Dawn's Comments

In 2011, executive search consultants Gaia Human Capital Consultants was retained by a prominent European thin-film manufacturer, HelioSphera to recruit essentially their Head of North America. A fascinating search assignment, Gaia had no difficulty in identifying and attracting top-talent to this challenging role.

Throughout our national search and sourcing efforts, a vast majority of our prospects and candidates viewed thin-film as an exciting, innovative and most promising technology ready to compete with all other PV technology.

No doubt and for many reasons, we need to continue aggressively pursuing all Renewable and Clean Energy technology and development efforts!

Nice job and interesting article, thank you Finlay!

Dawn Dzurilla
Founder & Managing Partner
Gaia Human Capital Consultants
dawnd@gaiahumancapital.com

Excellent article, Ira! Like you, all of the cleantech executives with whom Gaia Human Capital Consultants have had the privilege to work with are characterized by the three key "personalities" as you mentioned– the technological visionary, the determined entrepreneur, and the experienced industry executive. Excellent characterization.

As their partners in Executive Search, we too admire management teams that blend well together with different skill-sets and perspective. Additionally, successful firm executives share similar core competencies, critical to a business achieving a competitive advantage.

In executive level candidates, Gaia Human Capital Consultants seeks several competencies however, we place greatest value on a person's resourcefulness, visionary passion, creativity, integrity, energy, judgment, intelligence and substantive charisma.

Differing core competencies are required of executives at various points of development within any organization. As a business evolves, grows and adapts to new circumstances and opportunities, so will its executives' requirement for core competencies.

Ira, as you know like the real estate mantra, when making a cleantech investment it's about Management, Management, Management! Thank you for continuing to share your valuable insight as a cleantech venture capitalist focused on this critical issue.

Dawn Dzurilla, Gaia Human Capital Consultants

As Executive Search Consultants in the Renewable Energy and Cleantech industry, we see an incredible amount of pent-up demand from senior executives, professionals, investors and leaders of virtually every industry group, clamouring for a meaningful role to contribute to this most promising field.

Indeed, better late than never - this is great news for all of us!

Dawn Dzurilla, Managing Partner, Gaia Human Capital Consultants

Kudos to Ron Pernick and Clint Wilder at Clean Edge for their latest, exceptional report. As executive search consultants in the renewable energy and cleantech space, I would also highly recommend to Renewable Energy World.com's readers their review of the second annual, Clean Tech Job Trends 2010. - Dawn Dzurilla, Founder & Managing Partner, Gaia Human Capital Consultants.

Hi David - very interesting article! As an executive search consultant in the clean energy space, I can attest to several of your comments.

As VC/PE folks are well-aware, it's a lot of work to attract and secure world-class executive talent. In any emerging industry (cleantech no exception) executive leaders must also be sourced from various industries where that talent should exist. The actual competencies and experiences needed in individuals no doubt will vary significantly and is dependant on numerous factors - apparent to some and not so apparent to others!

Dawn Dzurilla, Founder & Managing Partner, Gaia Human Capital Consultants

Hi Stephen - I couldn't have stated this better myself, congratulations on publically expressing what I have been sharing with folks for quite a while. It was good to see you again in action at the Net Impact conference. As you know, I was Moderator of the "Opportunities in Wind Energy" panel. Like you, we were simply mobbed by students and professionals alike. As an Executive Search Consultant, everywhere I go, naturally I am peppered with career changing inquiries (as I have done for over 20 years) and I do continue to try my best. I also give our distinguished panelists much credit for lending their ear and in every case, kindly offering useful advise.

Keep up the great work, Stephen!

Dawn Dzurilla, Founder & President, Gaia Human Capital Consultants

Craig, interesting article! As Founder of Gaia Human Capital Consultants, an Executive search firm in the renewable and cleantech industry, I can reassure REW readers that somewhere at the intersection of what you really enjoy (satisfaction) and also do very well (success) is where great career experiences are found.

According to Brad Smart, author of the seminal book, "Topgrading: How Leading Companies Win by Hiring, Coaching, and Keeping the Best People" (i.e. "A Player), the most important core competency of an individual is resourcefulness and we agree. - Dawn Dzurilla, Founder & President, Gaia Human Capital Consultants

Hi Chris:

Thank you for commenting and sharing a few thought provoking questions about students inquiries concerning Green Collar Careers. On February 23rd, at Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA, Gaia Human Capital Consultants (www.gaiahumancapital.com) will be hosting a forum entitled: "The New Economy: Green Collar Opportunities & Careers".

This forum is free and open to those professionals and students in the region. We'll soon post all the details.

Dawn Dzurilla, President
Gaia Human Capital Consultants
www.gaiahumancapital.com
dawnd@gaiahumancapital.com

I would like to thank everyone for sharing so much additional information and for also sharing some of your own personal sustainable educational and training experiences.  Each day, I am truly encouraged by proliferation of organizations and educational institutions throughout the world offering renewable energy courses and curriculum.  Keep up the great and important work!

Dawn Dzurilla, President - Gaia Human Capital Consultants

Hello John Briggs:

Thank you for writing and please permit me to address your inquiries.

E-branding: (Employment Branding) is an emerging strategic (long-term) HR/Marketing/Communications initiative with the goal of attracting, engaging and retaining top-quality talent to organizations. This initiative achieves a synergy with a firm's corporate brand and if successful, will articulate a consistent message that will motivate and attract the proper talent to respond to your career value proposition, while engaging and retaining an organization's highest rated talent.

C-leadership: (Chief level leadership) ie. CEO, COO, CTO, CIO, CSO, CFO, CPO, CCO, etc

C-level: (Chief Level leadership): same as above.

Hope this helpful and wishing you all the best . . .

Dawn Dzurilla, Gaia Human Capital Consultants

 

Joel, I would like to offer congratulations to you and your staff for putting together such an informative and important document.  Thank you for your continued hard work to articulate the facts and many issues facing global sustainability, energy conservation and solutions.