Luis Ángel Plata Cavazos Qualification : Energy management postgraduate programme Job title: Founder, Girasolve Energy
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your career to date? “I was born in Monterrey, Mexico and raised in a little town called Allende. I’m passionate about how our history as humans has been shaped by engineering and entrepreneurship, so it’s hardly a surprise that I became an engineer. While studying at the faculty of chemical sciences at the Autonomous University of Nuevo León, I co-founded a solar energy
Through bold experiences and courses, Egade has set a new quality standard in terms of my own expectations. More than just an amazing network, it also gave me tangible and high-value knowledge I could use to excel in that network. Egade didn’t just encourage me to look for the right answers, but also to re-think everything and ask the right questions. Can you give an example of a lesson learnt during your programme that you have applied to your current role and workplace? “Understanding and bringing the levelised cost of energy into our sales conversation was a big concept that I learned on the programme. When you’re talking about investments, having real and accurate projections is key.” What are the next steps on your career journey? “After leading Girasolve Energy from literally nothing to becoming one of the most important solar energy companies in Northeastern Mexico – and starting operations in the US southern states spanning California to Texas – the goal is to keep expanding our great solutions and services throughout the rest of the US and Mexico. I am also preparing to apply for a master’s degree at Harvard University.”
Energy from scratch. At that time, the Mexican federal government was leading a huge energy reform that everybody was talking about, but almost no-one understood it properly. I needed to identify those pioneers who really knew what was happening and Egade Business School was the place to find them.” What single course, project, initiative or aspect of the programme was your favourite part? “Finance for energy, a class taught by PhD holder Osmar Zavaleta. Energy is at the basis of every civilisation, government, business and family; energy projects need an impressive amount of capital and this is one of the challenges that developing countries, such as Mexico, face. One of the main heroes for all these institutions is financing. This is especially true for clean energy projects in areas with high electricity costs; financing these projects is usually low risk with a very attractive ROI, so it’s a game-changer.” How has the programme made a difference to your career and development as a leader? “Egade Business School has made a huge difference to my career in many ways, but I’ll give you the top three instances.
company named Girasolve Energy. “Since studying at Egade, I have
received the National Entrepreneur Award bestowed by the President of Mexico and I was named by MIT Technology Review as one of the 35 innovators under 35 in Latin America for 2023.” What programme did you graduate from? “After my engineering degree, I wanted to learn about the new solar business I was working on and realised I needed a deeper approach to technical energy management. I was lucky enough to spot Egade’s postgraduate programme with a specialisation in energy management.” Why did you take this particular programme? “My business partner (Jesús Salazar, also an engineer) and I had built Girasolve
34 Business Impact • ISSUE 1 • 2024
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