Build the Relationship First: Stefano Girolami on Solar, Leadership and Scale

Stefano Girolami arrived in London from Naples nearly 15 years ago planning to stay six months. He stayed for over a decade, built a career across five countries, and eventually joined a six-person startup that has since scaled to over a hundred people across Europe.He is now the Group CTO of Innovo Renewables. But this isn’t just a conversation about technology todays episode taps into a masterclass in leadership, resilience, and why your professional relationships are your most valuable currency.As Stefano sits down with Tom Essex to discuss the "scars" of the feed-in tariff crash, the reality of managing teams more senior than yourself at 25, and why he chose the chaos of a startup over the security of a global utility, they discuss the following:The Pivot: From Naples to London and finding a footing in the UK solar market.The Market Crash: Surviving the feed-in tariff collapse and being made redundant twice before age 30.The "Young Leader" Challenge: Managing peers and senior experts as a first-time manager.Scaling a Giant: Navigating the Solar Century acquisition by Statkraft and the transition to corporate life.Startup DNA: Joining Innovo at the ground floor and building a team of 100+ from scratch.Hiring Strategy: Why he prioritizes junior talent and "proceduralized" workflows.The Horizon: Future predictions for the Italian and European solar markets over the next 24 months.Connect with the Movement:Guest: Stefano Girolami (Group CTO, Innovo Renewables)Host: Tom EssexSubscribe to The Renewable Energy Movement Podcast to never miss an episode on the people and technology driving the global energy transition.Powered by: Kigyo