How and why did you join Parkwind?
I was graduating from business school and had no clear idea of exactly what I wanted to do. Some people know what they want to do – they want to be a lawyer, a doctor – but I didn’t have a clear view. I’ve got quite a versatile academic background: I studied law, international relations and then a bit of business, so touched a bit upon everything. Do I want to start in a startup from scratch, working with friends? Or do I want to work in a big company with a set role, no room for maneuvering, for creativity?
Parkwind fit in the middle of that. It’s startup minded, but also with the means to do what it wants. It’s also a company with a meaningful purpose – clean energy. That was something really important for me and for a company – to have a certain value, a certain purpose. For me, Parkwind is my success story. I’ve worked here for more than three years, and I’ve no intention to leave whatsoever.
What is your role?
I am part of the business development team who really at the forefront of Parkwind's activities and at the inception of any project. This covers opportunity sourcing, negotiation, due diligence, valuation and coordination with other departments. The multi-disciplinary aspect of the job is essential.
What is challenging about your work at Parkwind?
You have an entire spectrum: you have big companies with clear standards and organization rules, then you have startups, which sometimes are a bit fuzzy and lack organization. Parkwind is in between, but a bit more on the startup side. Sometimes the processes are not there because we are doing things for the first time. You need to find a way around, to sit together and to create a plan. Maybe sometimes you will just roll up your sleeves and accept that it will not end up where you intended, but that’s part of the job.
What’s the culture of your team?
The culture is really based on teamwork. We have a young team where the average age is around 30. Most of the time, we are 2 or 3 people on a project – looking for opportunities and presenting them to our board or management. You cannot do that on your own, you need to rely on the expertise of others and really work in a team. If you want to work in a team, be creative, have an impact and think outside of the box, you have the means and the ability to do so on a daily basis at Parkwind.