And how to avoid expensive missteps in leadership, compensation, and structure.
Private equity firms are no strangers to building value from scratch. But when it comes to launching a renewable energy platform whether in solar, wind, or storage, the first leadership hires often make or break long-term success.
At Walter Hewitt, we’ve supported PE-backed energy platforms across Europe and we’ve seen the difference between those who get it right from day one and those who spend 12–18 months fixing avoidable mistakes.
Below, we break down the three most common early-stage pitfalls and how to avoid them.
1. The Resume Trap: Hiring Based on Brand, Not Fit
The mistake: Appointing a CEO or COO from a Tier-1 utility or global IPP, assuming that pedigree equals performance.
The reality: Big-name experience doesn’t guarantee success in a fast-moving, lean, build-phase environment. These individuals often lack the commercial agility, entrepreneurial mindset, or risk appetite needed in a platform still finding product-market fit.
Case Study
A PE fund backed a BESS platform and brought in a well-known executive from a global developer. Within six months, it became clear that he was optimising for process and governance, not speed and market entry. Pipeline stalled, and so did revenue.
What worked: Replacing him with a commercially-minded COO with deep merchant risk experience, who’d scaled a storage portfolio through joint ventures and non-traditional offtakes.
Takeaway: Prioritise attitude, adaptability, and sector-specific fluency and not logos on a CV.
2. Compensation Guesswork: Misaligning Risk and Reward
The mistake: Using generalist data or benchmarks from unrelated markets (e.g. applying UK solar salaries to CEE storage roles), or over-indexing on equity without understanding candidate psychology.
The reality: Misaligned compensation packages can either blow up your budget or lead to declined offers. Worse, they can attract the wrong candidates entirely.
Case Study
A growth-phase IPP entering Romania offered a Western European package (base + heavy equity) to attract a local Head of Development. The candidate declined citing lack of local support and uncertainty over exit value.
What worked: Walter Hewitt provided benchmarking across multiple regional platforms, allowing the client to restructure the offer to reflect both cash competitiveness and realistic long-term incentives.
Takeaway: Use market-specific, role-specific, and stage-specific benchmarks, especially when entering new geographies.
3. Role Ambiguity: Failing to Define What “Success” Actually Looks Like
The mistake: Hiring senior leaders into vaguely defined roles (“Head of Projects”, “Managing Director”, etc.) without clarity on scope, decision rights, or expected outcomes.
The reality: Without a clearly defined mandate, even strong hires will underperform or create internal friction trying to carve out their own space.
Case Study
A newly formed storage platform hired both a CEO and COO without defining how responsibilities would be split. Within months, internal conflict emerged around team-building, market prioritisation, and investor reporting.
What worked: A facilitated alignment session, driven by Walter Hewitt, to clarify decision rights and role boundaries. Updated job specs were created, and a performance framework aligned to board expectations was introduced.
Takeaway: Define scope, accountability, and KPIs before you go to market, not after someone is in the seat.
Final Thought: Execution Risk Starts With Talent Risk
The most sophisticated financial modelling won’t rescue a platform with the wrong leadership. The first 5–10 hires are not just operational decisions, they’re foundational to the platform’s identity, speed, and future value.
At Walter Hewitt, we help PE funds and CEOs get those decisions right from day one through executive search backed by real-time data, local insight, and structured advisory.
Because in the energy transition, the margin between a €500m exit and a stalled platform often starts with one hire.
