Renewable Energy, Sustainable Executives
Interview with Carina Whitham- By Travis Taylor
Renewable energy is a multi-billion dollar industry. Investment in technologies such as solar power, wind power and hydroelectricity, reached $257 billion in 2011 alone. Rapid growth like that creates a need among companies for top-notch executives focused on renewable energy. This is where Carina Whitham and the Whitham Group come into play. Whitham, founder and President, brought the company together in 2010 after spending over 10 years in recruiting and staffing. Whitham and her associates found a niche in renewable energy recruiting and brought both their talent and passion to bear on that industry. “The one thing we noticed was that the people within the renewable energy industry, they take their talent and direct it toward the bettering of the environment,” Whitham said. “And they’re just good people to work with.”In less than two years, the Whitham Group has already found success. “In 2012 our revenues skyrocketed. This year – 2013, we are slated to double last year’s revenues,” noted Whitham. “And we are now expanding our offices globally.”Already Whitham Group has concentrations in solar power, with expansion into the biofuel, geothermal and wind industries. Part of the reason for the scope of this achievement is the way Whitham and her associates go about finding talent for companies, saving them money in the process. Before taking on any new client, for instance, Whitham Group goes through an assessment process. First, they only consider companies that are in the renewable energy industry. Secondly, each potential client’s revenue and capitalization is taken into consideration and thirdly, Whitham Group uses their vast connections to feel out the company, look into their corporate culture and interview people who work for that potential client. “We don’t want to place a candidate anywhere that’s not a viable position in a viable company with a good reputation,” Whitham said.Whitham Group’s candidates positively impact their Clients’ organizations in less than 90 days. Whitham’s network alone is a huge competitive advantage for her Clients. With so much success already, Whitham Group is poised to continued their significant growth and influence in the renewable energy industry. “In 2014 our plan is to align ourselves with some of the top energy companies and diversify by expanding our client portfolio,” said Whitham.This combination of passion, talent and even a sense of fun has driven Whitham Group to the top of renewable energy executive search firms. “We love what we do,” said Whitham, “so it doesn’t really seem like work.”