Founders
ANDREW BIRCH, CO-FOUNDER, CEO, BOARD DIRECTOR
Andrew Birch is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sungevity, Inc. and sits on the company's board of directors. He is equal parts physicist and financial expert, and is the principal architect of Sungevity's capital-light business model that combines cutting-edge software technology, innovative finance models and the power of the Internet to make solar adoption an easy, affordable, and highly accessible proposition for homeowners. Under his leadership since 2007, Sungevity has doubled year over year sales, grown from a staff of four servicing the Northern California market to over 400 employees serving 12 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, and expanded its business to Europe and Australia.
Prior to co-founding Sungevity, Andrew was Vice President of Business Development for BP Solar, the multi-national energy company's solar division. Prior to BP, he spent several years in investment banking, working as a Vice President in the London offices of Bear Stearns International and investment firm, Cazenove & Co.
Andrew holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Honors in Physics from Scotland's University of St. Andrews, a Master's degree in Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering from Australia's University of New South Wales, and is a Fellow of the UK's Securities and Investment Institute.
DANNY KENNEDY, CO-FOUNDER, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
Danny Kennedy is co-founder of Sungevity, Inc. and leads the company's global business development activities and government relations initiatives. He also plays a central role in developing the Sungevity.org program, an integral component of the company's Solar Social strategy that has raised over $1 million since 2010 for Sungevity's non-profit partners.
Kennedy has worked on environmental initiatives for over two decades and is an internationally recognized opinion leader on climate and energy issues. Prior to co-founding Sungevity, he was a campaigns manager with Greenpeace, the largest independent direct-action environmental organization in the world. Among his achievements was his management of Greenpeace's California Clean Energy Campaign, which helped create the California Solar Initiative, the groundbreaking renewable energy program that ushered in the state's solar energy boom. In 2010 Kennedy spearheaded Sungevity's "Solar on the White House" campaign that resulted in a decision by the Obama administration to place solar panels on the First Family residence. The administration honored this commitment in August, 2013. Kennedy also published Rooftop Revolution, How Solar Power Can Save Our Economy–and Planet–From Dirty Energy, in the Fall of 2012, a book that has been described as the clean energy manifesto for the next greatest generation.
Kennedy serves on the board of the Solar Foundation, a global research and education organization in Washington DC, and Solar Mosaic, a solar crowd-funding start-up in Oakland, CA. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Sydney, Australia's Macquarie University.
ALEC GUETTEL, CO-FOUNDER, BOARD DIRECTOR
Alec Guettel is co-founder of Sungevity, Inc. and sits on the company’s board of directors. Alec is a longtime environmentalist and successful social entrepreneur with a track record of building mission-driven businesses in a variety of industries. Prior to Sungevity, Alec co-founded Axiom Law, a company that revolutionized the legal industry by slashing high overhead costs and liberating frustrated lawyers from the inefficiency of the traditional law firm model. Since starting Axiom in 2000, Alec helped grow the firm to over 1,000 legal professionals providing legal services to half the world’s F100 companies. Prior to his entrepreneurial pursuits, he served in the Clinton administration as Special Assistant to former EPA chief, Carol Browner. As a youth activist, Alec co-founded the Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC) and helped develop it into the largest non-profit student organization in the country during his tenure.
Alec holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of North Carolina, where he was a Morehead-Cain Scholar, and earned his MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
Executive Leadership
DAVE DUNLAP, CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Dave Dunlap is our Chief Development Officer and is responsible for strategic partnership development, key supply chain agreements and new market entry. He is a service industry veteran with a broad range of front and back office expertise, having held management positions in sales, marketing, product management, IT and operations. Prior to Sungevity, Dave was Executive Vice President of Operations and Client Services at InsideTrack, the nation’s leading provider of student coaching services. Prior to InsideTrack, he was Senior Vice President of Worldwide Operations at ServiceSource, where he helped scale the company’s business to multiple global locations. Dave holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Cornell University.
KEN SCHWARZ, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Ken Schwarz is our Chief Financial Officer, leading all of Sungevity's corporate finance and accounting activities. He is a seasoned financial veteran, having spent the majority of his three-decade career in the fast-moving and ever-evolving telecommunications industry. Prior to Sungevity, Ken was Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Information Systems at Primus Telecommunications Group Inc. (NYSE: PTGI), a publicly held international telecommunications firm. Prior to that, Ken was President and Chief Financial Officer of Simplexity, LLC, a privately owned online seller of wireless communications services. He also has held executive positions at Intersections Inc. (NASDAQ: INTX), WinStar Telecommunications, Cable & Wireless and MCI, where he served as Corporate Controller. Ken holds a Bachelor of Arts and an MBA, both from Indiana University.
PATRICK CRANE, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
Patrick Crane is our Chief Marketing Officer and is responsible for managing all aspects of Sungevity's brand marketing and product development. He has more than 15 years of experience in global high-tech business-to-business and business-to-consumer marketing. Before joining Sungevity, he served as Vice President of Marketing at LinkedIn, the world's largest professional network with over 100 million members in 200 countries. Prior to LinkedIn, he was Vice President, of Marketing at Yahoo!, one of the world's leading digital media companies. Patrick has graduate degrees from Huddersfield University and the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
SUSAN HOLLINGSHEAD, CHIEF PEOPLE AND CORPORATE SERVICES OFFICER
Susan Hollingshead is our Chief People and Corporate Services Officer and is responsible for staffing compensation, benefits, performance management and development programs. Her passion for social innovation and empowered employees led her to Sungevity, where she has overseen the company’s growth from 20 people in 2010 to over 250 in 2013. Prior to joining Sungevity Susan spent 19 years in the brownfield redevelopment and environmental insurance business: first as a co-founder of Renova Partners, and then as co-founder and Managing Principal of LandBank, Inc., the nation’s first brownfield redevelopment firm. Prior to that, Susan was a founder of Working For Good, supporting businesses engaged in social enterprise through Cause Alliance Marketing™ programs. Susan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Psychology from Mount Holyoke College.
STEVE ATHERTON, CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER
Steve Atherton is our Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Software Development, and is responsible for managing all of Sungevity’s development of internal and public facing applications. Steve previously was Vice President of Engineering for SunRun and has led technology teams in Europe and in the US at companies that include Honeywell, Motorola, and Sybase. Steve has a Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Computer Systems from Guildford University, UK.
WALTER CONROY, GENERAL COUNSEL
Walter Conroy is our General Counsel and is responsible for managing all aspects of the company’s legal affairs. Prior to joining Sungevity Walter was Head of Legal for SunEdison’s global special situations group. Walter began his legal career at Chadbourne & Parke LLP and was a partner for many years at Morrison & Foerster LLP. Walter received his law degree from Fordham University and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature from Cornell University.
Board of Directors
ROBERT DAVENPORT, III, BOARD CHAIRMAN
Robert R. Davenport, III is Managing Partner of Brightpath Capital Partners, LP, an investment group focused on generating both economic and social value, and Chairman of Up Communications Services, LLC, an information technology and outsourced fulfillment services company. Previously, he was President and CEO of Covad International, a broadband services provider in Asia and Europe. He also served as SVP of Tele-Communications, Inc. (now Comcast) where he managed the broadband data business unit and was a member of the board of directors of Teleport Communications Group and Sprint PCS. Robert earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Business Administration from Harvard University. He also completed postgraduate work in political economy at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, as a Rotary Fellow.
DAVID ASARNOW, BOARD DIRECTOR
David Asarnow is a Principal at Craton. He joined the firm in 2010 and is responsible for making and overseeing new investments. David serves on the Boards of Gazelle and ARXX and manages Craton’s investments in Bridgelux, Recyclebank and GreenWave Reality. Prior to Craton, David co-founded and served as Executive Vice President of Corporate Development for Control Room and Live Earth. He also co-founded and serves as a director for Sustainable Holdings, a firm that has partnered on two public equity sustainability funds with Dimensional Fund Advisors. Earlier in his career, David worked in finance and technology at Alta Vista and IGN Entertainment. David has a Bachelor of Arts from Tulane University and a Master of Business Administration from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
PETER SHANNON, BOARD DIRECTOR
Peter Shannon is Managing Director of Firelake Capital Management, focusing on early stage investments in renewable energy, technologies improving use and delivery of natural resources, and other innovations on mature industries. Prior to joining Firelake, Peter was a Principal at Atlas Venture, where he focused on solar, grid-scale energy storage, industrial energy efficiency, solid-state data storage, and related software investments. He is a member of the boards of ArrayPower, Global Fresh Foods, and is a board observer of Novatorque and Qbotix. Peter holds a Master of Business Administration with High Honors degree from the University Of Chicago Booth School Of Business and a Bachelor of Science, with Distinction, in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia.
REUBEN MUNGER, BOARD DIRECTOR
Reuben Munger is Managing Partner and founder of Vision Ridge Partners and has experience with investments in telecommunications, media, shipping and other various special situations in the United States, Canada and Asia. Prior to founding Vision Ridge he was a Managing Director at The Baupost Group, L.L.C., growing the firm from managing under $1 billion in assets to over $12 billion. Before joining Baupost in 1997, Reuben was a consultant to Texas Pacific Group and an investment banker with James D. Wolfensohn, Inc. Reuben is Chair of the Governing Board of Edvestors, Chairman of the Massachusetts Advisory Board of Stand for Children and a Trustee of the Rocky Mountain Institute. He graduated magna cum laude with distinction from Washington and Lee University with a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Economics, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
ANDREW BIRCH (See above)
ALEC GUETTEL (See above)
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