Conversations in Cleantech

Conversations in Cleantech offers insight into the opportunities, challenges and rewards of working in the cleantech space from the investors, leaders, entrepreneurs, accelerators & technologists within it.We talk all things cleantech, sustainability, renewables, agritech, solar, wind, e-mobilty, hydrogen & energy storage.The time for cleantech is now – join the revolution and live your purpose.Conversations in Cleantech is bought to you by Brightsmith, the cleantech search specialists.

Conversations in Cleantech is a technology podcast hosted by Brightsmith, with 100 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Brightsmith hosts Conversations in Cleantech, a technology show with 100 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #104

  Sandhya Mutreja, Global Head (VP) of People at Yondr Group: on Creating Talent, Leading Transformation & Building Culture at Scale | Season Eleven, Episode Seven

  Sep 29, 202636 minS11

  Welcome to Season Eleven of Conversations in Cleantech! This season, we're exploring the talent equation, examining the people, skills, and leadership required to accelerate the energy transition. From workforce strategy and culture, to talent development and organisational growth, we'll explore what it really takes to build the teams driving the sector forward. In this episode, Jenny Gladman is joined by Sandhya Mutreja, Global Head (VP) of People at Yondr Group, whose career has taken her from software development to leading people and transformation across technology, financial services, and the rapidly growing data centre industry. Sandhya began her career writing code. Then came an opportunity that changed its direction entirely: helping support a national workforce initiative as the UAE worked towards becoming a knowledge-based economy. It left her with an idea that has shaped the two decades since - technology may be built through architecture, but organisations grow through people. That distinction matters in an industry experiencing extraordinary growth. Data centres need more talent, but repeatedly competing for the same limited pool of people isn't a sustainable answer. Sandhya argues that the next challenge is to create talent rather than simply recruit it, while making sure onboarding, knowledge, culture, and development aren't sacrificed in the race to scale. The conversation also looks at what happens to culture when a company outgrows its startup roots, why transformation begins and ends with people, and how AI could redraw the boundaries between technology and human capability. For Sandhya, that future makes judgement, empathy, trust, and integrity more important, not less - and places people leaders much closer to the heart of business strategy. In an industry busy building the infrastructure for an AI-powered world, this episode asks an equally important question: who are we building to deliver it? 01:20 - Introduction to Sandhya 02:25 - How did you go from computer science to people and transformation leadership? 05:40 - Across different countries and cultures, what have you learned about what’s universal in people leadership, and what needs to be tailored? 07:12 - What are the key leadership principles you live by? 09:00 - Why do organisations sometimes underestimate the human side of transformation? 13:54 - When a company is scaling rapidly, what comes under pressure first from a people and culture perspective, and how do you manage it? 18:16 - As a company grows, how do you balance preserving its culture with allowing it to evolve? 23:00 - What attracted you to the data centre sector, and what surprised you when you entered it? 25:36 - Looking at how technology has evolved throughout your career, what feels genuinely different about AI? 32:42 - What advice would you give to someone looking to build a career in people leadership? Find your guest, Stephanie Ahearn, on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith . This is a Loaded Hype production.

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  Episode #103

  Jordan Robison, CEO and Jill McWhirter, EVP & CLO at Natura Resources: on Building Advanced Nuclear, First-of-a-Kind Leadership & Rethinking the Talent Pool | Season Eleven, Episode Six

  Sep 1, 202637 minS11

  Welcome to Season Eleven of Conversations in Cleantech! This season, we're exploring the talent equation, examining the people, skills, and leadership required to accelerate the energy transition. From workforce strategy and culture, to talent development and organisational growth, we'll explore what it really takes to build the teams driving the sector forward. In this episode, our hosts Jenny Gladman and Kate Treacher are joined by Jordan Robison, Chief Executive Officer and Jill McWhirter, Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer at Natura Resources, a Texas-based advanced nuclear company developing liquid-fuel molten salt reactor technology. Building first-of-a-kind technology means confronting first-of-a-kind problems. As Natura works towards deploying its demonstration reactor and bringing its commercial technology to market, there isn't always a precedent to follow - whether that's in legal and commercial strategy or finding people with the exact experience required. Jordan and Jill explore why that makes looking beyond traditional nuclear backgrounds essential, and what other industries can bring to a sector entering a new era of growth. Their own unconventional career journeys reflect that thinking, alongside a shared belief in adaptability, curiosity, and remaining open to opportunities you couldn't have planned for. Because proving the technology can work is only part of the challenge. The industry also needs the people and organisations capable of deploying it at scale. 01:27 - Introduction to Jordan and Jill 03:00 - Jordan, how did your career journey ultimately lead you into advanced nuclear and Natura Resources? 04:25 - Jill, how did you go from nuclear engineering to law and eventually back into nuclear? 06:30 - Jill, how did an unexpected phone call from Natura founder Doug Robison bring you into the business? 07:30 - Do we need to get better at showing people that careers don't have to be linear, particularly in nuclear? 10:20 - What is Natura Resources building, where is the company today, and what are you trying to change about how nuclear energy is deployed? 13:20 - Does today's renewed momentum around nuclear feel fundamentally different from previous nuclear renaissances? 16:50 - What does it take to build a company when the legal, commercial, financing, and regulatory playbooks are also first-of-a-kind? 20:10 - How do you balance challenge and governance without becoming the person who always says no? 21:25 - Is talent becoming as significant a constraint on nuclear deployment as capital, regulation, and technology? 23:50 - What should businesses look for when someone doesn't have the perfect nuclear background on paper? 26:25 - How important is attracting people who historically haven't seen nuclear as a career path? 28:00 - What leadership qualities will Natura need as it moves from demonstration towards commercial deployment? 29:50 - What does advanced nuclear need to get right over the next five years to ensure talent enables growth rather than creating gridlock? 32:00 - What does success look like for Natura, from its demonstration reactor to commercial deployment and scale? 33:35 - Jill, what advice would you give someone at the beginning of a career in the industry? 34:50 - Jordan, what advice would you give the next generation of engineers, entrepreneurs, and leaders taking advanced nuclear forward? Connect with your hosts, Jenny Gladman and Kate Treacher, on LinkedIn. Find your guests, Jill McWhirter & Jordan Robison, on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith . This is a Loaded Hype production.

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  Episode #102

  Stephanie Ahearn, Director of Talent at Scale Microgrid Solutions: on Building Teams That Scale, Hiring Through Change & the Human Side of the Energy Transition | Season Eleven, Episode Five

  Aug 18, 202635 minS11

  Welcome to Season Eleven of Conversations in Cleantech! This season, we're exploring the talent equation, examining the people, skills, and leadership required to accelerate the energy transition. From workforce strategy and culture, to talent development and organisational growth, we'll explore what it really takes to build the teams driving the sector forward. In this episode, Jenny Gladman and Chloe England are joined by Stephanie Ahearn, Director of Talent at Scale Microgrid Solutions, a business developing distributed energy infrastructure for commercial and industrial customers while expanding into the rapidly evolving world of AI and data centre power. When people talk about scaling the energy transition, the conversation usually centres on technology, investment, or policy. But every ambitious growth plan eventually runs into the same question: who's going to build it? For Stephanie, talent isn't simply an HR function operating behind the scenes. It's one of the biggest competitive advantages a business can have. Drawing on nearly two decades in recruitment, she explains why hiring quickly isn't the same as hiring well, why protecting culture becomes harder as organisations grow, and why accountability, communication, and adaptability often matter more than the perfect CV. The conversation explores what it means to build teams during periods of rapid expansion, from navigating shortages of specialist engineering talent to identifying transferable skills in unexpected places. Stephanie also shares how Scale's evolution into AI and data centre infrastructure is reshaping hiring priorities, why leaders should resist compromising on culture under pressure, and how AI is already changing both sides of the recruitment process. Ultimately, it's a reminder that every microgrid, battery project, and data centre begins long before construction starts. It begins with the people capable of making it happen. 01:30 - Introduction to Stephanie 02:30 - What prompted your move from agency recruitment into an in-house talent leadership role? 04:430 - Which lessons from agency recruitment still shape the way you lead today? 05:30 - What attracted you to Scale Microgrid Solutions, and what stood out about the opportunity? 07:25 - What does Scale Microgrid Solutions do, and what makes the business different within distributed energy? 09:00 - How has your hiring strategy evolved alongside the company's rapid growth? 10:00 - How do you attract talent in one of the industry's most competitive hiring markets? 12:00 - How do you preserve company culture while scaling so quickly? 14:25 - What hiring mistakes do leaders commonly make during periods of rapid growth? 17:05 - Where are the biggest talent challenges facing the energy industry today? 18:25 - Which technical and leadership skills have become most valuable in recent years? 21:45 - How has EQT's investment influenced Scale Microgrid Solutions’ growth and talent strategy? 23:35 - Why is Scale Microgrid Solutions expanding into AI infrastructure and data centres? 24:42 - What new skills and experience have become priorities for your dedicated data centre team? 26:00 - Are you seeing talent move naturally between energy and digital infrastructure, and where are the biggest opportunities over the next few years? 27:47 - How is AI transforming recruitment and talent acquisition? 32:26 - What is one interview question everyone should ask? 33:05 - What is the best piece of career advice you've ever received? 33:35 - If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self starting out in recruitment, what would it be? Connect with your hosts, Jenny Gladman and Chloe England, on LinkedIn. Find your guest, Stephanie Ahearn, on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith . This is a Loaded Hype production.

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  Episode #101

  Dr John Heinlein, Chief Marketing Officer at Sonatus: on Recognising Potential, Career Reinvention & the Power of Staying Curious | Season Eleven, Episode Four

  Aug 4, 202638 minS11

  Welcome to Season Eleven of Conversations in Cleantech! This season, we're exploring the talent equation, examining the people, skills, and leadership required to accelerate the energy transition. From workforce strategy and culture, to talent development and organisational growth, we'll explore what it really takes to build the teams driving the sector forward. In this episode, Jenny Gladman and Joe Riley are joined by Dr John Heinlein, Chief Marketing Officer at Sonatus, a company developing AI-enabled technology for software-defined vehicles. John's career didn't follow the path his qualifications might suggest. With a PhD in electrical engineering from Stanford, he began by leading engineering teams before a CEO spotted something John hadn't yet recognised in himself: he was a natural marketer. That unexpected intervention changed the direction of his career. It's a story that opens up a much bigger conversation about how we recognise talent. What happens when leaders look beyond the job someone is doing today and consider what they could become? And how can people be given the space to test unexpected strengths without making every career move feel like an irreversible leap? John reflects on the mentors, critics, and opportunities that have shaped his own journey, from learning to find value in difficult feedback to deliberately remaining a student as his career has progressed. He also explores why diversity of thought produces better answers, why storytelling matters when bringing complex innovation to market, and why technical and human skills are far from competing strengths. Against the backdrop of AI and the rapidly evolving automotive ecosystem, the conversation is a reminder that innovation depends on more than technology. Sometimes, it begins with someone recognising potential that hasn't yet found its job title. 01:28 - Introduction to John 03:07 - How would you describe Sonatus, the problems you’re solving, and your role in the automotive ecosystem? 05:32 - What does deployment look like in practice, and what can manufacturers do differently with Sonatus? 07:21 - How do software-defined vehicles change the traditional automotive business model? 08:16 - What ongoing value can manufacturers create after a vehicle leaves the factory? 10:35 - What real-world problems can the Fastlane platform help automotive manufacturers solve today? 13:15 - What does a successful automotive technology ecosystem look like, and where is greater alignment needed? 15:44 - How can the automotive supply chain keep pace with the speed of software and AI innovation? 16:50 - How has your experience across semiconductors, software, and vehicle intelligence shaped the way you think about innovation? 19:20 - You started as an electrical engineer before moving into marketing - what prompted that transition? 21:55 - How important is it for leaders to recognise someone’s potential beyond the role they’re in today? 24:10 - How can leaders create space for people to explore unexpected strengths without making the move feel too risky? 27:01 - Why is storytelling so critical to whether an innovation succeeds? 28:33 - How do you build trust between technical and commercial teams without oversimplifying the technology or making it unnecessarily complex? 30:12 - When has the phrase “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear” proved particularly true in your life? 33:34 - What keeps you curious and willing to become a student again, even at a senior leadership level? 35:28 - If you could speak to yourself just before moving from engineering into marketing, what would you tell him? Connect with your hosts, Jenny Gladman and Joe Riley, on LinkedIn. Find your guest, John Heinlein, Ph.D, on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith . This is a Loaded Hype production.

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  Episode #100

  Tony Burkart, Senior Vice President, Public Policy & Public Affairs at Beale Infrastructure: on Community, Trust & Building Digital Infrastructure | Season Eleven, Episode Three

  Jul 21, 202629 minS11

  Welcome to Season Eleven of Conversations in Cleantech! This season, we're exploring the talent equation, examining the people, skills, and leadership required to accelerate the energy transition. From workforce strategy and culture, to talent development and organisational growth, we'll explore what it really takes to build the teams driving the sector forward. In this episode, Jenny Gladman and Chloe England are joined by Tony Burkart, Senior Vice President of Public Policy & Public Affairs at Beale Infrastructure - a leader helping shape how digital infrastructure is developed, communicated and integrated into local communities. As demand for data centres continues to grow, Tony argues that success depends on far more than power, land, and capital. The future of infrastructure will be determined by trust: how developers engage with communities, communicate their purpose, and create lasting local value long before construction begins. The conversation explores why workforce development, community partnerships, and public policy have become essential parts of infrastructure delivery, and why attracting the right talent means looking beyond technical expertise alone. From skilled trades to public affairs, Tony explains why people remain at the heart of every successful project. This episode offers a fresh perspective on one of the industry's biggest challenges: as digital infrastructure scales at pace, how do we ensure the communities hosting it grow alongside it? 01:34 - Introduction to Tony 02:55 - What’s been the common thread behind your career decisions? 03:50 - After working at some of the world’s largest hyperscalers, what motivated you to join a much smaller, earlier-stage platform? 04:46 - You often speak about community trust and long-term impact - where does that personal commitment come from? 07:19 - Beale takes a community-first approach - what's changed that makes early community engagement so essential? 09:30 - Do you see the wider industry adopting this community-first approach, or is it still slow to change? 10:28 - From your perspective, what are the biggest talent bottlenecks in the industry today? 13:19 - Are the workforce bottlenecks you first saw at AWS now emerging at a much larger scale across digital infrastructure? 15:00 - Is workforce strategy now just as important as power and land strategy in data centre development? 16:40 - From your experience, what type of person thrives in a smaller, high-impact environment, and what does it take to succeed? 18:45 - How do you build a strong culture in a smaller, distributed team? 21:30 - Do you think people today are increasingly looking for impact and autonomy in their work? 24:13 - Do you think the traditional hyperscale playbook still works, or are we entering a new era of infrastructure development? 23:55 - Do you think the companies that succeed over the next decade will be those that engage communities best? 26:55 - Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of the industry? Connect with your hosts, Jenny Gladman and Chloe England, on LinkedIn. Find your guest, Tony Burkart, on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith . This is a Loaded Hype production.

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