From margarine to wind farms

Learning the language

Rowan used ELS funding to learn Spanish in Ecuador, where he visited a renewable energy factory. “The ELS allowed me to travel, which was mind expanding and helped with my languages, and I learned a lot about industry and engineering too,” he says.

The ELS programme gave me more sticking power and a network. It probably kept me in engineering.

Going green

After leaving university, he joined Unilever’s leadership graduate programme, where he had early management opportunities. After working in several different roles, he became responsible for leading half of one of Unilever’s flagship factories making margarine. “I had 30 people reporting to me and I was only 27,” he says.

After becoming chartered, Rowan realised he wanted to change direction. “I took a step sideways and moved into renewable energy,” he says. He joined RES as a turbine engineer managing contracts and specifications for new windfarms, and then worked for several different technical consultancies advising investors on windfarm transactions. 

Branching out

Rowan then decided to branch out from the world of consulting, before joining green utilities company, Ecotricity as head of operations and maintenance. He now looks after a national portfolio of wind and solar generators as well as a team of people ‘on the road’ fixing turbines and providing technical support.

He urges candidates not to waste the opportunity and funding. “See it for what it can do for you rather than just a tick in the box and something for your CV. Make it your business to spend every last penny!”