Day in the life: Enrique de Ramon – Managing Director of Solarcentury in Latin America
In the fourth of our “Nice to meet you” series featuring Solarcentury people, Enrique de Ramon reflects on his first month as Managing Director of Solarcentury in Latin America.
Q: How long have you worked in the solar sector and what attracted you to the industry in the first place?
I’ve worked in solar for ten years, since leaving University. I was impressed by the solar boom in Spain between 2006 and 2008 and I started working in a small Spanish company building projects up to 500 kWp. I really enjoyed being part of such a dynamic (at times crazy) market, so I decided to continue to build my professional career in the renewable energy sector. Also, the clear and positive social and environmental impacts of solar are a great motivator. This business provides a daily stimulus to work hard and to make a real difference.
Q: What is the biggest challenge about doing solar business in LatAm markets?
The main challenge relates to the very strong differences between the different countries. There’s a tendency in Europe to view LatAm as a whole, as one big country, but this is incorrect. In LatAm you have to deal with twenty different countries with twenty different regulatory regimes and most importantly, twenty different cultures. In addition, there is an element of business uncertainty in some countries due to a lack of local experience of solar technology, under developed regulation and unpredictable economies. All of this adds up to an interesting daily challenge!
Q: Where do you see solar in LatAm in five years’ time?
I see solar deployment in LatAm accelerating rapidly in the coming years. Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Colombia will generate most of the opportunities in the short and medium term.
Q: What attracted you to working for a UK based solar company?
I had the opportunity to work with Solarcentury when I was Business Manager at Panama based Ecosolar and therefore I knew most of the team. Solarcentury was also largely aligned with the values and mission of Grupo Ecos, which was important to me on a personal level.
Q: Is there a typical day in your role? Or is that a silly question?
That is not a silly question! Due to the time difference, my typical day is dealing in the morning with HQ in London and our European partners/suppliers, and then in the afternoon, focusing on more local matters. Obviously, unexpected issues can always suddenly appear, changing your work plans and making every day different.
Q: How do you find time to relax, work/life balance?
I try to spend quality time with my family and friends, playing football, running… Fortunately, Solarcentury culture encourages a good work/life balance, indeed expects it. In my view, that’s also absolutely essential and another reason for choosing to work for Solarcentury.
Read more from our day in the life series:
Day in the life: Jose Miguel Ferrer – Managing Director of Solarcentury in Iberia
Day in the life: Ajantha Malwatta – Residential Lead Developer at Solarcentury
Day in the life: Hannah Eastwell – Product Development Engineer at Solarcentury
Day in the life: Peter Italiano, Head of Product Development at Solarcentury
