Two senior managers from Dutch transmission system operator (TSO) TenneT have joined the team of solar power project developer GroenLeven Group, a move that the latter believes will help it accelerate the Dutch energy transition.
A former PricewaterhouseCoopers employee, Siebren Zijlstra worked as head of Strategy, Mergers and Acquisitions and Business Development at TenneT. At GroenLeven, he has joined as the company's chief financial officer. He also joins the board of directors.
Mel Kroon, former CEO of TenneT left the the TSO after 16 years, and has now become the strategic advisor to GroenLeven.
GroenLeven is an operator of large-scale solar roofs and solar parks. In March 2018, Germany's BayWa announced investing in GroenLeven, acquiring a 70% stake in the company (see BayWa Buys 2 GW PV Pipeline in Netherlands).
"Siebren has a lot of experience in the energy world and has an unprecedented enthusiasm for sustainable energy. With this knowledge and experience of finance, regulation, control, strategy, new digital revenue models and organizational development, Siebren is a real asset to GroenLeven and the management team," said CEO Roland Pechtold. "With Mel we get the nestor of the energy world who can help us take the next step with his unrivaled experience and knowledge."