OOfIA" alt="Article content" loading="lazy"></div>
</div>
<figcaption></figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
We identified three broad NED profiles:

<ul>
<li>The Builder &ndash; Gaining board experience; lower pay, modest equity.</li>
<li>The Professional &ndash; Portfolio board career; seeks clear value in both cash and equity.</li>
<li>The Mentor &ndash; Purpose-driven; often working pro bono or close to it.</li>
</ul>
Each brings different strengths, and different expectations. Understanding which profile you&rsquo;re hiring (or embodying) is key to structuring a fair and effective engagement.
<h5 id="ember186">Why This Matters</h5>
If you&rsquo;re building a board: this report can help you benchmark intelligently, not blindly. It&rsquo;s a directional snapshot, not a blueprint, but it&rsquo;s grounded in real conversations with Chairs, NEDs, and VCs across the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands.
If you&rsquo;re pursuing a portfolio career: it offers clarity on what&rsquo;s typical, what&rsquo;s negotiable, and where your value might sit.
And if you&rsquo;re an investor or founder thinking about board refreshment, succession, or structure: hopefully this is exactly the kind of insight that can help you build with intent, not inertia.
<h5 id="ember190">Our Role at Hyperion</h5>
At Hyperion, we work exclusively in climate and cleantech. We&rsquo;ve placed many Chairs and NEDs and hired across 19 countries, and we&rsquo;re trusted by founders, investors, and boards to bring clarity and confidence to these decisions. We're advisors, not just recruiters.
Whether it&rsquo;s compensation benchmarking, board search, structuring advisory support, or hiring at senior and executive level, we&rsquo;re here to help build boards and businesses that scale with purpose.
If you&rsquo;d like a copy of the summary report, a link is below, if you want a pdf version drop me a line, or if you want to talk about your own board plans, let's have a call. I'm always happy to share what we&rsquo;re seeing in the market.
<a tabindex="0" href="https://interactive.hcgroup.global/hyperion-ned-comp-report-general" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">https://interactive.hcgroup.global/hyperion-ned-comp-report-general</a>
Whatever else you do, don't underestimate the value, or cost, of your Board composition.
David Hunt

Building Boards That Scale With Purpose: What We Learned About NED Compensation in Cleantech

I don't often write about Hyperion, or specifically my day job, but every so often, a message lands that cuts through the noise and gets to the essence of what executive search really is. Not the admin. Not the CVs. Not handling the logistics of interviews. Any fool or AI can send CVs.
Recently, we placed a Non-Executive Director: a respected founder who&rsquo;s built and exited his own company. After the process wrapped, he said something that stuck with me:
<h6 id="ember171">&ldquo;Honestly, if it hadn&rsquo;t been you reaching out, with your reputation in the market, I probably wouldn&rsquo;t have responded or gone through the process. There are a lot of quite general requests for paid advisory, NED or consultancy roles I receive, but I paid attention because it was you.&rdquo;</h6>
That line, &ldquo;because it was you&rdquo;, it isn&rsquo;t about ego, I'm too long in the tooth to need an ego trip. It&rsquo;s about credibility. It&rsquo;s about trust. And it&rsquo;s the essence of what you&rsquo;re paying for when you engage a proper executive search firm.
<h5 id="ember173">What You&rsquo;re Really Buying</h5>
At senior levels, it&rsquo;s not just about who you can find. It&rsquo;s about who will take your call.
That&rsquo;s the difference between transactional recruiting and true executive search. Contingent recruiters can fill inboxes with CVs. But when it comes to high-stakes leadership roles, founders, investors, CHROs, CEOs, need far more than CV's or list of potential candidates. What's critical is access, a strong network and reputation, alongside judgement. You need someone who knows which conversations to start, and how to approach them, and how to assess suitability, cultural and motivational alignment.
When you engage a credible search firm, like Hyperion, or others who&rsquo;ve earned their stripes, you&rsquo;re not just buying a shortlist. You&rsquo;re buying:

<ul>
<li>The reach and network built over years in a specific sector</li>
<li>Relationships forged across countries, companies, and communities</li>
<li>Thousands of conversations, meetings, and shared experiences</li>
<li>A reputation that opens doors and earns attention</li>
</ul>
That&rsquo;s why people respond. That&rsquo;s why they listen. That&rsquo;s why they say "yes, tell me more."
<h5 id="ember179">The Bridge Between Opportunity and Trust</h5>
Executive search, when done well, isn&rsquo;t a transaction. It&rsquo;s a bridge. Between opportunity and trust. Between ambition and alignment. Between the right role and the right person.
It&rsquo;s value creation; for all parties.
That's what you're paying for, not time worked, or CV's sent, but access to talent others can't reach. Because what you&rsquo;re really buying is our discernment and credibility to start the right conversation, with the right person, at the right time.
That&rsquo;s what makes the difference, and that's where the value lies.
What do you think? Everyone has bad experiences with recruiters, even executive search firms maybe, but what are the best outcomes and experiences you've had?
David Hunt

“Because It Was You”: The Real Value of Executive Search

I've recorded over 155 Leaders in Cleantech episodes, and only had a small number that I didn't really rate or enjoy, but every so often, a conversation really sticks with you. My recent chat with Gregory Dewerpe, Founder of NOA Capital (formerly A/O), was one of those.
Greg doesn&rsquo;t do safe answers. He&rsquo;s thoughtful, sharp, and refreshingly blunt about what he thinks is working, and what isn&rsquo;t, in European climate investing in particular.
And one comment in particular hit home:
<h5 id="ember171">&ldquo;In Europe, we have companies that can tap into so much non-dilutive funding or government money that they just keep going for years. We&rsquo;re enabling them to stay idle forever.&rdquo;</h5>
That one sentence could probably start a fight in most policy circles. But I don't think he's wrong. I'd love to know if you agree, or otherwise! 
<h5 id="ember173">The European Safety Net That&rsquo;s Holding Us Back</h5>
Greg suggests that across the continent, too many startups are living on life support - surviving on soft loans, grants, or state-linked LP money, rather than market validation.
It comes from a good place. Governments want to support innovation, protect jobs, and accelerate the energy transition. But the result is often the opposite: we slow down innovation by keeping weak companies alive and tying up talent and capital that could be driving the next generation forward.
I&rsquo;ve seen it first-hand. In my search work, I meet brilliant engineers, operators, and commercial leaders who are quietly frustrated. They&rsquo;re stuck in organisations that won&rsquo;t die, but also won&rsquo;t grow.
And when companies don&rsquo;t fail, talent doesn&rsquo;t recycle. Lessons don&rsquo;t get reused. Innovation doesn&rsquo;t compound..
It&rsquo;s a quiet drag on our whole ecosystem. 
<h5 id="ember179">Failure, Fear, and the Cultural Gap</h5>
Greg put it perfectly: &ldquo;We should stop comparing ourselves with the US. We&rsquo;ll never be them - and that&rsquo;s okay.&rdquo;
He&rsquo;s right. We don&rsquo;t need to be the US. But we do need to be more comfortable with failure.
In Europe, a failed business is still a scarlet letter. In the US, it&rsquo;s often a badge of honour. I&rsquo;ve lived through this myself, having built, grown, and ultimately crashed a solar company years ago. It was painful, yes, but it also taught me more than any MBA could have.
That kind of learning, and the chance to apply it again, is what keeps ecosystems alive. We just make it too hard for people to bounce back. 
<h5 id="ember184">The Talent Bottleneck</h5>
The slow failure cycles in Europe don&rsquo;t just stifle capital; they stifle careers. If a company is propped up for years, it holds on to great people who could be building elsewhere.
That&rsquo;s something I see often in cleantech, talented teams constrained by legacy, debt, or dependency on public funding, and chasing grants. As Greg said, &ldquo;There&rsquo;s nothing worse for an entrepreneur than being stuck in the wrong business forever.&rdquo;
He&rsquo;s right again. We need faster recycling &mdash; of people, ideas, and capital &mdash; if we&rsquo;re serious about competing globally. 
<h5 id="ember188">Smarter, Not Just Greener</h5>
What I love about NOA&rsquo;s approach is that it echoes my own thoughts (is that confirmation bias?), and is rooted in realism. Greg&rsquo;s mantra is simple:
<h5 id="ember190">&ldquo;The built world doesn&rsquo;t need to be greener; it needs to be smarter. Make it smarter, and it will be greener.&rdquo;</h5>
That&rsquo;s exactly where the climate conversation needs to go, from idealism to execution, from slogans to systems that work.
And that&rsquo;s also where AI comes in. Greg&rsquo;s view is that &ldquo;AI has never been more physical&rdquo;, that it&rsquo;s the physical world (grids, buildings, infrastructure) where AI can actually do something useful. Not in yet another consumer app, but in improving how energy and resources flow through the real world. How much energy and talent is wasted generating AI slop that does nothing positive for humanity, and often harms it! 
<h5 id="ember193">Economics, Not Altruism</h5>
As Greg said towards the end of our conversation:
<h5 id="ember195">&ldquo;We shouldn&rsquo;t build climate on altruism. Adoption happens when solutions are cheaper and more efficient.&rdquo;</h5>
Climate tech wins when it makes economic sense, when the best choice for business is also the best choice for the planet. It's about building better tech that's cheaper to own and run, like an electric vehicle. Populist leaders can advocate for coal and oil as much as they want, but businesses and consumers will buy what's better and cheaper
That&rsquo;s the reality founders, investors, and policymakers need to accept. Because the future won&rsquo;t be built on good intentions. It&rsquo;ll be built on great companies that earn their survival. And for that they need great people of course.
And to get there, we&rsquo;ll need to let a few fail first.
🎧 Listen to the full conversation: 👉 <a class="customLink" href="https://leadersincleantech.com/gregory-dewerpe-noa-capital" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Leaders in Cleantech &ndash; Gregory Dewerpe, NOA Capital&nbsp;</a>On all podcast platforms and YouTube.

Europe’s Cleantech on Life Support? It’s Time to Let Some Companies Fail

<div>
<div>
This is my most enjoyable part of a search process. I know if we get this right, the rest of the search process is so much easier, faster, and we&rsquo;ll nail the search. If you are investing money in a search process for a critical business hire, it&rsquo;s also essential that you invest the appropriate time with your search partner at the start of the process, as we call it, the Kick-Off meeting, to ensure the best chance of success.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
The kick-off meeting, or assignment briefing meeting, is essential to an effective search process. It covers a lot of ground, but good candidates, the passive ones not searching for a job, ask these questions. Us knowing the answers reflects well on us both, and makes for a positive impression and momentum. This meeting covers:&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
<ul role="list">
<li role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">
The background and culture of the business&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<ul role="list">
<li role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">
The background on why the role is open&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<ul role="list">
<li role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">
A thorough understanding of the role &ndash; alignment on the job description&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<ul role="list">
<li role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1">
What impact will this role have on the business. What is the opportunity for the candidate?&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<ul role="list">
<li role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1">
A thorough understanding of the person profile required for the role&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<ul role="list">
<li role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="6" data-aria-level="1">
Full details of the remuneration package&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<ul role="list">
<li role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="7" data-aria-level="1">
Agreement on the search process: timescales, how the client likes to be updated on progress, interview process, decision making process, key stakeholders involved, any confidentiality considerations.&nbsp;&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
There&rsquo;s a lot of information to cover, especially if this is the first time working together. This is an opportunity for your search partner to really get under the skin of the business. For us this is typically a 90 minute meeting or call. It&rsquo;s the best investment you&rsquo;ll make.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
<h5>Don&rsquo;t gloss over the details.&nbsp;</h5>
</div>
<div>
This is a chance to be very specific about topics like culture, mindset, values, expectations, tasks, team and compensation. Also defining the interview and decision-making process, who is involved, at what stage and when. The importance of this is a whole article in itself. On the kick-off meeting you can make sure there&rsquo;s full alignment and no grey areas when it comes to expectations and what it is exactly that you are looking for and why. No one wants surprises at the end of a process.&nbsp;
</div>
</div>
<div>
Your chosen search partner is representing your business in the market. Choose your partner wisely, you need to ensure that they are able to talk knowledgably and confidently about your business and the markets you&rsquo;re in. The majority of the time they will be approaching passive candidates, those not actively looking to change roles. You need to be sure that they are best equipped to &lsquo;sell&rsquo; the opportunity of joining your business. First impressions count a lot when it comes to attracting great talent, and you often only get one shot to convince a candidate that your opportunity is worth exploring.&nbsp; &nbsp;
</div>
<div>
The investment of time at the start of the search can save weeks during the process. It ensures your search partner is searching in the right places, speaking with the right people, conveying the right messages, qualifying against the right criteria, and creating a smooth process with no surprises. Because as previously said in business and in hiring, no one likes surprises.&nbsp;
</div>

The Most Important Part of a Search Process - The Kick-Off Meeting

Q3 2025 saw notable shifts in renewables across Europe and America. In Europe, expansion slowed for the first time in over a decade, largely due to reduced subsidies, placing 2030 targets at risk and exposing grid infrastructure bottlenecks. Despite this, investment rebounded, with major capital flowing into offshore wind and grid upgrades. In America, passage of the OBBBA eliminated federal support, driving industry consolidation and shifting attention to speed and scale in project delivery using storage and AI.
<h5>European Market Trends</h5>
Solar growth is facing setbacks amid policy shifts
Policy changes are slowing solar deployment across Europe. Cuts to subsidies in Germany, France, and the Netherlands have reduced projected installations. Despite solar briefly surpassing nuclear and fossil fuels in June, Europe is on track for 723GW of capacity by 2030 - below the EU&rsquo;s 750GW target.
Grid infrastructure struggles to keep up with renewable energy growth
Wind and solar expansion continues to outpace grid development, creating saturation, negative prices, and reliability issues. Portugal faced major blackouts in Q2, prompting a &euro;400m investment in grid upgrades and large-scale BESS. The European Commission has released new guidance on planning, connection charges, and tariffs to accelerate renewable integration.
Surge in renewable energy investments
Investment momentum remains strong, with capital shifting back to Europe after US market changes. Offshore wind in the North Sea is attracting significant attention, while Iberdrola&rsquo;s &euro;100bn commitment through 2031 highlights confidence in regional growth.
Decline in residential installations
Residential rooftop solar is weakening due to subsidy cuts and lower electricity prices in Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Italy, and the Netherlands. Utility-scale and C&amp;I solar remain resilient, even as negative pricing pressures persist.
<h5>European Talent Trends</h5>
<ul>
<li>Technical, Operational and Strategy: Rapid expansion to meet 2030 climate goals has created significant technical, operational and strategic talent needs. There is intense competition and skill shortages, fuelling focus on retention and new talent attraction, often looking at tech and construction sectors.</li>
<li>Grid experts: Many developers/IPPs are looking for key grid experts with a mixture of engineering and commercial acumen, to help reduce project bottlenecks.</li>
<li>UK growth: Recent reforms to the electricity grid which have created a favourable environment for new renewable projects is expected to create future demand for jobs.</li>
<li>Key Project Leadership: Crucial for businesses to scale infrastructure, ensure timely project deliveries and navigate new regulations.</li>
<li>Digitalisation &amp; AI: Increasingly complex energy systems are creating the need for smart grid analysts, energy data scientists and AI-driven technology developers.</li>
</ul>
<h5>USA Market Trends</h5>
Policy shifts prompt industry consolidation
The July passage of Trump&rsquo;s One Big Beautiful Bill Act eliminated key tax credits and $13B in federal renewable funding. This has driven M&amp;A activity, with PE-backed firms and utilities acquiring projects and smaller companies. In August, CBRE Investment Management acquired ClearGen.
Investment in manufacturing continues to increase
Despite policy uncertainty, Q3 investment in clean energy manufacturing remains strong, supported by the IRA. Solar and battery OEM capacity continues to expand, though full vertical integration is constrained by reliance on imported components under new FEOC rules.
Renewable energy capacity growth slows
US renewable capacity is still growing but at a slower pace due to policy, permitting, and tariff challenges. Offshore wind faces setbacks, including a pause on &Oslash;rsted&rsquo;s Revolution Wind project, while states like Texas, Arizona, Ohio, and Indiana see strong solar growth.
Data centre energy capacity demands
AI is driving energy demand, with data centres expected to add 100&ndash;200 TWh annually by 2030. Renewables and LNG will be critical. Google announced a $25B expansion of AI/data centre infrastructure across PJM in July.
<h5>USA Talent Trends</h5>
<ul>
<li>Executional Leadership: Need for those who can drive projects NTP and COD quickly, with airtight processes and operational discipline.</li>
<li>AI &amp; Data Centre Demand: Creating opportunities for leaders who can navigate direct partnerships with data centre buyers and align utility-scale development with AI-driven demand.</li>
<li>Community &amp; Political Engagement:&nbsp;Developers increasingly require talent that can manage opposition to operate alongside technical delivery.</li>
<li>Capital &amp; M&amp;A: Consolidation is accelerating the need for professionals skilled in structuring deals, managing portfolios, and attracting long-term capital.</li>
<li>Policy Adaptation &amp; Strategy: Leaders who can pivot quickly in response to shifting ITC/PTC timelines, FEOC guidance, and regulatory uncertainty are now essential.</li>
</ul>
You can read, download and share our full Q3 Market and Talent Review here: <a style="color: #e67e23;" href="https://hyperionsearch.com/market-reviews/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hyperion Market Reviews</a>
&nbsp;

Valuable Insights from the Renewables Team: Q3 Market & Talent Review

It might surprise some, but after more than 25 years in executive search, I still regularly hear examples of where even seasoned and accomplished candidates and leaders who interview very badly. Not from the candidates we&rsquo;ve represented and worked closely with of course, but clients continue to tell us stories of such behaviours and mistakes that instantly raise concern, even in otherwise impressive people. My primary advice is if you accept an interview, treat it like an interview. Unless it is very explicitly an exploratory conversation, that said, I&rsquo;d still take heed of these mistakes and avoid them. Never lose the opportunity to make a good impression or avoid making a bad one.
A recent Harvard Business Review article by Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams, &ldquo;6 Red Flags That Keep Good Candidates from Getting Hired&rdquo; captured this perfectly. Their research with hundreds of senior executives highlighted six recurring red flags that derail good candidates at the in-person stage of hiring. They echo many stories I&rsquo;ve seen and heard.
If you are actively, or passively considering a career move or preparing for interviews, don&rsquo;t let complacency, arrogance or busyness allow you to fall into one of these behaviours:
<h5>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Poor self-awareness</h5>
Senior candidates are expected to know themselves well, strengths, gaps, leadership style, and how they show up under pressure. Yet it&rsquo;s remarkable how often people struggle to clearly articulate their own impact, or indeed have any 'self-awareness' at all. To not know yourself, the good and the less good, it's a poor leadership trait.
Overly rehearsed answers or name-dropping can be as damaging as vagueness. The most impressive candidates combine confidence with humility, owning both their achievements and their lessons learned. Owning your own mistakes. Everyone at a leadership level has made mistakes, if you haven&rsquo;t, you&rsquo;re either lying, or deeply lacking self-awareness.
<h5>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Lack of preparation</h5>
It should go without saying, but even for initial or introductory conversations, some basic preparation should have been done. Understanding the company, what it does and what problem it solves, its culture, challenges, and leadership dynamics is essential.
At a senior level, and for full interviews, this goes far beyond checking a website. It means understanding the market context, knowing the investors or board, and being ready to ask smart, informed questions. To not know the basics is a lack of respect and a poor show of character.
<h5>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Poor manners or lack of professionalism</h5>
Even small lapses can create a lasting impression: turning up late without apology, interrupting, dressing inappropriately, or treating &ldquo;informal&rdquo; interviews too casually. One of the mistakes that makes me cringe most, and says most about the individual, is candidates being rude, arrogant and offish with company employees, at security and reception in particular. I know many companies that check with all of those that have interactions with the candidate face to face on calls.
Professional courtesy matters, and so does presence. Listening well, showing composure, and treating every interaction as meaningful speaks volumes about how you&rsquo;ll represent the business once in role, and about you as a person.
<h5>4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Excessive self-interest</h5>
Ambition is healthy; entitlement is not. Asking about compensation, flexibility, or benefits too early, or framing questions only around personal gain, can raise red flags. We filter those who&rsquo;s only criteria in a move, or interest in a role is purely financial. It&rsquo;s important of course, from my experience on great candidates I&rsquo;ve placed and worked with money is top three, but never the top motivator for a move.
Top-tier leaders balance self-awareness of their priorities with curiosity about how they can add value. Talk first about contribution, the value they can bring, the rest will follow naturally.&nbsp; Any role presented via a search or recruitment firm should have been qualified that you are at least in the right ballpark with financial expectations and aspirations.
<h5>5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Problematic relationships with past or present employers</h5>
Speaking negatively about a current or former employer never lands well. It signals potential attitude issues, arrogance and a lack of self-awareness, regardless of how justified your frustrations may feel.
Be honest about challenging experiences, but frame them around what you learned, not who you blame. A mature perspective shows professionalism, resilience, and emotional intelligence. Sometimes things don&rsquo;t work, personalities clash, mistakes are made, the wrong jobs taken. Be honest.
<h5>6.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Job-hopping without context</h5>
In today&rsquo;s market, frequent moves aren&rsquo;t always a problem, but they do need a clear narrative. Hiring leaders want to understand your decisions and progression. Again, it&rsquo;s rare to get to a senior level in your career without at least one mistake in the journey. Why did you make the move and what did you learn from the error?
If your career has spanned different industries, roles, or company sizes, connect the dots. Explain the logic behind each move and what you bring as a result. A coherent story builds confidence in your judgment.
<h5>Final thought</h5>
Interviews at a senior level aren&rsquo;t about proving you&rsquo;re qualified, that&rsquo;s already largely assumed. Of course experience and knowledge need to be validated and demonstrated, but interviews are also very much about alignment, culture fit, authenticity, and clarity.
Regardless of how formal the interview or meeting is, in my experience, the individuals and candidates who stand out are those who demonstrate three simple qualities:
Clarity about their strengths, weaknesses and goals,
Courtesy in how they engage with others,
Coherence in how they tell their story.
The fundamentals of great interviewing haven&rsquo;t changed, but at senior and executive level the stakes are higher. Small signals carry big weight, and impressions have a life beyond this interaction.
Before your next interview, take the time to reflect, prepare, and show up as the best version of yourself. Because even after 25 years in this industry, I still see these same six red flags, and others, still cost great people great opportunities.
The obvious start point to consider, when someone shows up for an interview or meeting with you, what do you expect from them. Simples!!
David Hunt
&nbsp;

Six Interview Red Flags Senior Candidates Still Miss

Q3 2025 marked sustained yet complex growth in the Energy Storage and Grid sector. Record BESS deployments, particularly in the U.S, were offset by policy uncertainty, trade tensions and challenging investment conditions for technology providers from outside of Asia. Nonetheless, there is excitement around the huge demand opportunity that datacentres and AI will bring for Energy Storage and the continued emergence of longer duration storage technologies.
<h5>Market Trends</h5>
<ul>
<li>Grid-scale storage in Europe expanded rapidly, especially in Italy, Germany, and the UK, driven by high renewable penetration and&nbsp;growing flexibility needs. This is dominated by grid-scale projects but the investment cases are growing for C&amp;I as behind-themeter&nbsp;revenue opportunities increase across Europe.</li>
<li>Long-duration energy storage (LDES) technologies gained traction, with Italy&rsquo;s 10 GWh MACSE auction, 77 UK projects progressing under the cap-and-floor mechanism, and Google partnering with Energy Dome to decarbonise operations.</li>
<li>Energy security and supply chain resilience remain key priorities. Governments are pushing for local manufacturing to reduce&nbsp;reliance on Chinese imports, though competitiveness and financing challenges persist. &bull; Grid constraints continue across several markets. The UK&rsquo;s NESO reforms aim to ease connection bottlenecks, and following Iberian blackouts, Spain increased its grid investment cap by 62% and Portugal committed &euro;400M investment, and German policy changes could remove fee exemptions for storage between 2026-2029, threatening project viability.</li>
<li>In the U.S., record BESS deployments in California, Texas, and Arizona contrasted with new policy uncertainty stemming from the &ldquo;One Big Beautiful Bill Act&rdquo; (OBBBA) and &ldquo;Foreign Entity of Concern&rdquo; (FEOC) regulations.</li>
<li>The AI revolution energy demand is accelerating large-scale BESS adoption for utilities and IPPs, as datacentres require faster, more flexible clean power solutions.</li>
<li>AI-driven forecasting, optimisation, and trading tools are becoming essential for maximising storage asset performance and returns.</li>
</ul>
<h5>Talent Trends</h5>
In Q3, hiring shifted toward project execution, new-market expansion and supply chain resilience. Demand increased for:
<ul>
<li>Project Engineers and Managers &ndash; delivering large-scale deployments.</li>
<li>Territory Expansion Leaders &ndash; establishing new country or regional operations.</li>
<li>Grid Managers &ndash; navigating evolving regulatory and connection landscapes.</li>
<li>Asset Optimisation Specialists &ndash; maximising returns from complex BESS portfolios.</li>
<li>Supply Chain Leaders &ndash; securing and stabilising battery and component supply.</li>
</ul>
<h5>Key Deals</h5>
<ul>
<li>Fidra Energy reached financial close on the UK&rsquo;s largest BESS project (Thorpe Marsh) totalling over L1Bn in equity and debt financing.</li>
<li>The EU Commission pledged &euro;852M in battery manufacturing grants.</li>
<li>The UK&rsquo;s National Wealth Fund, Equitix, and Aware Super (two private investment firms) invested L500M in Eelpower&rsquo;s grid scale projects.</li>
<li>Sympower and Suena raised &euro;27M combined to accelerate the rollout of their BESS optimisation and flexibility software.</li>
<li>FlexGen acquired Powin&rsquo;s IP and key assets following bankruptcy.</li>
<li>Lyten acquired all remaining assets of Northvolt, including gigafactories and IP valued at approximately $5 billion.</li>
</ul>
You can read, download and share our&nbsp; full Q3 Cleantech Market &amp; Talent Review here: <a style="color: #e67e23;" href="https://hyperionsearch.com/market-reviews/">Hyperion Market Reviews</a>

Q3 Market & Talent Review: Spotlight on Energy Storage & Grid

Through our&nbsp;Leaders in Cleantech&nbsp;podcast, I&rsquo;ve been lucky enough to speak with over 155 founders and leaders at the sharp end of the energy transition. And while the tech is often fascinating, it&rsquo;s the human side of building cleantech businesses that consistently stands out.
Two recent guests -&nbsp;Joachim Lohse, CEO of Ampcontrol, and&nbsp;Emmanuel Masini, CEO of Mantle8, offered very different perspectives. One&rsquo;s scaling a software platform enabling fleet electrification. The other is exploring the next frontier of energy -natural hydrogen. But both are wrestling with the same core challenge: how to build high-performing, resilient companies in a fast-moving, high-stakes sector.
And let&rsquo;s face it, that&rsquo;s no small task.
<h4>The Myth of the Overnight Success</h4>
Joachim&rsquo;s story begins not in a venture studio or accelerator, but in quiet consulting offices - blogging on LinkedIn about grid innovation before it was fashionable. That curiosity eventually led to the founding of Ampcontrol, now helping major fleet operators and depots across the globe solve for grid constraints, uptime, and optimisation.
It wasn&rsquo;t glamour - it was grit. &ldquo;The difficult moments always feel bigger than the wins,&rdquo; he told me. &ldquo;But if you get the right people around you, it gets lighter.&rdquo;
Emmanuel, meanwhile, is building something far more speculative. Mantle8 is one of a small but growing number of companies pioneering&nbsp;natural hydrogen -&nbsp;an energy source that&rsquo;s geologic, renewable, and not yet widely commercialised. It's risky. It&rsquo;s bold. And as he acknowledged, it&rsquo;s deeply personal. &ldquo;When you choose to work on something this early-stage, you're not just building a company,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You're trying to convince the world it's possible.&rdquo;
<h4>Culture Is a Leadership Discipline</h4>
A recurring theme in both conversations was culture - not as a &lsquo;nice to have&rsquo;, but as&nbsp;infrastructure.
Joachim described the evolution of Ampcontrol from sleepless nights (&ldquo;hoping the system didn&rsquo;t break&rdquo;) to a company with 24/7 uptime and clients depending on their tech to keep cities moving. But that transition wasn&rsquo;t automatic - it took real investment in hiring, leadership, and systems. He&rsquo;s built an international, remote-first team of nearly 30, with off-sites and in-person collaboration to keep the bonds strong. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s like a marriage,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The more challenges you overcome together, the stronger the team becomes.&rdquo;
At Hyperion, we&rsquo;ve seen this time and again. Culture doesn&rsquo;t scale by accident. It either scales intentionally or it starts to fracture. And when you&rsquo;re working in critical infrastructure - from software that powers EV fleets to emerging tech like hydrogen exploration - that culture has to hold under pressure.
<h4>Navigating Complexity (Without Losing Your Mind)</h4>
There&rsquo;s a psychological toll to building in this space that often gets overlooked. You&rsquo;re innovating under regulatory uncertainty, long development timelines, and existential climate pressure. And when things go wrong - as they inevitably do - it&rsquo;s often the founder who takes the hit. That&rsquo;s why it was so refreshing to hear both Joachim and Emmanuel speak honestly about the weight of leadership, and the importance of resilience, patience, and aligned teams.
Joachim summed it up well: &ldquo;As the company grows, you have more support - but the decisions also get heavier. You can't pivot every two weeks anymore. You have to plan, and bring people with you.&rdquo;
It reminded me too of my earlier conversation with Joe McDonald&nbsp;of&nbsp;tem Energy, who talked about building teams with intention from day one - including making their first hire a Head of People. In each case, it&rsquo;s clear: great tech doesn&rsquo;t scale without great leadership.
<h4>3 Takeaways for Cleantech Founders and Operators</h4>
🔍&nbsp;Stay curious, stay close to the problem Every one of these founders started by obsessing over a problem, not a product.
🧭&nbsp;Culture is strategy Hire intentionally. Communicate often. Build systems that reflect your values.
⚙️&nbsp;Embrace complexity - but don&rsquo;t romanticise it This sector is hard. That&rsquo;s why mindset, team, and resilience matter just as much as technology.
If you&rsquo;re building, investing in, or scaling a cleantech company - and you&rsquo;re feeling the pressure - you&rsquo;re not alone. These conversations are a reminder that everyone is navigating complexity, uncertainty, and imperfect conditions.
But the upside? This is where the impact lies.
🎧&nbsp;Listen to the full episodes here:
<ul type="disc">
<li>Joachim Lohse &ndash; Ampcontrol: <a href="https://leadersincleantech.com/joachim-lohse-ampcontrol">https://leadersincleantech.com/joachim-lohse-ampcontrol</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Emmanuel Masini &ndash; Mantle8: <a href="https://leadersincleantech.com/emmanuel-manu-masini-mantle8">https://leadersincleantech.com/emmanuel-manu-masini-mantle8</a></li>
<li>Joe McDonald &ndash; tem Energy: <a href="https://leadersincleantech.com/joe-mcdonald-tem">https://leadersincleantech.com/joe-mcdonald-tem</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
When it comes to hiring strategically important talent, and building a team culture fit for scaling, we&rsquo;ve been supporting investor backed start-ups do this for over a decade to do just that. From Board and C-Suite, to senior Leadership, to critically important individual contributors there isn&rsquo;t much we haven&rsquo;t seen or hired. In 19 countries and counting. If you&rsquo;re scaling your team, we&rsquo;re here to help.
David Hunt

Start-ups, Scaling, and Staying Sane: Lessons from Cleantech Founders in the Trenches

We&rsquo;re proud to share that our Director of Future Mobility,&nbsp;<a href="https://hyperionsearch.com/meet-the-team/stephen-robinson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen Robinson</a>, recently joined Liz Allan on the Electric Evolution podcast for a wide-ranging and energising conversation about the future of transport, the evolving EV ecosystem, and the changing face of talent in the mobility sector.
🎧 Listen to the episode <a href="https://fullcircleci.co.uk/episode-158-liz-allan-and-steve-robinson-driving-talent-for-net-zero-recruitments-role-in-the-ev-transition/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>
<h4>More Than Just Cars and Charging Points</h4>
Stephen and Liz cover a lot of ground in this episode - but the throughline is clear: electrification isn&rsquo;t just a technology shift, it&rsquo;s a people and mindset shift too.
From OEMs and gigafactories to AI, automation, and agile scaling, Stephen shares his insights on how the world of future mobility is evolving - and what this means for the businesses trying to keep pace.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re no longer just talking about car companies. We&rsquo;re talking about battery ecosystems, software stacks, autonomous tech, charging networks&mdash;and the talent challenges that sit across all of them.&rdquo;
<h4>Key Themes from the Episode</h4>
&nbsp;🔋&nbsp;The human side of the EV transition Why the real bottleneck isn&rsquo;t hardware - it&rsquo;s hiring, culture, and leadership at scale.
🧠&nbsp;AI, automation, and adaptation What emerging technologies mean for jobs, and how to futureproof your team.
🚀&nbsp;Startups, scaleups, and the war for talent Lessons from working with VC- and PE-backed disruptors - and what established players can learn from them.
🌍 Diversity, equity, and inclusion in clean mobility A crucial and evolving conversation - one we&rsquo;re proud to support through our partnerships and internal practices.
<h4>Future Mobility Is Here&mdash;But It&rsquo;s Still in Motion</h4>
&nbsp;As Stephen puts it, &ldquo;We&rsquo;re at the intersection of innovation and implementation. The next few years will define not just which technologies win, but which&nbsp;teams&nbsp;are best equipped to deliver them.&rdquo;
At Hyperion Search, we&rsquo;re helping build those teams - from early-stage innovators to global OEMs and infrastructure leaders. If you&rsquo;re scaling in the EV, battery, or broader e-mobility space, we&rsquo;d love to help you navigate the talent and leadership challenges ahead.
📩&nbsp;Learn more about our Future Mobility practice &rarr;&nbsp;<a href="https://hyperionsearch.com/contact-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact us</a>
👇 Tune In
<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/episode-158-liz-allan-and-steve-robinson-driving/id1658172991?i=1000727013304" target="_blank" rel="noopener">🎧&nbsp;Episode 158 &ndash; Electric Evolution: Liz Allan and Stephen Robinson</a>
🔗&nbsp;Connect with&nbsp;<a title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenrobinsonsearch/" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenrobinsonsearch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="2">Stephen Robinson on LinkedIn</a>

 Driving the Conversation on EVs, AI, and the Future of Talent – Stephen Robinson on the Electric Evolution Podcast

I&rsquo;m a little late, but I've been heads-down delivering on key search projects and working my way through lots of follow-ups from Intercharge Network Conference in Berlin the week before last. In what I think was my 4th time attending, the&nbsp;message for me was loud and clear, the EV industry's focus is shifting (for the better). I came away with the word maturity etched in my mind. This links to how the market is moving forward with a real focus on utilisation, optimisation and shaping the customer journey in such a way that makes driving electric the obvious choice for individuals and businesses. Long gone are the days of the "land grab", the new focus is on building charging infrastructure that optimises energy use and hones in on the customer experience in order to drive customer loyalty and confidence.&nbsp; The industry is moving beyond technical deployment to make charging seamless, reliable, and user-friendly. Think Plug&amp;Charge and simplified roaming. But what really stood out was AI. It was on EVERYONE's lips and it was fascinating for me to see the real use cases of AI and its positive impact on uptime and charger success which is helping to improve utilisation and help drive revenues. Looking forward to seeing how AI can support CPO's to optimise their networks with the likes of dynamic pricing becoming more commonplace in certain markets. Trucks and heavy-duty transportation was also a very hot topic. The three days emphasised how the electrification of heavy-duty vehicles is no longer an ambition, but the next challenge we need to tackle. There were lots of MCS units on display and many panel discussions dived into the complexities of truck electrification - namely the space and power demands. We haven't scratched the surface yet, but it was superb to see the work going on around Europe. My final takeaway was collaboration over competition. I sensed this more than ever this year. Over a few beers, it was great to dive in and unravel the complex layers of the sector and better understand the strategic partnerships and integrations between CPOs, eMSP&rsquo;s and other solutions providers. And finally, let's not forget, as much as this is a technology shift, it&rsquo;s a people and talent challenge too. Without people, the strive for a cleaner future simply isn't possible. That's where we at Hyperion Search&nbsp;come in. All in all, a fantastic event to meet so many industry friends, both old and new, and to explore exciting new partnership opportunities. Looking forward to the next one already.&nbsp;
Stephen Robinson

ICNC Round Up: AI, heavy-duty vehicle electrification and collaboration

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I&rsquo;ve long been in the electrify everything camp. For most applications - cars, trucks, buses, heating - electricity is simply more efficient, cheaper, and already here.
Which is why I&rsquo;ve often found the push for hydrogen in those areas frustrating. When we know batteries and direct electrification work better, why push hydrogen where it makes little sense?
And yet, hydrogen is already an essential part of our industrial system. The irony is that today, hydrogen is more of a decarbonisation problem than a solution: over 90% of the 90 million tonnes used each year is produced from fossil fuels. Black and grey hydrogen dominate fertiliser production, refining, and heavy industry - making hydrogen one of the largest sources of industrial CO₂ emissions globally.
So the question is: can hydrogen ever be part of the solution?
That was the starting point for my latest Leaders in Cleantech podcast conversation with Emmanuel Masini, founder and CEO of Mantle8, a startup pioneering the exploration of natural hydrogen.
<h4 id="ember66">Hydrogen - made by the Earth itself</h4>
Emmanuel explains it like this:
💬 &ldquo;Natural hydrogen, or white hydrogen, is the hydrogen you don&rsquo;t need to manufacture. It&rsquo;s produced by the Earth itself through geological processes. The real question is not whether it exists - we know it does, and the Romans knew it did 2,000 years ago - but whether it can be exploited at scale.&rdquo;
Unlike green hydrogen, which is expensive to make using renewable electricity, natural hydrogen doesn&rsquo;t require manufacturing. It&rsquo;s formed by geological reactions deep underground, and in the right conditions, it accumulates in reservoirs much like oil or gas.
Mantle8&rsquo;s mission is to find it - predictively and at scale.
<h4 id="ember71">The exploration challenge</h4>
One of the most striking points from our conversation was Emmanuel&rsquo;s comparison to early oil and gas:
💬 &ldquo;Drilling and producing is not the challenge. The challenge is exploration &mdash; knowing where to go, and proving it at scale.&rdquo;
Mantle8 is developing a &ldquo;tech stack&rdquo; for predictive exploration - from identifying the right rocks, to imaging hydrogen flux at depth, to 4D scans of subsurface reservoirs. Their goal: prove reserves of 10 million tonnes by 2030, and produce their first kilogram by 2028.
The economics could be transformative. While green hydrogen in Europe still costs &euro;5&ndash;6 per kilo, Emmanuel believes natural hydrogen could be produced for under &euro;1/kg. If proven, that would be a game-changer.
<h4 id="ember76">Complementary, not competitive</h4>
What I appreciated was Emmanuel&rsquo;s positioning. This isn&rsquo;t about &ldquo;killing&rdquo; green hydrogen, but complementing it.
💬 &ldquo;Natural hydrogen isn&rsquo;t here to compete with green hydrogen - it&rsquo;s complementary. It&rsquo;s a way to reduce costs and accelerate the transition.&rdquo;
And that&rsquo;s the nuance I think our industry needs. Hydrogen will never make sense for cars or home heating. But for fertilisers, refining, green steel, and aviation fuels? If we can decarbonise hydrogen at scale - and even reduce its cost - then it becomes part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
<h4 id="ember80">A cautious optimism</h4>
I remain cautious. Hydrogen has been the next big thing for about 40 years or more, in which time Wind, Solar and Batteries........well, they've become 'a big thing'!
We&rsquo;ve heard &ldquo;game-changing&rdquo; promises before, and natural hydrogen is still unproven at scale. There are regulatory bottlenecks, permitting challenges, and plenty of geology still to understand.
But I came away from this conversation with a sense of genuine possibility. Like fusion, it could be nothing, or it could be massive.
Either way, it&rsquo;s worth watching closely.
🎧 You can listen to my full conversation with Emmanuel Masini of Mantle8 <a href="https://leadersincleantech.com/emmanuel-manu-masini-mantle8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here on the Leaders in Cleantech podcast </a>on all pod platforms or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRtD8_z3tZo&amp;t=1s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YouTube</a>.
David Hunt
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Could Natural Hydrogen Change the Hydrogen Conversation?

Over the weekend I read a thought-provoking piece in Harvard Business Review: <a tabindex="0" href="https://hbr.org/2025/09/now-is-the-time-for-courage" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-test-app-aware-link="">Now Is the Time for Courage</a>. It struck a chord, not just as someone who runs a leadership search firm, but as someone who cares deeply about the cleantech mission and the leaders driving it forward, and as someone who sees value in the philosophy of Stocism, in business and life.
While the article doesn&rsquo;t specifically mention Stoicism, many of its core principles are, in my view, deeply Stoic in nature. Ideas like acting in accordance with your values, focusing on what&rsquo;s in your control, making peace with uncertainty, having courage; these aren&rsquo;t just tools for inner calm, they&rsquo;re practical strategies for leadership.
And let&rsquo;s be honest: right now, cleantech leaders are being tested.
<h3 id="ember173">Headwinds and Tailwinds</h3>
On one hand, the long-term case for the energy and mobility transitions is stronger than ever; record investment, global urgency, unstoppable innovation. On the other hand, political headwinds, funding slowdowns, and policy reversals (hello, U.S.) have made the short term more volatile than it has been in years.
We&rsquo;re not in crisis. But we are in complexity.
And in complex times, courage is not optional, it&rsquo;s the differentiator.
<h3 id="ember177">What Courage Looks Like in Practice</h3>
The HBR article lays out a helpful framework, five concrete actions leaders can take to cultivate boldness and courage, even in uncertain conditions. I share them here, with a few thoughts on how they might apply in the cleantech and climate-tech world.
1. Articulate your ambitions clearly.
<blockquote>
&ldquo;You can&rsquo;t be bold without something bold to strive for.&rdquo;
</blockquote>
Whether you&rsquo;re a founder, a fund, or a scaleup CEO, now is the time to sharpen not soften your mission. People need clarity. Not spin, not slogans. Real clarity. What are you building? What are you solving? What&rsquo;s non-negotiable?
In uncertain conditions, vague goals lead to vague action. Courageous leaders set direction with precision.
2. Embrace discomfort.
<blockquote>
&ldquo;Discomfort is a sign you&rsquo;re pushing against the status quo.&rdquo;
</blockquote>
Growth is not for the feint-hearted. Hiring in a soft market feels uncomfortable. Opening new markets, launching products, holding firm on your values; none of it is easy.
But comfort is not where change happens. In Stoic thinking, eustress or productive discomfort, is a sign that you&rsquo;re alive to the challenge. Avoiding it isn&rsquo;t wisdom, it&rsquo;s delay.
3. Cultivate discipline.
<blockquote id="ember188">&ldquo;Courage isn&rsquo;t reckless, it&rsquo;s consistent.&rdquo;</blockquote>
This is one of the great misunderstandings about bold leadership. Boldness doesn&rsquo;t mean chaos. It means moving forward with discipline, even in uncertain conditions. In hiring, this might look like being clear on what you need and why, making fast decisions, and not second-guessing once a decision is made.
In cleantech boardrooms, it might mean sticking to long-term goals even when short-term pressures suggest retreat or inertia. Of course don't just burn up your cash runway, maybe being bold is to cut or reallocate costs?
4. Stay close to what matters.
<blockquote id="ember192">&ldquo;Bold leaders prioritise direct experience over secondhand opinions.&rdquo;</blockquote>
Talk to your customers. Visit projects. Meet the candidates yourself. Don&rsquo;t delegate your understanding of the market or your culture. When you're present, when you're in it, you're less likely to be paralysed by abstract fear, or the fear of others you delegate opinion to.
This is something I&rsquo;ve always respected about the best VCs and founders I work with: they don&rsquo;t lead from spreadsheets or press releases. They lead from real conversations and grounded judgment.
5. Connect to your values.
<blockquote id="ember196">&ldquo;Fear makes us forget what matters most.&rdquo;</blockquote>
When everything feels in flux, values become your compass. For me, Stoicism offers a useful framework: focus on what you can control, act with integrity, and don&rsquo;t outsource your peace of mind to the market cycle.
In our Q2 Market &amp; Talent Review, we talk about how companies with strong internal clarity on mission, values, and team growth and purpose, are the ones that continue to attract top talent, even when others are pausing.
Courage, ultimately, is clarity in action.
<h3 id="ember200">A Question of Leadership</h3>
The energy and mobility transitions will be led by people. Bold, values-driven, resilient people.
In Q2 we saw several cleantech companies double down on hiring, on expansion, on product. We also saw some hesitate. And the difference between them? Often it wasn&rsquo;t funding. It was mindset.
So I&rsquo;d love to hear your thoughts:

<ul>
<li>Where are you seeing bold leadership right now?</li>
<li>Who&rsquo;s stepping up? Who&rsquo;s holding back?</li>
<li>And for those holding back - what&rsquo;s holding you?</li>
<li>If you have a particularly bold or cautious leader, how does that make you feel?</li>
</ul>
This isn&rsquo;t about reckless risk-taking. It&rsquo;s about stepping into uncertainty with integrity, direction and courage.
That&rsquo;s what the best leaders are doing. And that&rsquo;s what the cleantech sector needs right now.
<h3 id="ember207">Final Thought</h3>
Courage isn't loud. It isn&rsquo;t always obvious. But in times like these, it&rsquo;s the quiet&nbsp;boldness, the let&rsquo;s keep going, let&rsquo;s build anyway, let&rsquo;s make the hire, that will shape and lead the sector.
One of my favourite Stoic concepts is the obstacle becomes the way. You can either pause, or navel gaze, or you can use the obstacle and reevaluate the landscape. Sometimes it is better to hold back, but history in business shows that fortune favours the brave. The art of leadership is knowing what to do in these times of complexity.
I believe at the present moment, the bold won&rsquo;t just survive this, they&rsquo;ll define what comes next.
Happy to hear your thoughts as above, or in general, publicly or privately.
David Hunt

Now Is the Time for Courage not Fear

A recent LinkedIn post from&nbsp; <a id="ember1766" tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeroentilburgvan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeroen van Tilburg</a> got me thinking. Despite the past ~18 months or so headwinds, the momentum in EV charging is undeniable. We're witnessing a powerful surge of confidence and capital that's rapidly evolving the mobility transition.&nbsp; You only have to look at the recent headlines... Europe's EV Sales are through the roof with a whopping 23% rise in June, hitting 390,000 units. Germany saw its strongest month since 2023 with 47,000+ new EVs, whilst Denmark proudly declared 80% of new private cars were electric in H1. Even the UK jumped 39% in June, backed by a significant &pound;650M incentive package announced earlier this week on top of a &pound;63m support package for cross pavement public charging solutions, depot and public services fleet electrification as well as support for increased EV charging hub signage. We've then got Europe's strong backing of battery production with a massive &euro;852 million in fresh investment signalling strong strategic support for the entire EV ecosystem. And critically, the investment in charging infrastructure is scaling up to meet this demand with the likes of: - GRIDSERVE securing &pound;100m in fresh capital. - Believ landing a significant &pound;300m. - A colossal &pound;600m financing round for IONITY.&nbsp; - And Osprey Charging Network&nbsp;securing &pound;110m investment. These figures aren't just big numbers, they represent a profound commitment from both public and private sectors to accelerate the transition to electric mobility. We are witnessing a clear inflection point where the market is maturing, investor confidence is high, and the rollout of reliable, accessible charging is becoming a tangible reality. But here's the reality check. Whilst investment *pours* in, consolidation is inevitable. The charging networks struggling with uptime/reliability issues, and/or weak leadership will fade out or their assets will be snapped up on the cheap. Not saying they haven't been, but investors are more diligent than ever, and only the strongest operators with the strongest teams will thrive. And that's where we come in. For over a decade, Hyperion&nbsp;have supported Europe's most established charging networks in hiring exceptional senior and leadership talent. As networks scale and internationalise, internal TA teams inevitably grow, but in those crucial early days, our network, experience and insights gathered through the many daily conversations we have enable us to find the very best people everyone is vying for &ndash; the ones actively delivering success, not just those misleading or over egging their achievements and applying to everything and anything they see. If you need to secure top-tier talent who will drive your network's success, <a href="https://hyperionsearch.com/meet-the-team/stephen-robinson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">let's connect</a>.
Stephen Robinson

The Momentum in EV Charging is Undeniable

This morning, I reconnected with a candidate I hadn't spoken to in about 12 months. A couple of years ago, he reached the offer stage with one of our battery startup clients but ultimately chose another opportunity.
Was I disappointed at the time? Absolutely.
Did I pick up the phone when he contacted me again? Without a doubt.
Why?
<h3>Playing the long game</h3>
I'm a firm believer in long-term relationships. Just because something doesn't work out initially doesn't mean the door should close forever.
<h3>How it's handled matters</h3>
This candidate's approach was key!
<ul>
<li>He was open and honest with both me and the client throughout the process. We were aware of his considerations all along, and ultimately, we had a positive outcome with another candidate.</li>
<li>He had genuine reasons for his decision. With a young family, stability was paramount, and he made the right choice for them.</li>
<li>He even offered candidate recommendations to help us backfill the role.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Lessons Learned</h3>
Over the years, I've learned that highly emotional reactions are unproductive. When working with people, you can do everything right, and sometimes things still don't go as planned.
<h3>A Message to Candidates</h3>
Be like this candidate! There's a right way and a wrong way to conduct yourself in a hiring process. Handle it correctly - with honesty, transparency, and professionalism - and recruiters will be more than willing to work with you again in the future.
David Beeston

Building Lasting Relationships in Recruitment

If you&rsquo;ve read our latest <a href="https://interactive.hcgroup.global/hyperion-search-market-review-q2-2025/full-view.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Q2 Market &amp; Talent Review</a>, you&rsquo;ll know we&rsquo;ve doubled down on a central idea: momentum is a strategy.
In today&rsquo;s market, time isn&rsquo;t just money, it&rsquo;s movement, opportunity, and competitive edge. And in cleantech, where policy shifts and macro pressures are colliding with the urgency of the climate crisis and geopolitics, momentum can be the difference between seizing the moment or missing it entirely.
This isn&rsquo;t just theory. We&rsquo;ve seen and heard about it from companies again and again over the last quarter. Great candidates are being lost, not to competitors with deeper pockets, but to companies with faster clocks. The ones that move with clarity and conviction. The ones that know what good looks like, and act decisively when they see it. We are expert at hiring processes that maintain momentum, and deliver the talent needed.
And that&rsquo;s what this edition of our review is all about: clarity, conviction, and the very real value of pace.
<h3 id="ember436">A Quarter of Contrasts - And Convergence</h3>
From a market perspective, Q2 was nothing if not layered. In the U.S., the cleantech narrative was rocked by the passing of the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill, with solar incentives stripped back and timelines compressed. Meanwhile, Europe held firm. From battery storage deployments in Germany and the UK to continued EV momentum and solar build-out across the continent, there&rsquo;s real investment confidence in the air.
The European Commission&rsquo;s Clean Industrial Deal and Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator are gaining traction. And while the path hasn&rsquo;t been without friction; think bottlenecks, permitting delays, and ongoing geopolitical tension, the trend is clear: Europe is serious about scale.
That&rsquo;s translating directly into hiring demand. In Q2 we saw strong activity in grid flexibility, BESS, and solar project development. Senior commercial and regulatory profiles remain in short supply, and as the report outlines, cross-sector skills and change-management experience are increasingly critical.
But the biggest hiring trend? Not volume. Velocity; not haste but momentum
<h3 id="ember441">It&rsquo;s Not About Hiring More. It&rsquo;s About Hiring Right&mdash;and Fast.</h3>
We&rsquo;ve said this before, but it&rsquo;s worth repeating: hiring may have slowed, but it hasn&rsquo;t softened. The appetite for truly high-impact talent is as strong as ever, perhaps even more so. With capital being deployed more cautiously, every hire matters more. The bar is higher. Expectations sharper. Timelines shorter.
And that&rsquo;s where momentum comes in.
Because in times like these, the cost of hesitation is talent lost. We&rsquo;ve heard the stories from multiple companies&mdash;often those with outstanding missions and strong market positioning&mdash;who have missed out on exceptional candidates simply because they didn&rsquo;t move fast enough, and then ask us to help and fix the problem. At Hyperion we don't rush anything, but we do move quickly and know what keeps momentum in a hiring process.
<h3 id="ember445">Building Momentum Ourselves</h3>
At Hyperion, we don&rsquo;t just advise on momentum, we operate by it. And we&rsquo;re taking our own advice.
I&rsquo;m delighted to share that we&rsquo;ll soon be welcoming a highly experienced renewables headhunter to our team. Someone with deep solar and wind expertise, and a network that spans the US and Europe. We&rsquo;ll announce the full details soon, but let&rsquo;s just say&mdash;we&rsquo;re getting this one over the line before the Transfer window closes. It's a Wirtz of a transfer!
This is a real boost to our capabilities in solar and wind senior and leadership hiring, and aligns perfectly with where we see demand intensifying in Q3 and beyond. Our Energy Storage and Grid team is also set to be expanding (any great headhunters you know in this space let me know!!)
<h3 id="ember449">Market Pressure, Meet Leadership Precision</h3>
Across the review, you&rsquo;ll see themes that repeat: grid strain, regulatory complexity, market volatility. But you&rsquo;ll also see signs of resilience: rapid innovation, capital movement, and above all, leadership ambition.
Cleantech isn&rsquo;t short on challenges. But nor is it short on visionary founders, committed investors, and operators who are in this for the long haul.
What they need now is support. Precision. The right person in the right seat, at the right time.
That&rsquo;s where we come in.
So, if you haven&rsquo;t already, I invite you to read the&nbsp;<a href="https://interactive.hcgroup.global/hyperion-search-market-review-q2-2025/full-view.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Q2 edition of our Market &amp; Talent Review</a>. We&rsquo;ve packed it with sector-specific hiring insights, people moves, and commentary from the Hyperion team on what&rsquo;s shaping up as one of the most dynamic years in cleantech hiring yet.
Whether you're building a leadership team, expanding into new territories, thinking about board evolution, or just want a view on where the talent winds are blowing - we're here to help.
Because in 2025, standing still isn't an option.
The companies that will lead the energy transition are the ones that move, not just with purpose, but with pace.
And if you&rsquo;re planning your next strategic hire, or your next career move, maybe don&rsquo;t wait for Transfer Deadline Day!
David Hunt

The Clock Is Ticking: Why Momentum (Still) Matters

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Last week&rsquo;s signing of the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill by President Trump has reshaped the cleantech landscape in the U.S. -again. While the rhetoric might be grand, the fine print tells a more sobering story for solar and wind developers. Tax credits are being pulled back, timelines shortened, and uncertainties around enforcement layered in. Meanwhile, energy storage has quietly emerged as the sector&rsquo;s strategic safe harbour.
We&rsquo;ve seen this moment coming. In our soon-to-be-published <a href="https://interactive.hcgroup.global/hyperion-search-market-review-q2-2025/full-view.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Q2 Market &amp; Talent Review,</a> one theme stood out across Europe and the U.S.: momentum is a strategy. The clock is ticking; not just for the climate, but for investors, developers, and leadership teams deciding how and where to act.
<h3 id="ember681">Solar: The U.S. Hits the Brakes!</h3>
Let&rsquo;s be clear: solar just got harder in America. The 25D residential solar credit ends in 2025. The 48E and 45Y credits have tighter eligibility rules and compressed timelines. Projects must begin construction before mid-2026 to retain full benefits&mdash;and then be completed within four years.
That&rsquo;s triggering a pre-2026 gold rush. Developers are accelerating starts, locking in supply chains, and&mdash;critically&mdash;scrambling for leadership talent with policy navigation and project finance experience. We&rsquo;re already seeing a spike in demand for C-level and VP-level candidates who can operate at speed under pressure. We such a gold rush in the UK after solar policy changes back in 2011/12. A lot of grey hair and wrinkles came of it, but a massive amount of solar was deployed very quickly.
But after that window closes? A potential cliff edge. Fewer incentives. Less clarity. And likely, fewer projects moving forward. Until a change of administration, or geopolitics!
<h3 id="ember685">Energy Storage: Quiet Resilience</h3>
Storage, on the other hand, remains remarkably intact. In fact, it may be the surprise winner. The Investment Tax Credit (ITC) applies to standalone projects and isn&rsquo;t restricted by the same FEOC (foreign entity of concern) rules or phaseout timelines.
This matters. With grid fragility a growing concern&mdash;highlighted by blackouts in Spain and rising curtailment risk in the U.S.&mdash;storage is now non-negotiable infrastructure. Our Q2 report highlighted surging storage approvals and deals in the UK, Germany, and Italy, while utility-scale BESS remains a top hiring category across Europe.
And it&rsquo;s not just deployment. Talent demand in storage is holding strong: strategy leaders, grid specialists, and commercial scale-up execs are still in short supply.
<h3 id="ember689">What This Means for Capital - and Talent</h3>
Capital will follow clarity. Some VCs and infrastructure funds will double down on U.S. storage and behind-the-meter resilience plays. Others will pivot capital and hiring activity toward Europe, where the policy and funding environment remains ambitious, stable, and talent-hungry.
From our Group's offices in Energy Capital Houston and Financial Capital New York, we&rsquo;re seeing first hand how developers and investors are repositioning. Meanwhile, our European team is fielding interest from senior U.S. cleantech talent looking to test the waters in Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK.
And that&rsquo;s the bigger point: the global flow of top-tier cleantech talent is in flux. Not because people are leaving the mission, but because they want to be where they can have the biggest impact, with the least political whiplash.
<h3 id="ember693">Momentum Is a Strategy - and Talent Is the Lever</h3>
As we write in the opening of our Q2 Review: &ldquo;The organisations moving with conviction and pace are the ones winning top talent, building culture, and staying ahead of the curve.&rdquo; In markets like this, hiring slows - but becomes more consequential. Every strategically important or leadership hire becomes a lever. Every delay is magnified.
If there&rsquo;s one lesson from both policy uncertainty and market pressure, it&rsquo;s this:
The best talent wins. In the short-term race to get projects over the line. And in the long-term journey to navigate volatility, deliver returns, and build resilient cleantech businesses.
The U.S. still matters. Storage is strong. And solar still has a path forward; just a more complex one. But for companies on both sides of the Atlantic, this is no time to sit still.
We&rsquo;ll be unpacking this more in an upcoming episode of the Leaders in Cleantech podcast - looking at what the U.S. policy shift means for project pipelines, capital flows, and talent migration.
Stay tuned - and if you're scaling or shifting strategy, let&rsquo;s talk. Because in this market, clarity, speed, talent and leadership are your real advantage.
DM if you want an advance copy of our Q2 Market and Talent review.
David Hunt
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U.S. Cleantech After the “Big Beautiful Bill”: A Talent-Led Turning Point for Solar and Storage

We spend so much time talking about startup leadership&mdash;vision, grit, execution, adaptability, resilience. But what about leadership at the board level? What about the Chair?
Too often, the role of Chair is seen as a formality. A steadying hand, a name to impress investors, someone who runs the meeting. At best, a mentor; at worst, a figurehead.
But I would argue that a great Chair can be one of the most under-leveraged assets in a growing company&mdash;and one of the most visible signs of maturity to the outside world. A key driver for growth, for fundraising, for pattern recognition insights, and so much more.
<h3 id="ember172" class="ember-view reader-text-block__heading-3">The Chair as a Strategic Force</h3>
I&rsquo;ve written before about the questions founders should ask themselves about their board. Questions like: Would I rehire this person today? Is this meeting a strategic dialogue or just a status update? If our Chair stepped down tomorrow, who would I call?
But underneath all that is a deeper reflection: do we have the right kind of leadership at board level?
Not someone to make decisions for you. Not someone to chase operations. But someone who sees the whole picture, helps you zoom out when you&rsquo;re buried in the weeds, and has the EQ to challenge without undermining.
This is what high-impact Chairs do. They provide a form of &ldquo;above the line&rdquo; leadership that brings clarity, steadiness, and momentum&mdash;not just to the CEO, but to the entire boardroom.
<h3 id="ember177" class="ember-view reader-text-block__heading-3">What Great Chairs Bring</h3>
Drawing from my own founder experience, my work with cleantech leadership teams, and from running board-level searches across Europe, I see three standout traits in great Chairs:
1. They manage energy, not just agendas
A Chair sets the tone. They influence how decisions get made, how conflict is handled, and how voices are heard. They don&rsquo;t just ask questions; they help shape the conditions for honest, focused debate.
2. They balance challenge with care
The best Chairs know when to apply pressure, and when to offer perspective. They push the CEO to grow, but never step into their shoes. They make it safe to say &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not sure,&rdquo; while keeping standards high.
3. They think long-term while anchoring the now
Founders are often deep in the week-to-week. A great Chair holds the horizon. They make sure the board stays strategic. They help prep for funding rounds, exits, internationalisation, and succession&mdash;often before anyone else is thinking about it.
<h3 id="ember182" class="ember-view reader-text-block__heading-3">The Signal It Sends</h3>
I&rsquo;ve had the privilege of supporting several VC and founder-backed companies through board refreshes and Chair succession. And one consistent theme stands out: investors pay attention. So do acquirers. And so do teams.
Your Chair says something about your seriousness. About your ambition. About your willingness to build beyond yourself.
A poor Chair slows you down. A passive Chair keeps you stuck. But a great Chair? They unlock the next level of growth.
<h3 id="ember186" class="ember-view reader-text-block__heading-3">Is It Time to Rethink?</h3>
If you are a founder or a VC partner, this is the conversation worth having.
Not in a crisis. Not when the Chair announces they are stepping down. But now, while you have space to think clearly and plan well.
Ask:

<ul>
<li>Does our current Chair match the stage we&rsquo;re entering?</li>
<li>Are they still the best partner for the CEO?</li>
<li>Are we building a board that is ready for what comes next?</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="ember191" class="ember-view reader-text-block__heading-3">This Is Where We Come In</h3>
At Hyperion Board Search, we&rsquo;re seeing a marked shift. Cleantech and climate-tech companies are starting to treat Chair and NED appointments with the same rigour and intentionality they give to C-suite hires. About time, in my view.
Because these are not soft roles. These are the people who shape governance, hold founders accountable, and support teams through the inevitable bumps of growth and scale.
It is not just about experience. It is about chemistry. Character. Curiosity. Challenge, delivered with care.
And when it works&mdash;it shows.
Let&rsquo;s raise the bar on boardrooms.

The Chair Advantage: What Great Leadership Looks Like Above the Line

We hear this a lot lately. And it's true, BESS offer serious upside. A well-placed 1 MW/2 MWh unit in Germany can return &euro;170K&ndash;&euro;270K per MW per year. Payback in ~3 years? Not bad! But don&rsquo;t get blinded by the buzz. Markets shift fast. Look at the UK, ancillary service revenues dropped two-thirds once supply caught up. If gas prices fall, then this could shave 40% off margins. Then there's BtM with EVs, home storage, and heat pumps joining the game? Competition&rsquo;s only heating up. Here&rsquo;s the fix: learn from past plays. Don&rsquo;t sit out - adapt! 🔋 Stack your revenues (Arbitrage + ancillary + capacity) 🔋 Hedge your exposure 🔋 Partner smart (e.g. tech savvy traders/optimizers) and co-locate where it counts. I'd also argue - analyse and address any skills gaps in your existing team, and hire fast (There's so much competition out there!) The energy transition is volatile - that&rsquo;s the opportunity, if you play it right.

"Battery investments are booming - but so are the risks"

Had a fascinating exchange recently with a successful cleantech founder who'd scaled and exited their business in recent years. They openly admitted a strong dislike for recruiters, clearly stemming from some negative past experiences. However, this same founder also confessed to spending&nbsp;30+ hours a week on recruitment. That's 30 hours pulled away from strategy, product development, gaining commercial traction, fundraising &ndash; the core activities that drive a start-up. And it wasn't just them; their HR and internal team leads were also bogged down, sifting through hundreds of applications. It made me think: When you need a leak fixed? You call a&nbsp;plumber. When you need to re-wire your house? You get an&nbsp;electrician. When you need to balance the books? You get an accountant When you systems fail? You consult IT Support When you need medical advice? You consult a&nbsp;doctor. You get the gist... So why do so many founders and HR professionals believe they can manage complex recruitment on their own? It often leads to a massive drain on vital time and resources. Good recruiters aren't just a cost; they're a vital extension of your business.&nbsp;We're your eyes and ears in the market. We know your competition inside out, we understand the talent landscape, and can compellingly share your story to attract top-tier talent &ndash; the kind who aren't just spamming applications. Don't let a past bad experience cost you and your team countless hours of headache. An experienced search consultant can take that pain away, save you money, and free you up to focus on what truly matters. It's simply naive to think otherwise. The work myself and my team at <a tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/hyperion-search-ltd/" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Hyperion Search Ltd</a> do has a 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙩 on helping cleantech companies to scale. Cleantech isn't just the latest fad for us, we live and breathe it and have been scaling innovative start-ups globally for a lot longer than most.&nbsp;

Don't let bad recruitment experiences drain your Startup's energy and time

Building a company is hard. Building a good board is harder. Founders often (rightly) spend time and effort hiring the right leadership team - but far less assembling their board. And yet, your board can be the difference between scaling smart or stalling out. If you are a Founder or Co-Founder..... When was the last time you asked yourself any of these questions? 💭 Does every person on our board still add value, or are we carrying passengers? Boards are like founding teams, some early members are right for the start, but not for the scale. Be honest: if you were assembling your board today, would you rehire everyone? 💡 Are our board meetings strategic, or just status updates? If your board meetings feel more like reporting sessions than real-time thinking, something&rsquo;s broken. A great board should expand your horizon, not just check your numbers. 🔍 What skills are we missing around the table? Scaling internationally? Breaking into new markets? Preparing for an exit? Your board needs to reflect those ambitions, not just where you've been, but where you&rsquo;re going. 🔄 If your Chair stepped down tomorrow, who would you call? Succession planning isn&rsquo;t just for executives. If you don&rsquo;t have a strong pipeline for future Chairs or NEDs, you&rsquo;re exposing your business to real business risk. Why does this matter? Because VCs are watching. So are potential acquirers. Your board signals your maturity, your ambition, and your ability to build beyond yourself. And more importantly, it affects how you think, how you lead, and how you grow. If any of these questions make you pause, that&rsquo;s a good thing. It might be time for a board refresh. Or just a deeper conversation about governance, succession, and future readiness. That&rsquo;s where I come in. Let&rsquo;s raise the bar together.

As a Founder, Do You Ask Yourself These Questions About Your Board?

What founders can learn from tem Energy&rsquo;s bold mission&mdash;and why timing, people, and culture matter more than ever.
What happens when a founder exits a high-growth startup, learns from inside a global energy giant like Shell, and then decides to build something even more disruptive?
You get tem Energy&mdash;a business built to challenge the very infrastructure of energy transactions.
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Joe McDonald, Co-founder and CEO of tem, on the Leaders in Cleantech podcast. And while the tech behind tem is impressive, what really stood out was Joe&rsquo;s clarity of thought on culture, leadership, and what it really takes to scale.
<h3 id="ember391" class="ember-view reader-text-block__heading-3">&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t be greedy&rdquo;</h3>
That&rsquo;s the piece of advice Joe credits with shaping both his fundraising strategy and his approach to building teams. Tem raised iteratively&mdash;starting with customers and angels&mdash;before bringing in VCs like Albion, Rivendell, and Atomico. The focus? Values-aligned investors, not just valuation.
But it&rsquo;s in people and culture where this mindset really shines.
Tem&rsquo;s first hire? A head of people. Not finance, not sales&mdash;people. As you would expect, I applaud this wholeheartedly, the right people, mission aligned and driven, are essential to success.
They&rsquo;ve built an open structure: transparent salaries, dual-track progression for managers and experts, and KPIs linked directly to the company&rsquo;s North Star. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re not intentional about culture,&rdquo; Joe said, &ldquo;you&rsquo;ll just end up with something accidental.&rdquo;
As someone who's seen too many startups treat culture as an afterthought, this resonated.
<h3 id="ember397" class="ember-view reader-text-block__heading-3">From &ldquo;green&rdquo; to red</h3>
Tem isn&rsquo;t just another PPA platform. They&rsquo;ve built a new transaction layer&mdash;Rosso&mdash;that effectively bypasses the opaque wholesale energy market. Joe likens it to how Stripe reimagined payments: &ldquo;We looked at energy and thought, this layer is fundamentally broken. Let&rsquo;s rebuild it.&rdquo;
Their model is refreshingly straightforward: businesses save 15&ndash;20% on their energy bills, generators earn more, and the black box of energy transactions gets replaced with traceability and AI-driven efficiency.
Their product is called &ldquo;Red&rdquo;&mdash;not greenwashing, not gimmicks. Just payment transparency.
<h3 id="ember401" class="ember-view reader-text-block__heading-3">&ldquo;Power from the people to the people&rdquo;</h3>
Joe is honest about timing. Yes, the post-COVID energy crisis helped. Yes, the AI wave made this model technically possible. But he also believes the energy transition needs more than tech.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve had the same energy dynamics since Standard Oil in 1890&mdash;centralised, controlled, opaque,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Just because it&rsquo;s renewable doesn&rsquo;t mean it&rsquo;s fair.&rdquo;
Tem&rsquo;s mission is to decentralise not just electrons, but power&mdash;economic, social, and infrastructural. It&rsquo;s a big bet, but one that aligns with a broader wave of energy system reimagination.
<h3 id="ember405" class="ember-view reader-text-block__heading-3">So what can we learn from tem?</h3>
Here&rsquo;s what I took away:

<ul>
<li>Execution beats ego. Joe and team don&rsquo;t pretend to be the smartest in the room&mdash;they just focus on doing the hard things well.</li>
<li>Timing matters, but readiness matters more. They recognised the moment&mdash;and moved fast with purpose.</li>
<li>Culture is strategy. It&rsquo;s not a deck slide; it&rsquo;s how you scale, retain, and perform.</li>
<li>Don&rsquo;t optimise the edges. Fix the engine. Most clean energy startups play at the edges. Tem&rsquo;s gone straight for the broken core.</li>
</ul>
Joe summed it up perfectly:
<blockquote id="ember409" class="ember-view reader-text-block__blockquote">&ldquo;We could have innovated at the edge and sold out. But we decided to fix the root layer. That&rsquo;s where real change happens.&rdquo;</blockquote>
I&rsquo;m genuinely curious; when it comes to scaling teams, how much of what Joe shared around culture and structure resonates with your own experience or thinking?
Always interested to hear how others are navigating these shifts.

Culture, Collisions and Challenging the Energy Status Quo

Ten and a half years ago, I founded Hyperion Search with a clear mission&mdash;to help build the teams that would drive the clean energy and mobility transitions. Over the years, we&rsquo;ve had the privilege of working with some of the most innovative cleantech startups, scale-ups, VCs, and corporates across the sector.
We&rsquo;ve built teams in 17 countries, partnered with incredible founders and leaders, and played our part in scaling the businesses that are shaping the future of energy and mobility. We&rsquo;ve grown year on year (well, almost every year!), had a lot of fun along the way, and built a reputation I&rsquo;m incredibly proud of. At the same time we built our 'Leaders in Cleantech' podcast to be a market leader, that has gone on to 'influence' many others!
But as the world changes, so do the challenges we face.
The Market Has Grown&mdash;So Have the Challenges
The broader world has finally woken up to the need to transition to clean technologies. While we welcome this progress, it comes with turbulence&mdash;hype, politics, polarised opinions, economic cycles, and shifting investment landscapes. It creates huge challenges for the companies we serve, and for us as a business.
That&rsquo;s why, over the last couple of years, I&rsquo;ve been exploring ways to scale Hyperion Search in a way that keeps our values and mission intact. I wanted to find a partner that could help us grow, give us greater reach, and enable us to make an even bigger impact&mdash;without losing the identity and purpose that has made Hyperion Search what it is today.
A Perfect Fit
Through that process, I connected with Paul Chapman and Damian Stewart of HC Group, a global executive search firm dedicated to the energy and commodities sector. With offices in seven global locations, and a stellar track record. Paul also hosts the outstanding HC Commodities podcast. It became clear that our values, outlook, ambitions, and expertise aligned.
After many months of conversations, I&rsquo;m delighted to share that HC Group has acquired Hyperion Search.
We will continue as a pure-play cleantech search firm&mdash;still operating independently, but now part of a select group of companies that play a significant role in shaping the global talent landscape in the energy sector. 
This means we will soon have a truly global footprint.
The Next Chapter
This partnership strengthens our ability to solve the hiring challenges of cleantech companies at every stage&mdash;from A-round startups to high-growth scale-ups and even the world&rsquo;s largest corporations as they pivot toward clean energy and mobility. Our purpose remains as strong as ever: Hyperion exists to deliver GENUINE IMPACT for our clients, candidates, and the planet.
As for me, I'm not going anywhere just yet. I couldn&rsquo;t be prouder of what we&rsquo;ve achieved as a team over the last decade&mdash;or be more excited about the road ahead. We've set ourselves ambitious targets, because the task ahead is a big one. Just as the cleantech sector needs the best talent to succeed, we need the support of the cleantech sector to scale. A virtuous circle. If you have been part of our journey so far as a client or candidate, thank you, if you haven't yet, we're looking forward to supporting you on your journey to success. Together we all move forward.
If you have a hiring headache at Board, C-Suite or Mid/Senior level, we're now even more able to solve that problem for you. Reach out to me and I'm happy to discuss your needs in confidence. Let's put cleantech, renewables, energy storage and emobility on the front foot.
Here&rsquo;s to the next ten years of driving the clean energy and mobility transitions forward.
&nbsp;➡️ Read more about HC Group here: <a class="IfLmRNJWDKWJahDEmDaCEOnDSeXHtBgyBFDsa " tabindex="0" href="https://www.hcgroup.global/" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">https://www.hcgroup.global/</a>

A New Chapter for me and Hyperion Search- Post Acquisition

Many senior executives contemplate &ldquo;going plural&rdquo; at some point in their careers &mdash; moving from hands-on operational leadership into portfolio work as a non-executive director (NED), chair, or advisor.
But what does it take to do that successfully? What&rsquo;s the right time, and how do you make the leap from executive to board-level contributor &mdash; without losing your edge or sense of purpose?
That&rsquo;s exactly the journey Monica Collings has taken &mdash; from CEO of Vattenfall UK and So Energy, to non-executive chair, advisor, mentor, and one of the cleantech industry&rsquo;s most respected voices on inclusive leadership, resilience, and strategic culture-building.
I've known Monica for some time and I was delighted to sit down with her recently on the Leaders in Cleantech podcast, where we explored her shift to a plural career, the lessons she brought from the frontline of the energy crisis, and the impact a good board can have when done right. You can listen to the full episode <a class="wjnWYRbUymlCnrZfAmNplmgYvWszfQYdbA " tabindex="0" href="https://leadersincleantech.com/" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">here</a> &mdash; but here are some takeaways for anyone considering a path to the boardroom.
<h3 id="ember588" class="ember-view reader-text-block__heading-3">🎯 It Starts with Values &ndash; Not Just CVs</h3>
&ldquo;I love work,&rdquo; Monica told me. &ldquo;But I wanted to do it differently &mdash; to help more organisations benefit from my experience, and to have more time for family, while still doing meaningful, fulfilling work.&rdquo;
That transition wasn&rsquo;t a retreat &mdash; it was a reframing. Monica&rsquo;s career pivot wasn&rsquo;t about &ldquo;slowing down&rdquo; after years in the hot seat. Instead, she built a portfolio aligned with her values: growth-focused businesses in the energy transition, sustainable infrastructure, and companies that value purpose alongside profit.
That purpose-led clarity is crucial for anyone thinking of becoming a NED or Chair. Board work can look glamorous from the outside, but it requires commitment, discretion, and a willingness to advise without operating. You need to bring insight &mdash; and leave your ego at the door.
<h3 id="ember592" class="ember-view reader-text-block__heading-3">🛠 What Can You Bring to the Table?</h3>
One of the most common questions I hear from experienced professionals is: What qualifies me for a board role?
Monica&rsquo;s answer is refreshingly direct. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not just about financials. It&rsquo;s about pattern recognition. I&rsquo;ve been in that CEO chair. I know what&rsquo;s coming before it hits. I know how lonely it can be, and I can help.&rdquo;
Her operational experience &mdash; leading teams through the energy crisis, overseeing mergers, scaling customer-centric businesses &mdash; now makes her a sought-after board member. But she doesn&rsquo;t just rely on her r&eacute;sum&eacute;. She stays close to the business. She visits sites. She talks to frontline staff. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not a NED who just turns up for the biscuits,&rdquo; she laughs.
If you&rsquo;re a would-be NED or Chair, ask yourself:

<ul>
<li>Have I led teams through complexity?</li>
<li>Can I bring a different lens to the boardroom?</li>
<li>Do I know what not to do, as much as what to do?</li>
</ul>
Often, what early-stage companies need most is not abstract strategy &mdash; but seasoned judgement, cultural wisdom, and the ability to challenge with empathy.
<h3 id="ember599" class="ember-view reader-text-block__heading-3">🤝 Why Founders and Boards Need Each Other</h3>
Many founders think of boards as a necessary evil. In truth, a well-structured board is a superpower. And for CEOs, especially first-time or scaling leaders, a trusted Chair can be a lifeline.
As Monica said: &ldquo;The best boards reflect the real problems the company is facing. That might be performance, or succession, or culture. Vanity projects don&rsquo;t belong at the board table.&rdquo;
And while boardrooms can (and should) challenge, they also provide support. &ldquo;I see my role as helping the CEO see around corners &mdash; and asking the questions others might avoid.&rdquo;
Her advice to board candidates? Bring your whole self &mdash; but understand the role. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not your job to run the business. It&rsquo;s your job to make sure the business can be run well.&rdquo;
<h3 id="ember604" class="ember-view reader-text-block__heading-3">🧭 Monica&rsquo;s Latest Move &mdash; And How We Helped</h3>
At Hyperion Executive Search, we&rsquo;ve been privileged to place exceptional board talent across Europe&rsquo;s cleantech sector &mdash; including placing Monica as the Chair of Plug-N-Go, a high-growth business accelerating the roll-out of EV charging infrastructure.
Her appointment brings together her operational depth, her passion for the energy transition, and her boardroom wisdom &mdash; a powerful mix in any growth-stage company.
<h3 id="ember607" class="ember-view reader-text-block__heading-3">🚀 Thinking of Making the Leap?</h3>
If you're a senior executive contemplating a transition into plural roles &mdash; or an investor or founder seeking board-level firepower &mdash; there's never been a better time.
The cleantech sector needs wise, inclusive, operationally-minded leaders who can guide companies through uncertainty and opportunity alike.
Take a leaf from Monica&rsquo;s book: be intentional, be curious, and remember &mdash; your second career might just be your most impactful yet.
🎧 Listen to Monica&rsquo;s full Leaders in Cleantech episode here: <a class="wjnWYRbUymlCnrZfAmNplmgYvWszfQYdbA " tabindex="0" href="http://leadersincleantech.com/" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">leadersincleantech.com</a>

From CEO to Chair: How Monica Collings Built a Board Career with Purpose — and What You Can Learn from It

Reflections from my conversation with Danijel Visevic, Managing Partner at World Fund
If you're in the European cleantech ecosystem, you've probably heard of World Fund&mdash;the &euro;300 million climate tech VC that&rsquo;s made headlines for its size, ambition, and science-driven approach. But hearing Danijel Visevic, one of its founding partners, talk about the journey, the vision, and the challenges they&rsquo;re tackling, adds a whole other layer of perspective.
I recently sat down with Danijel for the Leaders in Cleantech podcast, and it was one of the most open, wide-ranging, and&mdash;at times&mdash;passionate conversations I&rsquo;ve had on the show.
<h3 id="ember1604">From Journalism to Venture Capital &ndash; With a Mission</h3>
Danijel&rsquo;s journey isn&rsquo;t your typical VC origin story. He started out as a journalist, driven by a deep concern for the climate crisis. That led to a stint in politics, including five years working in Angela Merkel&rsquo;s government. Ironically, he watched first-hand as Germany dismantled much of its early leadership in solar and wind, while incumbents clung to combustion engines, and sold off solar tech and manufacturing leadership.
It was this frustration&mdash;and a long-standing friendship with Tim Schumacher&mdash;that led him to co-found World Fund. As Danijel puts it:
<blockquote id="ember1607" class="ember-view reader-text-block__blockquote">&ldquo;I was searching for a way to combine purpose and something financially sustainable. Venture capital was the last place I expected to find it, but it&rsquo;s where the real leverage is.&rdquo;</blockquote>
<h3 id="ember1608" class="ember-view reader-text-block__heading-3">Deep Tech, Deep Decarbonisation</h3>
What sets World Fund apart is their rigorous focus on climate impact. They don&rsquo;t just look at good ideas&mdash;they quantify decarbonisation potential. Their investment thesis and threshold? A technology must have the potential to avoid or remove 100 megatons of CO₂e per year. All the climate VCs I work with have some criteria on impact as well as financial return. I like this metric.
That leads them to back a wide range of sectors&mdash;from battery recycling (like their portfolio company Cylib) to quantum computing, food systems, space tech, and software tools that optimise consumption.
Most of their capital goes into hard science&mdash;hardware, chemistry, manufacturing, energy infrastructure. This requires not only patient capital, but patient conviction.
<blockquote id="ember1612" class="ember-view reader-text-block__blockquote">&ldquo;Climate is not a vertical&mdash;it&rsquo;s a horizontal. It touches everything,&rdquo; Danijel said. &ldquo;And to decarbonise at scale, we need the atoms as much as the bits.&rdquo;</blockquote>
<h3 id="ember1613" class="ember-view reader-text-block__heading-3">The Series B Cliff &ndash; A European Problem</h3>
One theme we returned to throughout the conversation was the Series B funding gap in Europe. This is where things start to get dangerous for startups: they&rsquo;ve proven the tech, maybe even shown early traction, but need &euro;50&ndash;100 million to scale.
Too often, that money just isn&rsquo;t available in Europe. And so companies:

<ul>
<li>Go bankrupt</li>
<li>Sell their IP to China</li>
<li>Get acquired or relocated by US investors</li>
</ul>
Danijel didn&rsquo;t mince words here:
<blockquote id="ember1618" class="ember-view reader-text-block__blockquote">&ldquo;We invest billions into research&mdash;and then let the IP be bought by other continents. It drives me crazy.&rdquo;</blockquote>
It&rsquo;s a structural problem. While the US has 729 funds with over $100 million AUM, Europe has just 44. And only five European funds are over the &euro;500 million mark.
Worse still, regulations like Solvency II discourage pension funds and insurers from investing in VC&mdash;penalising them more for backing 500 startups than buying Greek bonds.
<h3 id="ember1621" class="ember-view reader-text-block__heading-3">So What Needs to Change?</h3>
Danijel offered a wish list of reforms:

<ul>
<li>Fix Solvency II and make venture a viable asset class for institutional investors</li>
<li>Grow European funds at a sustainable but more ambitious pace</li>
<li>Attract more high net worth and family office capital into climate VC</li>
<li>And crucially&mdash;scale exit options so companies don&rsquo;t always need to list on NASDAQ or look abroad for growth</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="ember1624" class="ember-view reader-text-block__heading-3">And Then There's the Talent</h3>
Naturally, I asked Danijel about talent&mdash;and how much of a role it plays in the investment process. His answer?
<blockquote id="ember1626" class="ember-view reader-text-block__blockquote">&ldquo;Team is not everything&mdash;but it&rsquo;s the most important part of every company.&rdquo;</blockquote>
He spoke passionately about the need for honest, mission-driven founders, and about avoiding burnout in a sector where people often give too much of themselves. He also highlighted how World Fund&rsquo;s LP network&mdash;many of them former operators or industry leaders&mdash;can open doors to talent and support portfolio companies in very practical ways.
In one case, an LP introduced Cylib&rsquo;s founder to a former BASF exec&mdash;who&rsquo;s now on the team helping them scale.
As Danijel put it:
<blockquote id="ember1630" class="ember-view reader-text-block__blockquote">&ldquo;If you burn for something, take care not to burn out. Don&rsquo;t take yourself too seriously. You&rsquo;re doing something great&mdash;stay healthy.&rdquo;</blockquote>
Words more founders and investors could live by.
<h3 id="ember1632" class="ember-view reader-text-block__heading-3">Communications, Complacency, and the Cleantech Bubble</h3>
Towards the end of the conversation, we turned to communications&mdash;a topic close to both our hearts. Despite all the capital, innovation, and talent in the cleantech ecosystem, we&rsquo;re still losing the narrative to incumbent industries.
Danijel had some sharp insights here:
<blockquote id="ember1635" class="ember-view reader-text-block__blockquote">&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not as good as we should be at communicating the benefits of our technologies. The gas lobby, the meat lobby&mdash;they&rsquo;ve been playing this game for decades. We&rsquo;re just getting started.&rdquo;</blockquote>
And he&rsquo;s right. Whether it&rsquo;s hydrogen hype, meat subsidies, or public misunderstanding of EVs, we often fail to explain why cleantech isn&rsquo;t just greener&mdash;it&rsquo;s better. Cheaper. Faster. Cleaner. Tangibly so.
As Danijel said:
<blockquote id="ember1638" class="ember-view reader-text-block__blockquote">&ldquo;If you&rsquo;ve driven an EV once, you don&rsquo;t want to go back. Same with good alt protein. But we need to make that first experience happen.&rdquo;</blockquote>
<h3 id="ember1639" class="ember-view reader-text-block__heading-3">Final Thoughts</h3>
This episode left me energised and frustrated in equal measure.
Energised&mdash;because there are people like Danijel, funds like World Fund, and so many VCs and founders in the cleantech ecosystem, backing bold, science-based innovation with long-term vision.
Frustrated&mdash;because Europe is still at risk of squandering its edge in climate innovation through underinvestment, overregulation, and poor storytelling.
Capital matters. So does tech. But if we don&rsquo;t back the right founders&mdash;and help them build the right teams&mdash;we&rsquo;ll never scale the solutions we so desperately need.
🎧 You can listen to the full conversation on all podcast platforms and YouTube, here's the Apple Link- <a class="IfLmRNJWDKWJahDEmDaCEOnDSeXHtBgyBFDsa " tabindex="0" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/danijel-vi%C5%A1evi%C4%87-world-fund/id1442356042?i=1000709247348" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/danijel-vi%C5%A1evi%C4%87-world-fund/id1442356042?i=1000709247348</a>
If you are looking to scale your leadership, executive or non-executive teams, let's have a conversation.

Europe’s Cleantech Edge – and the Risk of Losing It

Throughout my career, I've learned that genuinely negative, disruptive, or difficult employees&mdash;the ones often labelled "jerks"&mdash;are actually quite rare. Yes, they exist, and anyone who's managed people for any length of time will have encountered them, but they are by no means the norm (if you have one get them out quickly). Far more common is seeing good employees struggle because they're in the wrong environment, the wrong role, or simply working for the wrong manager or company.
Early in my career, I had a manager who profoundly shaped my understanding of talent management. He believed that, in most cases, employees weren't inherently "bad"; rather, their talents and potential were simply being mismanaged or misunderstood. It struck me then, and still resonates deeply today. Over the years, I&rsquo;ve seen many examples of people whose performance transformed dramatically once their circumstances changed&mdash;whether through a new manager, a clearer role, or simply a company or environment that better aligned with their strengths and values.
Leadership matters immensely in this context. While hiring the right people is undoubtedly critical, it&rsquo;s just the starting point. Effective leaders do far more than select candidates based on technical skills or past experiences. They focus equally&mdash;if not more&mdash;on attitude, mindset, cultural fit, and the personal connection they form with the individual during the hiring process. Successful recruitment is a holistic approach that prioritises both the human and professional aspects of a potential hire. That's what we believe in at Hyperion Search.
Yet, even with the right person hired, leadership's role doesn't stop there. Clear communication, well-defined expectations, genuine empowerment, and providing appropriate resources to succeed are all part of the puzzle. And yes, while this may not sound like rocket science, consistently achieving this is incredibly challenging. We&rsquo;ve all stumbled in our journeys as leaders; we&rsquo;ve all had moments where we fell short.
But here's the crucial question for any organisation: How serious are you really about success if hiring, culture, and leadership aren't among your top priorities for time, money, and resources? Companies that genuinely commit to nurturing people excellence inevitably build stronger, healthier, and higher-performing teams.
So, yes, there might occasionally be a genuinely disruptive employee. But let&rsquo;s not allow those rare cases to mask a far more common challenge: poor hiring, poor leadership, unclear communication, micromanagement, and misalignment between talent and roles.
Leadership is complex and often tough. But when done well, when the right people are placed in the right environment with the clarity, support, and autonomy to excel, the results speak for themselves.
If your organisation is genuinely committed to achieving people excellence&mdash;recognising that talent, culture, and leadership underpin success&mdash;we&rsquo;re here and ready to support you on that journey.
Have you experienced dramatic transformations simply by placing an employee in a different context or under different leadership? I'd love to hear your experiences or perspectives in the comments.

Jerk Employees Are Quite Rare—Poor Leadership Less So

It's a question I pose to my clients at the very start of a new search. Whilst many define it with hard numbers &ndash; "&pound;X revenue delivered by X date" or "X projects delivered with X costs saved" &ndash; a fair few, though, simply say: "finding the right person." And that really got me thinking... This weekend, I'll be running the Manchester Marathon, my fourth in five years and the first of two this year.&nbsp;Those four medals will stick with me forever, and they certainly haven't come about by chance. I've put in a serious amount of time and effort over the years, going from someone who couldn't run for a bus to someone who's no longer fazed by running 20 miles on consecutive weekends. The thought of 26.2 miles though, can seem a bit daunting, but in many ways it reminds me a lot of the strategic graft required in the search for top talent. Finding the right person doesn't just happen overnight. Just like running a marathon, it isn't about a quick dash to the finish line. It involves proper planning and strategy, consistent effort, and the stamina and resilience to go the distance. And more often than not, it requires the skills and experience of someone far more clued up than yourself to help you get there &ndash; like a running coach. Let's face it, everyone wants the best hire, but most of the time, the best talent isn't immediately visible, they're happy, motivated, well compensated and generally flying in their current role. A proper and persistent search is therefore required to uncover and then convince those exceptional individuals to come on board and genuinely drive your business forward and help you achieve your growth ambitions. Mediocre, so-so talent doesn't take your business to the next level, just like being ill-prepared won't run a marathon for you. So don't rush the hiring process or settle for working with a firm who simply slings the cheapest and fastest CVs at your door. We all know a rushed hiring process has a high probability of ending in disaster - just like a rushed marathon. That's where <a class="xXXEFAzGsltBCCjemkkaUevUsKrGJsMIeVk " tabindex="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/hyperion-search-ltd/" target="_self" data-test-app-aware-link="">Hyperion Search Ltd</a> comes in. Think of a search firm like us as your experienced running partner or coach, leveraging our knowledge and many years of experience to guide you through the twists and turns of the talent landscape, creating and delivering on a strategy to help you cross the finish line with the perfect hire not a rushed one. If you are looking for senior or leadership talent and want to find the right partner to have a genuine impact on your success in doing so, feel free to get in touch.

What does success look like?

We hear it everywhere: the world of work is changing. Fast. And it's true.
Whether you're leading an established team or scaling a startup, the question isn't if your workforce will need to evolve&mdash;but how fast you can help them do it.
A recent article by Raconteur reminded me of just how important this topic has become. We need to speak candidly about the imperative to upskill and reskill across the organisation,s we lead, particularly in response to AI, automation, and rapidly shifting customer expectations.
But here&rsquo;s the thing: while these conversations often focus on employees, future-proofing isn&rsquo;t just about them. It&rsquo;s about you, the leader. It&rsquo;s about how you evolve yourself&mdash;and how you take your team with you.
Leadership Is No Longer About Just Knowing More
In the past, being a good leader often meant being the most experienced person in the room. The expert. The one with all the answers.
Today, it's more about asking the right questions. And staying curious enough to keep learning, even (especially) when you don&rsquo;t have all the answers, and being open that you don't.
Leaders aren&rsquo;t just guiding teams anymore&mdash;they're navigating uncharted terrain themselves. That means staying ahead of technology, yes, but also developing the judgement to know when to rely on it, and when to lean on human nuance, ethics, or empathy instead.
I see this a lot in cleantech and the wider energy transition space. AI and digitalisation are playing a rapidly growing role in everything from grid optimisation, solar design and battery monitoring to mobility-as-a-service. But you still need human leadership to make the critical calls&mdash;especially when lives, communities, and the planet are on the line.
Skills-First Thinking: Not Just a Buzzword
Embrace a &ldquo;skills-first&rdquo; model. That means assessing talent based on what people can do now, and their potential to grow, rather than just what&rsquo;s on their CV.
It&rsquo;s a powerful mindset shift, and one that has real implications for how we lead.
In practical terms? It means we need to be better at evaluating skills across our existing teams&mdash;and spotting both potential and gaps. AI tools are helping to map and predict future needs, but leadership still requires good old-fashioned human judgement. Knowing who&rsquo;s likely to thrive in a new role. Who needs development. And yes&mdash;who might not be a fit for the next phase.
It also changes how we hire. More and more companies are moving away from rigid job descriptions and towards hiring for adaptability, learning agility, and problem-solving. It&rsquo;s not always easy&mdash;especially in technical roles&mdash;but I believe this is where forward-thinking leaders will differentiate themselves.
The (Often Overlooked) Human Side of Upskilling
I like the &ldquo;70-20-10&rdquo; learning model&mdash;70% experiential, 20% social, and 10% formal training. It reflects what many of us instinctively know: people don&rsquo;t grow just by sitting in a classroom or watching an online course.
They grow through real-world challenges. Cross-functional projects. Coaching and mentoring. Stretch opportunities.
As leaders, part of our job is to create these environments. To be intentional about growth&mdash;not just assuming it will happen because someone is &ldquo;good&rdquo; or &ldquo;smart&rdquo;.
It also means giving people permission to fail safely. Not recklessly&mdash;but with room to experiment and stretch. That kind of culture doesn&rsquo;t happen by accident. It needs to be modelled from the top and constantly nurtured.
Hiring, Firing, and the Harder Calls
Let&rsquo;s talk about the tough bit. As roles evolve, some skills and mindsets become obsolete.
Sometimes, no amount of upskilling can bridge that gap. And as leaders, we have to make difficult calls&mdash;on restructuring, offboarding, or pivoting entire teams. It&rsquo;s never easy. But it&rsquo;s necessary if we&rsquo;re truly committed to building future-fit organisations.
What matters is how we do it. With transparency. With empathy. And ideally, with support mechanisms to help people transition&mdash;whether that&rsquo;s into another part of the business, or to opportunities elsewhere.
The best leaders I know don't shy away from these decisions&mdash;but they also don&rsquo;t just outsource them to HR. They work with HR but engage directly, they communicate clearly, and they honour the contributions of those affected.
Final Thoughts
The cleantech sector (and business in general) isn&rsquo;t getting any simpler. We&rsquo;re juggling funding challenges, evolving tech, regulatory shifts, and AI's speedy evolution, talent shortages&mdash;all at once.
So if you&rsquo;re feeling stretched, you&rsquo;re not alone.
But the leaders who will thrive in this next chapter are those who take a long view. Those who invest in their own growth, stay curious, and proactively future-proof their teams&mdash;not just through hiring, but through a culture of learning, open communication, adaptability, and clear-eyed leadership.
What are you doing to evolve your own leadership skillset? How are you planning for the skills your team will need 1, 3, or 5 years from now? How are you planning your talent strategy? Do you have one? If not, we're here to help.

Future-Proofing Your Team: What Great Leaders Are Doing Differently

Two of my favourite topics, smart working (remote/hybrid) and Smart Buildings. Despite high profile RTO mandates from the likes of Tesla, JP Morgan and Amazon, it's clear that flexible working, in terms or hours and locations, is here to stay.&nbsp;
This article shares 'The coworking space market will grow from $19.05 billion last year (2023) to $22.44 billion in 2024 &ndash; an annual growth rate of 17.8%. Further, it&rsquo;s estimated that the flexible office space sector will rise significantly from its current size of c 53.4 million square feet (Sept 2023) to 81 million square feet by 2025 &ndash; a phenomenal increase of 52 percent.
By the end of&nbsp;2024, it&rsquo;s anticipated there will be 41,975 global coworking spaces. That&rsquo;s an annual growth rate of just over&nbsp;21%.'
This is also a huge opportunity to create far more sustainable buildings and working practices. In both buildings and work flexibility is the key. &nbsp;
How can we make our existing buildings more flexible and efficient, and how can we do the same for our working practices? &nbsp;Happy to hear your thoughts.
&nbsp;

The future of buildings and the co-working industry

Flexibility is now one of, if not the most, important consideration for most professionals we speak to when looking for their next career challenge.&nbsp;
Therefore, the proposed rule changes around 4 day working weeks in the UK, as highlighted in this article, are very interesting indeed. In fact, they could be revolutionary for work as we know it!
Currently, employees in the UK have the right to request flexible working, but employers aren&rsquo;t legally obliged to agree. However, that could be set to change with new planned laws which would mean all employers must offer employees the option of flexible 4 day working from day one of employment, except where it is &ldquo;not reasonably feasible&rdquo; (What this latter stipulation means, time will tell!)
It's a topic I've heard many people discussing recently and in most cases, positively.
The 4 day week has already been trialled and fully implemented in other countries, such as Belgium, Australia, Denmark etc and in 2023, a trial of over 60 companies in the UK, found approx. 90% of participating companies were positive post-trial and chose to keep the 4 day working arrangements permanently.&nbsp;
It's a topic close to home too. Here at Hyperion we offer the 4 day flexibility for some of our team members who have requested it, for example those with young children who might be navigating childcare availability and costs. Now in our case it's made easier given we're a Services business and ultimately quality output is the main measure for us. There's no &ldquo;clock in, clock out&rdquo; culture - ultimately, if your working pattern means you're delivering against your objectives and aligning with our values, then great!
Some of the positive impacts reported by those who have implemented the 4 day week include:
<ul>
<li>Boosts in productivity - Many companies found that output improved after introducing 4 day weeks. With reduced hours, employees were more focused and efficient, so they could enjoy the benefits of the extra day off</li>
<li>Improved engagement - Better work-life balance made people feel happier and more engaged during their working days. This can really boost team harmony and ultimately performance</li>
<li>Reduced burnout - according to this BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20230319-four-day-workweek-trial-the-firms-where-it-didnt-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">article</a>, 71% of the 2023 UK trial reported reductions in levels of burnout</li>
<li>Hiring benefits - With flexibility being a key driver for many job seekers, offering this arrangement can give companies an edge over competition when attracting top talent</li>
</ul>
Of course, it's not that easy for all industries and even in sectors where it is more practical, it will take some adjustment for many company leaders (it's been difficult enough to convince some leaders to allow working from home flexibility, never mind 4 day working!). As we know, typically people don't like change!
If you're a business leader faced with the prospect of these new rules, there are some important things to keep in mind:
<ul>
<li>Not everyone will want this. Don't assume this needs to be a blanket rule. Some people like and work better in the routine and pace of a 5 day week and therefore may not adjust to a reduced week.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Be smart with how this is implemented. It's no use having half your team off on the same day, if you have round-the-clock business. Think about how this can be staggered or on a rotation for your team members</li>
<li>There should be no concessions when it comes to meeting objectives. This is an employee choice and accountability should come with this flexibility.</li>
<li>Be careful not to inadvertently create an unhealthy intense, high-pressure work environment by compressing the same workload into four days. Be mindful your employees could end up overwhelmed and not perform at their best or in more severe cases this could impact physical and mental health.</li>
<li>Less time for critical thinking and reflection. Some of the best business ideas spawn from &ldquo;free time&rdquo; where your team can reflect and focus on new solutions. This condensed workload may eliminate those windows of opportunity for creativity and strategizing.&nbsp;</li>
<li>You may see top performers crash. In many businesses, productivity is already super high, with fast pace and constant deadlines (those running start-ups know exactly what I mean) so reducing workdays may seem like a benefit, but in fact it might add a new layer of pressure. Instead of taking the extra day to work on themselves, recharge the batteries, or be with their families, employees could instead end up logging into work to catch up on tasks they couldn&rsquo;t complete during the 4 days, which ultimately defeats the point!</li>
</ul>
Ultimately, whether this concept works can come down to how it's implemented by the business leaders - particularly how you balance being accommodating of employee's expectations and the needs and expectations of the business. In any successful work model, whether its 4 days, 5 days, or whatever else, the focus should be on the quality of work and the wellbeing of employees. Don't treat them like cogs in a machine!
How do you anticipate the new 4 day working week rule changes affecting your business?
Hyperion supports cleantech and climatetech clients across Europe, to hire top senior and executive leadership talent. If you're looking for support in growing your business, contact me at david.beeston@hyperionsearch.com

New 4 day week rules set to change in the UK. Are you ready?

Show me the money!
Those of a certain age will remember the famous Jerry Maguire line. I often think of this when discussing the merits of renewables and energy storage with clients. Often clients tell me that one of the core challenges is convincing financers or those outside the industry, on the merits of &ldquo;going green&rdquo;. Rolling out technology specs and a bunch of acronyms sometimes doesn't cut it. Sometimes you need to break it down to simple financial terms&hellip; Show me the money!
This excellent analysis by Ember highlights the HUGE monetary benefits we could see by ramping up our BESS deployments. Focused on the EU, but applicable globally, the impact BESS can have on not only reducing curtailment costs but also alleviating the reliance on expensive gas generation, is enormous.
Quite simply, who can argue against potentially &euro;9 billion per year in reduced costs?!
Hyperion Search supports Energy Storage and Grid clients to recruit senior and executive leadership talent, who can help their companies to grow significantly. If you're a leader of a Energy Storage &amp; Grid company looking to expand or transform your leadership team, contact me at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:david.beeston@hyperionsearch.com">david.beeston@hyperionsearch.com</a> to discuss how we can support you.

How BESS can save the EU billions!

Having supported a number of start-ups in hiring Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) over the last few years, I've witnessed first-hand the invaluable contributions they can make to a company's growth and success. The right NED brings a unique blend of experience, expertise, and objectivity to the boardroom, providing invaluable guidance and support to the executive team.
When considering hiring a NED, it's essential to align their skills and experience with the specific needs of your start-up. Look for individuals who have a rich and fruitful network they can leverage, a track record &lsquo;operating&rsquo; within successful organisations, someone who offers strategic insights, challenges assumptions, and provides valuable mentorship to you and your founding team without stepping on anybody's toes.&nbsp;
An effective NED has the ability to foster a culture of innovation, collaboration and accountability, will ask the right questions, provide invaluable mentorship to your leadership team and help guide your growth strategy rather than dictate it.
Throughout my experience, I've found that NEDs who are passionate about the mission of a start-up and its vision tend to be the most effective. They are more likely to be engaged, proactive, and committed to long-term success. Building a strong rapport and trust between the NED and the executive team is also crucial for effective collaboration. The NED should compliment your team, bringing fresh ideas to the table, acting as a sounding board, a source of inspiration, motivation and belief in realising your company goals. In my role at Hyperion, I've had the pleasure of working with directly a couple of NED's who have helped support our own growth. I've also worked with several cleantech and EV start-ups to appoint NED's at crucial stages of their growth, from pre-investment to post-investment scale-up phase.&nbsp; If you are considering hiring a NED, carefully evaluate their expertise, experience, and alignment with your company goals. Ask yourself, what support does your business need and what value will hiring a NED bring. And of course, if you need help finding one, consider myself and Hyperion Search - we've been doing this for years.&nbsp;

Hiring a NED can transform your business

The solar industry has been a core market for Hyperion since our inception. Years ago, before the boom of solar technology, our Managing Director David Hunt and Director Ross Hoare, built and scaled a multi-award-winning solar installation business. The sector has experienced significant growth, challenges, and changes over the last decade. It remains the backbone of the clean energy transition.

Solar

Over the last 20 years, the Energy Storage and grid services industry has continued to evolve, adapt, and innovate in response to the increasing challenges of the clean energy transition, and the demands that places on the grid. It has seen many advances in technology (greater capacity, energy density, durability), and in the multiple chemistries, materials and scales and applications of solutions. This has created a massive demand to hire top talent across an array of storage and grid technologies in both hardware and software/services.

Energy Storage and Grid

The evolution of the electrification of transport and Future Mobility landscape has been significant over the last five years, driven by many factors including purchase incentives for Evs, the availability of options, massive growth in charging infrastructure and strict government policies towards the banning of ICE vehicle sales. Across hardware, software and services we have supported a myriad of VC backed start-ups to scale, as well as larger organisations developing their future mobility offerings.

EV and Future Mobility

The concept of 'Smart Cities' has gained significant importance in recent years as urban areas face increasing challenges related to population growth, resource management, and environmental sustainability. Smart cities and smart buildings leverage cutting-edge technologies such as IoT, big data analytics, artificial intelligence and a host of renewable and sustainable technologies to enhance the quality of urban living and transportation. These technologies enable more efficient management of resources, improved public services, and better connectivity, ultimately leading to a higher standard of living and sustainability. By optimizing infrastructure, clean technologies and services, smart cities can reduce energy consumption, minimize waste, and create more sustainable urban environments.

Smart Cities

We have an unmatched ability to discover and attract outstanding candidates for strategically important hires, especially C-Suite, leadership and senior roles. Our network and reach extends across Europe, North America and beyond, thanks to our deep insight into the cleantech sector. We have particular expertise in Renewables, Energy Storage and Grid, EV and Future Mobility and Smart Buildings.&nbsp;
We guide our clients through the entire hiring journey and build long-term relationships that last for years.
This includes with our partners in Venture Capital and Private Equity funds active in the cleantech ecosystem.

Hyperion was set up with a mission to be the most widely respected and successful&nbsp; search firm in the renewables and cleantech sectors. Our business is founded on allowing our people to be fearless, transparent and creative in what we do. These values are the bedrock of our business and push our team to be the best we can be for both our clients and our candidates. We outperform larger, more corporate recruitment firms and are not afraid to call out industry controversy. Through openness and honesty,&nbsp;our team will show you a different, more focused and collaborative side to recruitment.
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Our Values - Why Hyperion?

Hyperion Search is part of <a href="https://www.hcholdings.global" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HC Holdings</a> - home to complementary search, talent intelligence and advisory brands operating across the global energy, commodity and natural resource sectors.&nbsp;<a href="https://hcholdings.global" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HC Holdings </a>group companies include&nbsp;<a href="https://hcgroup.global" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HC Group</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://encoinsights.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Enco Insights</a>&nbsp;and 3C Advisors.

Part of HC Holdings

About Us

Hyperion Search finds leaders, key hires and builds leadership teams for the most innovative cleantechnology and renewable energy companies, enabling them to find extraordinary people, and to achieve their

Hyperion Board Search is a dedicated division of Hyperion Search. The team, led by <a href="https://hyperionsearch.com/meet-the-team/david-hunt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Hunt</a>, specialise in appointing Non-Executive Chairs and Directors to high-growth cleantech and energy transition businesses.From first-time founders to PE-backed scale-ups, we help clients build high-impact boards aligned with their next stage of growth.Why Hyperion Board Search?<ul><li>Sector specialisation - we operate exclusively in the clean technology and renewable energy sectors</li><li>Global search capability &ndash; 17+ countries and counting</li><li>Personally led by David Hunt, industry expert &amp; strategic advisor</li><li>Trusted by VCs, founders, and investors across EMEA and North America</li><li>Proven record placing Chairs and NEDs in high-growth businesses</li></ul> Who We Work With?<ul><li>VC &amp; PE-backed cleantech companies</li><li>Founders and CEOs scaling their boards</li><li>Investors seeking to strengthen portfolio governance</li><li>Mature businesses evolving their leadership</li></ul>

Hyperion Board Search is a dedicated division of Hyperion Search. The team, led by David Hunt, specialise in appointing Non-Executive Chairs and Directors to high-growth cleantech and energy transition businesses. From first-time founders to PE-backed scale-ups, we help clients build high-impact boards aligned with their next stage of growth. Why Hyperion Board Search?><ul><li> Sector specialisation - we operate exclusively in the clean technology and renewable energy sectors</li><li> Global search capability – 17+ countries and counting</li><li> Personally led by David Hunt, industry expert & strategic advisor</li><li> Trusted by VCs, founders, and investors across EMEA and North America</li><li> Proven record placing Chairs and NEDs in high-growth businesses</li></ul> Who We Work With<ul><li> VC & PE-backed cleantech companies </li><li> Founders and CEOs scaling their boards </li><li>Investors seeking to strengthen portfolio governance</li><li>Mature businesses evolving their leadership</li></ul>

Clients

At Hyperion Search, we work exclusively within cleantech and renewable energy. Drawing on over a decade of executive search expertise, our Board Search practice specialises in appointing Non-Executive Chairs and Directors to high-growth cleantech and energy transition businesses.
From first-time founders to PE-backed scale-ups, we help clients build high-impact boards aligned with their next stage of growth.
Why Hyperion Board Search?
<ul>
<li>Sector specialisation - we operate exclusively in the clean technology and renewable energy sectors</li>
<li>Global search capability &ndash; 19+ countries and counting</li>
<li>Trusted by VCs, founders, and investors across EMEA and North America</li>
<li>Proven record placing Chairs and NEDs in high-growth businesses</li>
</ul>
 Who We Work With?
<ul>
<li>VC &amp; PE-backed cleantech companies</li>
<li>Founders and CEOs scaling their boards</li>
<li>Investors seeking to strengthen portfolio governance</li>
<li>Mature businesses evolving their leadership</li>
</ul>

Board Search

Candidate

If you are in the cleantech sector at Board, Executive or mid/senior level you can also send us your details, in confidence via this form.

Register with us confidentially

We&rsquo;re a client-focused search firm, but we equally value our relationships with candidates. Most professionals we engage aren&rsquo;t actively job-seeking -they&rsquo;re excelling in their current roles but may have frustrations, whether it's career growth, workplace culture, or leadership. While not actively looking, they&rsquo;re open to the right opportunity at the right time.

Unexpected changes - redundancies, relocations, or shifts in work conditions - can turn &lsquo;passive&rsquo; candidates &lsquo;active&rsquo;, and we&rsquo;re here to help them find the right fit. At Hyperion, we respect every candidate&rsquo;s journey. We listen to their goals, motivations, and ideal work environment, staying in touch until the perfect role arises.
Unlike many recruiters who see candidates only as a &lsquo;fee&rsquo;, we see them as people - people with their own dreams and aspirations, just as we have.

Our Values

Candidates

Client

Use this form to reach out to us and we’ll get back to you shortly.

Book a call

At Hyperion, we have over a decade of experience helping clients secure key hires and build entire teams. While we specialise in Board, C-Suite, and senior leadership roles, we excel at placing &lsquo;first boots on the ground&rsquo; as companies expand internationally.
Our search service is highly effective due to our deep knowledge of the clean technology sector and our extensive global network built over years in the industry. We assist clients in defining job descriptions, selecting locations, benchmarking salaries, and understanding company culture before beginning a search. We then deliver a diverse, thoroughly vetted shortlist and provide end-to-end support through hiring and onboarding.

We spend our lives &lsquo;in&rsquo; the industry; day in and day out we are speaking to clients, contacts and candidates in the cleantech industry. We have an active role within the industry, regularly speaking at and attending key industry events, to ensure we find the very best candidates for our clients.
While we keep every conversation confidential, it does mean we aggregate a huge amount of industry data, on market conditions, salary levels, activity levels, and candidate perceptions of your company. We use this data to help our clients define job briefs and to tailor a specific search campaign for each assignment.

Reach out to us

Contact Us

At Hyperion Search many of our searches are &lsquo;under the radar&rsquo;, especially executive and strategically important hires. However we do publish many live mandates which you can access and apply to below.

Energy Storage and Grid

EV and Future Mobility

A global search firm: helping Cleantech companies to scale

Latest Insights

At Hyperion we have an unmatched ability to source and place exceptional talent across the renewables and cleantech sector, from novel Hydrogen technologies to smart buildings. Our core markets are...

Our Sectors

As a global cleantech search firm, we deliver world class talent at Board, Executive and Leadership level, offering tailored solutions to organisations operating across the clean technologies and renewable energy sectors.

Our Services

If you are currently working in the cleantech sector, in an executive, leadership or senior capacity, and are open to new opportunities, either actively or passively, send a CV in confidence and one of the team will be in touch

Testimonials

Insights

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<h4 class="Paragraph SCXW143503191 BCX0">Talent Intelligence for Cleantech: Enabling HR leaders to make data-driven, strategic hiring and expansion decisions&nbsp;</h4>
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Our market insights and intelligence services&nbsp;provides organisations with&nbsp;a clear view of talent trends, competitor benchmarks, and sector dynamics. We provide the data and analysis that allow&nbsp;companies and leaders&nbsp;to make informed decisions on recruitment, succession planning, and strategic growth.&nbsp;
</div>
Our research draws on years of relationship-building across cleantech and renewables. When we map a talent pool,&nbsp;we are speaking to people with genuine standing in their field,&nbsp;and can therefore provide:&nbsp;
<div>
<ul role="list">
<li role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">
A clear view of where relevant&nbsp;expertise&nbsp;is concentrated, and in what volume
</li>
<li role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">
Honest compensation benchmarking grounded in real market data
</li>
<li role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">
An assessment of who is realistically accessible and under what conditions 
</li>
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Insight into how competitors are structuring and building their teams&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
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 Our Talent Intelligence services include:
<ul>
<li>
Workforce planning &amp; team structuring
</li>
<li>
Organisational design for scale
</li>
<li>
Compensation &amp; equity benchmarking
</li>
<li>
Talent pipelining &amp; succession planning
</li>
<li>
Competitor talent mapping &amp; analysis
</li>
<li>
Strategic hiring roadmaps
</li>
</ul>
<h4>&ldquo;In this market, the right team isn&rsquo;t just an asset &ndash; it&rsquo;s your competitive advantage. We give you the intelligence to build it with precision.&rdquo;&nbsp;</h4>

Talent Intelligence

Featured Searches

At Hyperion Search many of our searches are ‘under the radar’, especially executive and strategically important hires. However we do publish many live mandates which you can access and apply to below

Join Our Team

Kickstart Coffee

Watch or tune in to our bi-weekly podcast hosted by our Managing Director David Hunt. In each episode he speaks with cleantech founders, CEOs, Investors and other industry leaders about their trials, tribulations, successes, failures and future predictions.

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Meet the Team

Meet The Team

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Our Impact

Our Manifesto

in many ways, and that includes partnering with and donating to the following organisations

Hyperion is a client centred search firm, which means we work with our clients and tailor recruitment solutions according to their needs. Our search service is so effective largely due to our passion for and knowledge of the clean technology industry, combined with our extensive global network of contacts and candidates, built over a decade in the sector.&nbsp; We consider the nature of the role, level of urgency and level of difficulty to fill before suggesting the best method to help. Essentially, we won&rsquo;t &lsquo;sell&rsquo; a solution until we have diagnosed the problem.

We spend our lives &lsquo;in&rsquo; the industry; day in and day out we are speaking to clients, contacts and candidates in the cleantech industry. We have an active role within the industry, regularly speaking at and attending key industry events, to ensure we find the very best candidates for our clients.