Our Employee Spotlight series celebrates and highlights the EVLO team’s unique talents, achievements, and perspectives. This month, we’re focusing on Adile Ajaja, Director of Operations, IT, and Cybersecurity, and his value-oriented approach to engineering and technology.
What is your professional background?
Believe it or not, I actually started as a software developer in the aircraft manufacturing industry. My educational journey laid a strong background for my career. I earned my bachelor’s degree at Concordia University, attended the IGEE power institute, and obtained my master’s degree in electrical and power engineering from McGill University. In 2008, I started as a power systems engineer with a lot of anticipation at EVLO’s parent company, Hydro-Québec. At that time, “smart grids” were a novel concept, and I was recruited to support the development of a volt-var control system. While learning the intricacies of an electric utility, I developed skills in numerical grid modeling and simulation. Additionally, I contributed to various research projects and had the opportunity to co-author several scientific articles1.
Some years later, under the vision of world-renowned electrochemist Dr. Karim Zaghib, Hydro-Québec established a subsidiary dedicated to battery energy storage systems (BESS). I had the honor of joining the founding team which brought together local and international talents. Initially acting on various engineering fronts, I gradually took the leadership of the software team. Then, under the leadership of our CEO Sonia St-Arnaud, I was offered a new responsibility to lead the department of Operations, IT, and Cybersecurity.
Tell us about your growth from Head Software Engineer to your current role leading operations, information technology, and cybersecurity.
It’s a more natural progression than one might think. Being part of EVLO from the beginning, I know our products inside and out. For example, soon after EVLO was launched, I built the team that developed our proprietary EMS platform, EVLOGIX, which is foundationally cybersecure and designed for efficient operations. After leading the development of our software, my role has transitioned to include operations. I have a personal connection to our products and a vested interest in ensuring their security throughout their life cycles.
Can you elaborate on your approach to management?
Those early days at EVLO helped form my professional philosophy, because being part of something new requires a lot of resilience, which I try to carry with me in my current role. In the face of major challenges like market competition, geopolitical forces affecting supply chains, and cybersecurity risks across all industries, you have to think holistically to focus on opportunities and solutions.
I also encourage my team to have a collaborative, iterative approach with our customers, improving on and customizing our existing solutions for added value and security. We have worked with clients and large utilities to develop some of the most cyber-secure BESS deployments in the industry, integrating customized, advanced security technologies. This level of creativity and adaptability is unique to EVLO, and I am privileged to count on an amazing group of experts.
Can you describe the technological innovations you’re most proud of during your time at EVLO so far?
First and foremost, I am most impressed by the teamwork and collaboration behind EVLO’s greatest innovations. I want to extend my heartfelt recognition to all my colleagues, both past and present, as I firmly believe that great things are achieved when talented individuals work together.
From a purely technological standpoint, I’m quite proud of our software suite, EVLOGIX, which acts as the brain for our energy storage systems. More than just a product, the EVLOGIX origin story captures the EVLO spirit: selfless and driven individuals working together towards the pursuit of higher society goals.
I’m also very proud of our cyber-resilience and proactive operations that keep our products safe and our customers happy. Keeping grid assets safe is more crucial than it’s ever been; it’s important work we’re leading on.
What is your favorite part of the job?
Hands down, I’m most proud of building and growing world-class teams. We hire the best and brightest folks with exceptional knowledge and experience in the utility and energy storage spaces, but our dedication is what truly sets us apart. I am fortunate to have teams and collaborators that consistently go above and beyond, and I am privileged to have shared a journey with exceptional team managers such as Martin Raymond, Habacuc Honvo, and Moussa Touré. Seeing our staff build bonds amongst each other will always be my pride and joy. This keeps me motivated to ensure I’m doing all I can to support their development so we can make an impact together.
Another rewarding aspect of my role is the chance to keep learning and share my knowledge with peers in the industry. As Class IV engineer at Hydro-Québec, I contribute to the development of foundational IEEE2 recommended practices in the field of energy storage. Additionally, I am involved with CSA, particularly with energy storage related working groups and committees.
You bring a unique perspective as a part of the original EVLO team. How have you seen the company evolve?
The evolution of EVLO into an international company and brand has been remarkable. I feel fortunate to have witnessed and contributed to the organization’s growth, traveling to various sites for the deployment and maintenance of our BESS solutions. It’s thrilling to see the impact we have on utilities across different geographies, each with unique needs and expectations, and to actively contribute to the global energy transition.
Additionally, as our company has expanded, our team has grown, and it has been a pleasure to get to know and mentor new EVLO employees as we explore new territories and offerings.
Cybersecurity is a hot topic even beyond the energy storage industry right now. What advice would you give those interested in entering the field?
Keep up on best practices, emerging technologies, and government regulations. While AI provides new opportunities for hackers, it also provides new tools to optimize our systems’ performance and keep systems secure. State and federal governments are taking big steps to protect data and infrastructure from bad actors, so staying up to date with policy news is important for emerging engineers and IT professionals as well.
More generally, I’d recommend taking smart chances, experimenting, and exploring. Adjust, test and repeat. Unknowns and failures are intrinsic elements of the process, while winning teams will be the ones that keep moving and focus on user value.
When I started at Hydro-Québec, I couldn’t have imagined the opportunities for innovation and leadership that were in store at EVLO. We’re just getting started
1. Models of CVR evaluation for distribution networks
CIRED, 23rd Conference on Electricity Distribution, 2015
Optimal reconfiguration of distribution networks using MILP and supporting hyperplanes
IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting, 2013
Distribution state estimation for smart grids
IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting, 2013
Distribution network reconfiguration for loss reduction using MILP
IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Conference, 2012
Volt and Var Control For Energy Efficiency at Hydro-Québec Distribution
Metering international, vol. 3, 2011
Reinventing electric distribution
IEEE Potentials, vol. 29, no. 1, 2010
Recommended Practice for Energy Storage Management Systems in Energy Storage Application