Recharge: Talking New Energy

In this latest episode of Recharge: Talking New Energy, we are pleased to feature Jan Holm, the Advisory Board Member of Seaborg Technologies. Jan is also the Co-Founder of Centre for Strategic Energy & Resources Ltd. As the Head of Renewable Energy Solutions at a leading global energy company, Jan is actively involved in the development of a molten salt reactor, and advocates for the practical applications of SMRs in addressing rising electricity demand and reducing CO2 emissions across various industries. Jan and Adam discuss the journey toward promoting nuclear energy, and challenges faced by the industry in terms of public opinion. their conversation touches on the competition and complementarity between low-carbon energy sources like wind, solar, and nuclear for stable baseload electricity.  Jan shares insights into his exploration of SMRs, focusing on their civilian applications. He highlights the development of SMRs, including gas-cooled, lead-cooled, and molten salt reactors, emphasizing their safety features that prevent the release of radioactive material during incidents. Despite concerns about nuclear reactors, the practical applications include powering households, electric vehicles, and data centers align with the expected rise in electricity demand over the next decade. Join us in this conversation for a compelling exploration of Singapore's cautious venture into nuclear energy. As Jan and Adam navigate concerns about safety, public opinion, and regional implications, we also gain insights into the ongoing efforts to establish a robust nuclear ecosystem, prioritizing safety measures and effective waste management. Enjoy the episode, and take care.  

In this latest episode of Recharge: Talking New Energy, we are joined by Abhi Bhuchar, the Head of Consumer and Industrials, South East Asia, and Energy and Natural Resources, Asia Pacific at Oliver Wyman. With an educational background in engineering, Abhi is a Partner leading the Manufacturing, Transportation, and Energy practice in Asia Pacific, attributing his success to his interpersonal skills and ability to connect with people. Abhi and Adam delve into the motivation behind addressing climate change through incremental changes and discuss the roles of individuals and corporations in this endeavor. They also highlight the significance of educating younger generations and collaborative efforts across industries. The challenges of sustainability within companies are addressed, emphasizing the importance of tailored solutions. Abhi also stresses the importance of continuous learning and humility in serving clients effectively, seeking knowledge from experts, and collaborating across diverse talent pools. He encourages professionals entering the energy transition field to plan carefully and explore opportunities, aiming for positive societal impact and reduced carbon footprints. Both Abhi and Adam express optimism, highlighting the need for innovation and capital support in climate tech.  Join us for this engaging discussion with Abhi, as his inspiring journey and vision come to light. His story, aligned with the mission of his organization, underscores the transformative power of sustainable approaches in shaping a more environmentally aware and socially responsible future. Experience valuable insights and find inspiration in Abhi's distinctive perspective. Enjoy the conversation, and stay inspired on our collective journey forward.  

In this latest episode of Recharge: Talking New Energy, we had the privilege of hosting Yulanda Chung, the Head of Sustainability at DBS Bank. Yulanda's role at DBS Bank revolves around spearheading sustainable practices within the organization, integrating environmental, social, and governance considerations into their operations and decision-making processes. Yulanda captivates us with her extraordinary career journey, beginning as a journalist in Hong Kong and later embarking on a transformative transition into the world of sustainability. Her unwavering commitment to sustainability surpasses fleeting trends and surface-level gestures, as she shares profound insights on the significance of substance over superficial reporting. Yulanda's guidance proves invaluable for aspiring sustainability professionals and entrepreneurs, emphasizing that ESG is driven not by being "woke," but by an enlightened self-interest for both companies and countries.  Moreover, she candidly shares her own moments of career uncertainty, highlighting the importance of curiosity and not defining oneself solely by professional pursuits. Yulanda's openness even extends to considering the possibility of embarking on an internship in the future, showcasing her enduring thirst for learning and personal growth. Join us for this captivating conversation with Yulanda, where her remarkable journey and vision unfold. Her story, combined with the mission of DBS Bank, exemplifies the transformative potential of sustainable practices in shaping a more environmentally conscious and socially responsible future. Tune in to gain valuable insights and be inspired by Yulanda's perspective. Enjoy the episode, and take care.  

In this latest episode of Recharge: Talking New Energy, we were joined by Matthew Taylor who is a passionate and driven leader at Green Giraffe, a pioneering financial advisory in climate and finance. Green Giraffe is focused on helping clients around the world shape the energy transition, and Matthew Taylor has been instrumental in their success across both Europe and now Asia.  Matthew faced numerous challenges during his transition, navigating uncharted waters and pushing the boundaries of traditional energy models. Through the highs and lows, he persevered, and today he stands as a beacon of inspiration for those seeking to start their own ventures or make career transitions in the renewable energy sector. Matthew shares his honest insights and offers invaluable advice to aspiring entrepreneurs and professionals alike. Together, we also discuss the importance of values and a sense of purpose in one's career Join us for this remarkable conversation, and you'll be captivated by Matthew's journey and inspired by his vision. Matthew’s story and Green Giraffe's mission exemplify the transformative power of renewable energy and its potential to shape a more sustainable future. Enjoy the episode, and take care.

Welcome back to episode 15 of Recharge: Talking New Energy. In this episode, we had the privilege of Grace Sai joining us, in our office treehouse at Formative Search. Grace Sai is the CEO and Co-Founder of Unravel Carbon – a very impressive tech-based platform that’s helping corporations to decarbonize.  Grace is a very impressive individual who has actually done this before, but not in climate tech. This is her third entrepreneurial venture, where she previously had very successful exits from a social enterprise, and also one of Singapore’s first co-working spaces, where Adam actually first met her several years ago. Adam was absolutely astounded by the passion, purpose, and commitment that Grace has set to really help the world decarbonize and address the current climate crisis.  There’s some great learning and advice here for aspiring entrepreneurs and people who really want to join the energy transition. And it’s really good to just hear about how a very busy founder like Grace balances her days and stays focused on the end goal. It was a real genuine pleasure for Adam to speak to Grace. Enjoy.

Welcome back to Recharge: Talking New Energy. For this episode, we had Mathew Howe, the CEO and founder of Grobrix join us. Grobrix is in the agritech space, and a Singapore based, very unique and innovative start-up, which is essentially providing vertical indoor farms to the business community across the Singapore landscape.  Mathew had quite an extensive and successful career in banking before he decided to quit and build what he thinks is going to be the ‘LEGO’ for vertical farming. Mathew had a lot of challenges with making this transition and journey, and didn’t think at all that it would be the success that only after two years it has become today.  There’s still a lot of learning that he’s undergoing. There’s been ups and downs, highs and lows. There’s some advice to people who either want to start their own venture or make a career transition, and Mathew has a lot of pretty honest and genuine insights into what’s required.  It’s a super cool business, and this conversation is a little different, getting someone from the agritech community, but this is certainly within the world of new energies. There’s a lot there that people would be really interested and intrigued by, by looking at Mathew’s transition and also what Grobrix is doing. Hope you will enjoy the conversation and take care. 

Welcome back to Recharge: Talking New Energy. For the lucky number 13th episode, we are joined by Steve Melhuish, the founder of PropertyGuru in Singapore. As a lot of you probably know, Steve was the co-founder, and now still advisor of what is perhaps the biggest property tech business in Asia Pacific, and has an amazing success story.  Steve is a very genuine, open, honest, transparent and direct individual who wasn’t afraid to share some of his vulnerabilities, learnings and hardships being the CEO for one of Asia's biggest tech companies in the region. But what's interesting is that Steve actually pivoted recently to climate tech. He explains his challenges to really immerse himself into that world. Even with the access to the network, level of success and reputation he’s achieved, he also found it challenging and still currently is facing some number of challenges, but equally very excited by what that industry presents, and the success that he’s starting to achieve by opening up this whole new world of opportunity. There's a lot of learning here for people who are either looking to change jobs, start their own business or enter into the new energies world. It’s not easy as Steve explains, but he really has some great lessons based on his own personal experience that a lot of people out there will really benefit from. Steve is a fantastic individual who’s got some great and impressive endeavors that he's currently undergoing with his climate tech fund he’s looking at. Hope you enjoy.

Welcome back to Recharge: Talking New Energy, and for this very special episode, we were absolutely thrilled to have the best-selling author Aliza Knox join us. Aliza is the author of Don't Quit Your Day Job, the best-selling book which discusses the six mindshifts you need to rise and thrive at work. But what makes Aliza's background incredibly relevant, and extremely valuable for our audience, is that she's had a very illustrious, very accomplished and successful career transitioning from the financial services industry to technology. So, a lot of what she discusses in her book, and what we were able to go over in today's podcast, is very much how people can make their career transition. How to get from the old world of energy to the new world of energy. On top of this, there were a lot of other topics we discussed, how to get over the bias of looking at candidates purely on their age, which unfortunately we do see in certain markets. And also what's really required for individuals to sell themselves in an interview.  So, this is a really relevant discussion, and I think it was a great conversation that a lot of the audience out there are going to find very relevant on how to make their current career transition to new energies. Enjoy. 

It was an incredible pleasure to have Cindy Lim as our most recent guest for Recharge: Talking New Energy. Cindy is the CEO of Keppel Infrastructure Holdings in Singapore, and apart from being a very accomplished female leader in Energy, she has perhaps one of the most interesting progressions in her career. Cindy started work as a Quality Engineer, before moving to HR, and rising in the ranks to become a CEO of one of Singapore’s longest standing companies. Cindy’s powerful empathy has no doubt, not just enabled her to be successful in her career to date, but to also navigate the transition of such a large business in the changing global energy landscape. There were some deep and emotional points in our discussion where Cindy emphasised what giving back to community has done for her, and where Singapore as a nation could improve its position as an eco-leader, particularly in the recycling space. This is a must listen for people who have a real curiosity about Singapore’s position as a thought leader for new energies, females in leadership, and how empathy is critical for one’s success. Enjoy the episode!

In this episode of Recharge: Talking New Energy, Adam Carabetta interviews Kunal Mehta. Kunal is a Managing Director of Berkeley Energy in Singapore, and ex-CEO of BECIS, a unique platform that provides clean and renewable energy solutions to corporate customers around the world. Both dissected the choices that Kunal made at the start of his career to enter the field of Environmental Science, when it was not popular to do so, especially when growing up in India. Alongside this, they digested on the rapid changes that Kunal has experienced in his impressive career, and how staying true to one's passion, does lead to commercial success.