Our Employee Spotlight series celebrates and highlights the EVLO team’s unique talents, achievements, and perspectives. This month we’re shining a spotlight on Duncan Elliot, Senior International Business Development Manager, for all he does to advance our mission and accelerate the energy transition.
What is your professional background?
My parents were conservation biologists so I always knew that I wanted to do something that would allow me to have a positive impact on the environment. I went to school to study mechanical engineering, and went into sales in the wind energy sector because I enjoy relationship building and using my interpersonal skills to problem solve.
My career began in sales with German wind turbine manufacturer ENERCON, which was important for me since I always wanted to work in renewable energy. During my nine years there, I developed a real sense of enjoyment around building relationships and supporting project development.
My experiences working at ENERCON and renewable energy developer Potentia Renewables really impacted my decision to pursue battery storage, since I felt strongly that it would be a key component to advancing the energy transition.
What made you pursue a career in business development with EVLO?
From the start, I saw that they had great potential as a solution provider to advance the energy transition. At this point in my career, I had a good understanding of business development practices, sales, and renewable energy, but I wanted to use my skill set to make a meaningful contribution to advancing clean energy technology here in Canada.
I took some time off after I left my previous position because I wanted to make sure that my next role would be fulfilling and allow me to contribute to causes that are very important to me. EVLO checked those boxes and from the first time I reached out to the team to now, it has been a great experience.
Many people attribute the energy transition to technical work, but can you speak to the importance of connections and partnerships?
Because there are so many businesses that operate in the energy transition, I’ve noticed that the differentiators will often come down to the values and mission of the company. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting with an array of companies and individuals that have shown me the importance of having a solid relationship when coming to an agreement. Getting to work with similarly dedicated like-minded people is conducive to a successful experience.
I’m glad to say that my values are very much aligned with EVLO’s. This fundamental understanding really comes through when working with teammates too. I actually met Martin Rheault, our VP of Sales and Business Development, and Alain Aubuchon, our Business Development Director, before I was a part of the EVLO team. They are both perfect examples of people that really care about the community, and because I was able to connect with them so well, I knew that EVLO would be a great place to work.
The work balance overall is great and I think that is due in part to the fact that the company is full of people that really care about the work they do. Everyone wants to make an impact, and when that is the situation, there is bound to be success.
What is your favorite part of the job?
I love meeting new people and making new connections, something that is intrinsically tied to my role here at EVLO. As the West Coast Business Development Manager, I get to find new opportunities that are geographically further from EvLo HQ, yet aligned in our values.
It might seem counter-intuitive, but I really enjoy when we have to put in a little extra effort to get a deal over the line. Being attentive and able to understand the view of the person on the other side of the table and what they want to achieve isn’t only a skill for the workplace, but something that I can leverage in my personal life too. Being able to solve problems and be resourceful, creative, and calm while under pressure has helped me build interpersonal relationships that are critical to doing good business.
How do you approach new markets/regions for EVLO to expand into?
It’s a job that requires some discernment. You can’t chase every single project or company because that’s an easy way to quickly become overwhelmed. My main goal going into any business development opportunity is to have an honest conversation about what they are looking for technologically, what they value in a partner, and what they need from us to make the partnership successful.
From these discussions, I then take time to understand and decide whether this client will be a good fit for what we can provide. We find success with those who want cost-effective solutions, and also appreciate our technical support and resilient commercial backing. There are few Canadian companies that offer what we do from a value perspective, but you can’t assume each client will have the same interests and needs.
Can you share one of your favorite experiences while securing new business for EVLO?
We have a process when it comes to securing new business, and in early stages we vet whether we want to approach a company or not. There was one instance where from the initial vetting, we had essentially ruled a client out based on the information we had available at the time.
Some time passed and I bumped into them at a conference so we sat down and started discussing our wants, needs, and objectives, and I realized that we were well aligned on the fundamentals. We continued talking and it became apparent that they would be a great fit for EvLo’s BESS offering.
I really cherish this experience because it showed me the importance of asking and listening before properly ruling a company out based on initial perceptions. You won’t know if you’re aligned with a potential client if you don’t at least reach out to really understand who they are, what they need, and their key challenges.
What advice would you offer to business development professionals who want to transition into a role in the energy transition?
Business development in the world of energy and storage revolves around your ability to build relationships and understand the needs of everyone involved in a deal. Contracts are a great step in establishing what needs to be done, but you can’t really rely on them as a source of truth. You have to be able to trust the company and people you’re coming to an agreement with because successful projects of this scale require teamwork from all the parties involved throughout.
When you think of the factors that go into making a deal and coming to an agreement, you also have to consider the external factors that are at play. For example – the variables that come with the upcoming election in the U.S. As we expand to that market we have to be able to trust that our partners will stand by us as we will for them, and that idea carries into all of the work we do.
