Executive Search Success Story: Building the Executive Team for an Infrastructure-Backed Utility-Scale Energy Storage Developer and Owner-Operator

How JRG Partners executed a confidential, multi-role North American executive search strategy that equipped an infrastructure-fund-backed energy storage developer with the chief executive, development, engineering and construction, asset operations, and finance leadership required to convert a 6 GW pipeline into operating assets, secure project financing, and build a merchant and contracted storage fleet across multiple power markets.

The Challenge

An infrastructure fund had acquired a storage developer with a strong early pipeline and 900 MW operating, and committed $2.5B to build it into a leading owner-operator. The founding team excelled at origination but had never delivered projects at the pace required: interconnection queues and permitting slowed projects, EPC execution on the first large projects ran late and over budget, operating assets underperformed revenue models in merchant markets, project financing was raised deal by deal, and the fund needed an executive team able to deploy capital across multiple markets. Executive leadership and the investor identified several critical vulnerabilities threatening the plan:

• A founder team strong in origination but without experience delivering gigawatts of projects
• Interconnection and permitting delays across a 6 GW pipeline
• EPC execution on the first large projects late and over budget
• Operating assets underperforming revenue models with no market optimization capability
• Project financing raised deal by deal with no portfolio financing strategy
• $2.5B of committed capital with investor expectations for deployment pace and returns

Recognizing that the plan required an executive team built for scale, the investor and board engaged JRG Partners to recruit a Chief Executive Officer, Chief Development Officer, Vice President of Engineering, Procurement & Construction, Vice President of Asset Operations & Market Optimization, and Chief Financial Officer. The company required an executive search partner with deep energy storage expertise and access to leaders who had scaled independent power businesses.

Why They Chose JRG Partners

Battery & Energy Storage Industry Focus

JRG Partners maintains a dedicated practice serving battery and energy storage companies, including storage developers, owner-operators, and system integrators, with a clear understanding of development, interconnection, EPC, market optimization, and project finance.

Independent Power Experience

Our firm has extensive experience recruiting executive teams for independent power producers and renewable developers, with a clear understanding of pipeline conversion, construction execution, and fleet operations.

Infrastructure Investor Expertise

Our team works routinely with infrastructure funds on executive builds tied to capital deployment, with a clear understanding of return expectations and governance.

Our Executive Search Strategy

Phase 1 — Growth Plan Alignment

Our consultants partnered directly with the investor, board, and founders to review the pipeline, project performance, operating fleet results, financing structure, and target markets, defining five executive profiles sequenced around the chief executive placement.

Phase 2 — Talent Identification & Mapping

Our research team performed an extensive talent mapping initiative targeting chief executives, development, EPC, asset operations, and finance leaders at energy storage developers, independent power producers, renewable developers, utilities, and infrastructure investors who had led documented gigawatt-scale growth. Over 430 executives were systematically assessed across these sectors.

Phase 3 — Candidate Engagement

Priority during outreach was given to leaders with a documented history of converting multi-gigawatt pipelines, navigating interconnection and permitting, delivering storage EPC on schedule and budget, optimizing storage fleets in merchant and contracted markets, and structuring portfolio project financing. Only candidates meeting these strict performance baselines advanced.

Phase 4 — Selection Process

Finalists presented growth plans to the investor and board, completed structured leadership assessments, and underwent reference verification focused on quantified development, construction, operations, and financing outcomes, with later hires interviewed by the newly placed chief executive.

Key Outcomes

• 430+ energy storage, independent power, and infrastructure finance executive profiles mapped across North America.
• Successfully placed a synchronized C-suite spanning chief executive, development, EPC, asset operations, and finance within eight months.
• Advanced 2.4 GW to notice to proceed within two years.
• Delivered 1.6 GW of projects on schedule and within budget.
• Raised fleet revenue 25% above model and availability to 98%.
• Grew the operating fleet from 900 MW to 3 GW across four markets.