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Dean Vukovic moved to the US with visions of revolutionizing the way we manufacture and ultimately reuse/repurpose consumer goods. Embracing the circular economy philosophy, he crossed the pond from Oz to help pioneer that movement here in the USA for his prior employer. Now, he’s GM at Terrasmart (the entity formed by Gibraltar’s roll-up of RBI Solar, Terrasmart, Sunfig and SolarBOS) and leads their fixed tilt division (formerly RBI Solar). Dean has such a great story to tell and it’s one that incorporates many lessons learned from both the culture shock of moving halfway round the world as well as being first among the 4 companies herein mentioned that were integrated under one roof with Terrasmart. I spent time with Dean discussing how he thinks about circular economy, the specifics of his management approach to the integration of the various businesses that are now Terrasmart, and what he believes is still holding the industry back from fully realizing the potential we all believe is possible.
This conversation was quite inspiring for me. In the fervor that has been the M&A cycle of the last 2+ Years, I think that only a handful of companies have really gotten it “right” from an integration and branding perspective, and Terrasmart is one such example. Thanks to Dean and his team at Terrasmart for being willing to discuss the details, and I look forward to bringing more insights from the Terrasmart group of products to the SunCast tribe!
Timestamps
(4:17) Dean's conversations with his parents growing up
(10:15) Dean's first job out of high school
(12:47) A career path Dean thought he would take
(15:20) How to take large projects and break them down
(16:33) Moving to the USA
(19:08) First exposure to the solar industry
(20:20) A portable skill set
(22:39) How long does it take someone to get up to speed in the solar industry
(25:36) What Terrasmart does
(28:45) What the solar company does right
(30:41) Solving the landfill problem in solar
(33:18) Experience being with a company with rapid growth
(35:40) The process of integrating people from different places
(37:37) The culture at Terrasmart
(40:28) Developing client relationships
(42:35) The new brand for Terrasmart
(46:30) Key lessons from mentors
(48:06) How Dean sees the solar industry evolving
(52:00) Recommended books
(52:40) Dean's morning routine
(54:07) How to connect with Dean
(54:24) Dean's bold prediction
(55:59) Wrap up
VIDEOS MENTIONED:
BOOKS MENTIONED AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
NOTEWORTHY QUOTES:
“We actually are doing something that hasn’t hasn’t been done before...definitely in the US, maybe in the world.”
“Something that I take to heart and I try to emulate is DO NOT GIVE UP.
It does not matter how big that mountain is or how complex that problem is, do not give up.”
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ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:
Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.
Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.
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