Welcome to the 42nd episode of our #MyEnergyLife series, a weekly feature on LinkedIn dedicated to highlighting, engaging with, and empowering emerging energy professionals across Africa. Through this ongoing series of articles, our goal is to explore the diverse career opportunities available within the energy sector while providing valuable insights and guidance to support the career aspirations of young professionals in this dynamic field.
In this episode, we meet Richard Hammond,MBA , an Off-grid Energy Specialist at Deloitte Consulting LLP – West Africa Energy Program. Richard Hammond,MBA shares his story of how he got started in the energy industry, detailing his initial challenges and offering invaluable advice to fellow young professionals seeking their path in this dynamic industry.
Full Name
Current Company Name
Deloitte Consulting LLP – West Africa Energy Program
Current Job Title
Off-grid Energy Specialist
Specialization
Off-grid Energy
Country of Origin
Ghana
Tell us about your journey in the energy industry.
Leveraging my prior experience in customer service, business development, capacity development, retail sales, and digital finance, I’ve built a strong foundation for my journey in the off-grid energy sector. This diverse background has been instrumental in my accomplishments thus far.
My journey began at Solar Kiosk, a German solar company providing solar-powered kiosks to underserved communities (Base of the Pyramid, BoP). These kiosks offered access to various products and services, including solar home systems and cooling solutions.
Following Solar Kiosk, I joined the Power Africa Transaction Reform program. Here, I spearheaded business development and digital finance initiatives, helping companies integrate mobile money payments for convenient collections from off-grid customers.
Continuing this passion, I became the Country Lead Advisor (Ghana & Liberia) for the USAID-funded Power Africa Off-grid program. In this role, I provided customized technical assistance to off-grid energy companies, fostering their growth.
Currently, I leverage my expertise as the Off-grid Specialist (Anglophone West Africa) at Deloitte for the West Africa Energy Program. Here, I provide technical assistance to off-grid companies in Ghana.
What do you do in your current role at your company?
I am an off-grid energy specialist, providing technical assistance to off-grid companies in Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. It’s a 360-degree role, requiring me to be both a technical expert and possess business acumen. This includes addressing off-grid solar business concerns related to capital raising, technology solutions, business strategy development, partnership development, public speaking, policy reviews and development, customer support, capacity development and training, and various business models for standalone solar, mini-grids, and productive use of energy.
Could you describe your typical day at work?
Supporting the off-grid component of the West Africa Energy Program (WEAP) involves aiding the off-grid solar business sector through various means. I provide assistance in business strategy development for distribution, go-to-market planning, organizational development, and market information analysis for the off-grid solar sector. I also facilitate strategic partnerships as many local off-grid solar businesses face challenges due to financial limitations. With my experience, I have successfully facilitated strategic partnerships that have increased sales of solar products to associations, groups, and cooperatives. Additionally, I provide relevant market data and identify opportunities in addressable markets for off-grid solar solutions, enabling companies to engage in targeted selling.
My typical day includes team meetings, responding to emails, reviewing technical proposals, developing business strategies for off-grid companies, and, in some cases, building capacity and creating training content on specific topics.
“The opportunity to make an impact and the visible results motivate you to do more.”
What are some of the challenges you have faced in the industry?
Most of the challenges I’ve encountered in this sector are related to factors beyond my control, especially those affecting private sector organizations. Often, I have minimal to no influence over these changes.
One challenge is the slow response time of the companies I support in addressing their issues, which delays the achievement of quick successes. Additionally, much of the support provided to companies is programmatic. When a program ends, it becomes difficult to continue assisting the companies unless support is extended on a personal level to maintain the relationship until a new program begins.
What is the most fun thing you love about your work?
The opportunity to innovate and achieve results is what excites me most about my work. In my field, I strive to make a positive impact on both the people and companies I support. A key aspect of this is the chance to be innovative in finding solutions that meet client-defined KPIs and desired outcomes. Innovation is truly at the heart of what I do.
Additionally, I value working alongside colleagues who possess diverse skill sets. Knowing that everyone understands their responsibilities creates a truly rewarding work environment.
How do you balance work and life?
I prioritize my work, which helps me manage my time effectively. I always write down my daily, weekly, or monthly goals to easily track what I need to accomplish at any given time. These goals are then attached to my calendar notifications. This system helps me effectively compartmentalize my working hours, family time, and leisure activities.
What are the core hard skills someone in your field should have?
Project management, People management, Market Research, Public Speaking, Business Development, Technical skills (Renewable Energy)
What soft skills should someone in your field have?
Customer service, Teamwork, Interpersonal skills, Leadership, Negotiation skills and Communication skills.
What is the best thing about your work?
The opportunity to make an impact and the visible results motivate you to do more.
What would you consider a highlight of your career?
Network, impact, and success. The most fulfilling aspect is seeing the impact of your work, especially when companies express their appreciation for how the support you provided has helped them grow their customer base and raise equity, debt, or grant funding.
“Don’t throw away your experience in your current sector!”
What are you passionate about outside of work?
My family, with three daughters, has instilled a strong passion in me for supporting gender integration. Helping companies integrate gender into their operations is therefore very exciting for me.
How do you think that your work makes a difference in the energy space?
The results are evident when I see an increase in the energy access rate. Our strategy of helping off-grid businesses build a proper business model through capacity development and supporting companies in accessing funding is also key.
What advice do you have for someone new to the industry?
Don’t throw away your experience in your current sector! Integrate it and add some more skill development. The energy sector needs well-rounded, 360-degree skilled individuals to thrive. All your experience is valuable. Remember, the end of one output is the beginning of another input. There are various platforms offering opportunities to build on your existing skills. For example, I mentor on TerraDo, but there are others like Coursera.
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See you in the next article!
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