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The new face of wind leadership

Published in: Wind, Ask the Experts, Exclusive Articles

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James Lindemann, Director at JL Executive Recruitment, shares insights into how executive hiring trends are evolving across the global wind energy sector and why cross-sector experience, diversity and digital fluency are now must-haves at the leadership level.

PES: Welcome to PES Wind, James. You’ve been placing executive talent in the wind sector for over 20 years. Let’s start with the big picture: how have executive hiring trends shifted post-COVID and in response to the accelerating energy transition?

James Lindemann: Thanks, it’s great to be here. The changes we’re seeing are really quite profound. What we’re witnessing is a redefinition of what a ‘wind executive’ looks like.

There’s been a significant shift towards hybrid leadership profiles: people who can bridge technical engineering backgrounds with commercial, regulatory or financial expertise. New titles like Chief Commercial Officer or Chief Project Development Officer are emerging, especially in developers and utilities that need leaders who understand everything from PPAs and permitting to land acquisition and community engagement.

Another major trend is the premium on offshore wind experience. As projects scale, particularly in the US, UK and Asia-Pacific, there’s strong demand for people with deep expertise in marine logistics, interconnection and HVDC infrastructure. We’re also seeing many firms tapping into talent from adjacent industries like offshore oil & gas and naval engineering.

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