Grene.org sat down with Kathleen MacLean, head of Growth for EV.Energy, to learn about her passion for shining a light on technology for good.
Tell us a little bit about you and your background:
I grew up in Scotland – between the west coast (Ayrshire) and the highlands (Fort William). I’ve been hiking in the mountains since I was 6 and thats where my love of nature comes from. I graduated from Glasgow with an honours degree in marketing. After I moved to London and spent 8 years in advertising agencies – Ogilvy and Mather & FCB Inferno. I switched onto client side and delved deep into the land of Tech. Starting at Huawei, then O2, into fintech series B (Dext) and then ev.energy (pre-Series A). I’ve personally very driven by two things a) working in teams – I love the energy when a group of people contribute to making something the best it can be b) shining a light on technology for good.
What would you do with $1 Billion dollars?
Give those on the poverty line solar panels & battery storage.
Why do you think sustainability is such an important topic today?
Our world is changing in front of our eyes. How many more glaciers do we have to witness melting? How many more trees do we have to see cut down? Digitisation and globalisation has shined a light on the atrocities happening daily. People have power. Governments are finally listening and commercial companies are ready to provide sustainable solutions. All they need is a push.
What do you envision your industry looking like 10 years from now?
I hope that the concept of smart charging is as familiar as connecting to the internet. Automation for me equals having ultimate control. You set the parameters and you let the technology do the rest. I hope that people won’t fear that their car wont be charged the next morning, but feel safe knowing their car, their bills and the environment have been taken care of in the best way possible.
What can the average person do to make a difference?*
Listen & Make small changes. Read about sustainability, use a reusable coffee cup, can you get there by train rather than plane? Can you reduce your plastic consumption? Small steps can have big impact.