Christian Herrero de Egaña

BaseMadrid, Spain

EducationOxford Brookes University BSc · IESE Business School, ranked #1 globally in Executive Education (Financial Times)

LanguagesEnglish (native) · Spanish (native) · French

MarketsEurope · Africa · Americas · Asia

LinkedIn@thechristianherrero

About

"Over 25 years in solar and infrastructure, I have been repeatedly brought into platforms to open markets, structure expansion, and scale revenue in environments defined by long cycles, complex procurement systems, and finance-driven decision-making."

International industrial scale-up operator across Europe, Africa, and the Americas. I operate in markets where commercial traction is not given — it is built: entering new geographies, establishing institutional credibility with utilities, EPCs, governments and development banks, and converting fragmented relationships into bankable, structured pipelines.

Key outcomes include scaling international revenues from $43M to $426M across 15+ countries, building European commercial operations for a global solar tracker manufacturer from zero, and structuring non-recourse and project-finance-backed transactions in constrained credit environments. Execution can be delegated. Building and scaling commercial traction in complex markets cannot.

IberdrolaNaturgyENEL Green Power SolariaWorld BankKfW NEAEU CommissionCESCE · FAD

My Journey

Built on the work others considered
too complex.

Six moves. 25 years. A co-foundership. A published book. The same thread throughout: doing the commercial work that others consider too difficult, too remote, or too long-cycle to be worth the effort.

1995 — 2000 · Madrid & Sub-Saharan Africa

The continent that
started everything.

At 23, fresh from Oxford Brookes, I was negotiating infrastructure contracts — hospitals, water systems, rural electrification — with ministers and presidents across West Africa within six months, using FAD soft loans, CESCE export credits, and OECD mixed credit frameworks.

In Ghana in 1999, I closed a €5M solar rural electrification contract on behalf of Isofoton — whilst still employed by IBADESA. That contract represented 26% of Isofoton's entire annual revenue. They recruited me directly. January 2001.

2001 — 2008 · Madrid · Global

Building a global
division from nothing.

Isofoton had no meaningful international infrastructure when I arrived. Within 24 months: Deputy MD, International Division. Over seven years: 8 subsidiaries, 2 manufacturing facilities (including a WFOE in China), revenues from $43M to $426M across 15+ countries.

Simultaneously lecturing at Lehigh University's Iacocca Institute — four consecutive summers. Contributed to the strategic investor process that resulted in Deyá Capital (Grupo March) investing ~$205M USD for a 25% stake — implying a valuation of approximately $848M in 2007.

2008 — 2012 · Madrid · 12 Countries

Crisis. Overnight.
Appointed MD at dawn.

I joined SolFocus in June 2008. By November: financial crash, outgoing MD, collapsed IPO strategy. Appointed interim MD overnight. 48 people. One mandate: survive.

Restructured 48→14 across three ERE-compliant phases. Raised €15M in European institutional capital in a frozen credit market — including structured non-recourse project finance (80% debt / 20% equity). Europe grew to 60%+ of global revenues. Permanent appointment confirmed by Scott Sandell (NEA, Forbes Midas #5).

2012 · The Co-Founder Chapter

The startup that
taught me everything.

When SolFocus wound down, I was approached as a consultant for POZESS. I negotiated co-founder status instead — putting me on the other side: not the executive selling to VCs, but the founder being evaluated, rejected, and rebuilt by them.

A year in. Sound team. Solid metrics. Dozens of rejections. Then one VC told us the truth: "You are fundable — but not investor-ready." We fixed it. Got funded. That experience became the foundation of the 270-page book.

Ahead of its time

Africa is now one of the world's fastest-growing solar markets. We built the infrastructure a decade before the world noticed.

2012 — 2022 · Dakar · Madrid · New York · Milan

The partnership
ahead of its time.

ENCO was founded with Abdou Sy — a Senegalese entrepreneur whose father's deep institutional network across West African government and finance provided access that most foreign companies never achieve. Our first major contract was negotiated directly with Macky Sall, then a rising political figure who would serve as President of Senegal from 2012 to 2024.

I designed the consortium strategy that won two Senegalese government concessions — 47,500 households, ~500,000 beneficiaries — co-financed by KfW, EU, World Bank, and Spain. World Bank case study. Built from 3 to 100 people. Africa as a solar market was not yet mainstream. We built the infrastructure a decade before the world noticed.

2019 — Present · Madrid · Global

Building Europe from zero.
Then the ENEL breakthrough.

Approached to build the European operation of the 4th largest solar tracker manufacturer globally — a company with no prior European presence. Within three quarters: pipeline 10x, customer base +200%, and the first-ever ENEL Green Power vendor qualification achieved by a tracker manufacturer.

At Valmont (2022–23), 140% of annual European targets in 18 months — trackers, fixed-tilt, and agrivoltaics. Then Thinking Smarts: because after 25 years of building commercial operations for others, I wanted to give back — making my experience, network, and Silicon Valley connections available to first-time founders who needed someone who had genuinely been through it.

How I Can Help

You have a commercial challenge.
I have solved it before.

Solar manufacturers, infrastructure developers, EPCs, and investment funds across EMEA, the Americas, Africa, and Asia face the same core problems. Here is where I have solved them — with receipts.

The Problem

Entering a new international market at early stage

You have a strong product but no relationships with the utilities, EPCs, and project developers who make procurement decisions. You need credibility before you need contracts.

→ Built the European operation of the 4th largest tracker manufacturer globally from zero — no prior European presence. Pipeline 10x in under 3 quarters. Customer base +200%.

The Problem

Making your project bankable for institutional lenders

Bankability is about understanding what a development bank, export credit agency, or institutional lender needs to see before committing capital. Getting this wrong kills projects at DD stage.

→ SolFocus CPV: non-recourse project finance (80% debt / 20% equity) post-2008. FAD soft loans $100M + CESCE export credits $75M. World Bank and KfW co-financed ENCO concessions.

The Problem

Winning government concessions in complex markets

African and emerging market concessions require ministerial relationships, consortium design, multilateral co-financing, and the ability to navigate regulatory environments that operate on their own timelines.

→ ENCO: Two Senegalese government concessions won against EDF. 47,500 households. World Bank case study. Morocco PERG: 10-year PPP, 9 provinces, 13,000+ systems.

The Problem

Scaling international revenues across multiple geographies

International scale requires a different commercial architecture, different team profiles, and a different approach to key account management across diverse regulatory and cultural environments.

→ Isofoton: $43M to $426M in international revenues. 8 subsidiaries. 2 manufacturing facilities. 15+ countries across 4 continents. 7 years. Built from zero to global.

The Problem

Establishing a new market entrant as a credible tier-1 alternative

You are entering a highly competitive market where established players have deep roots. You need to pass rigorous vendor qualification processes, build technical credibility, and earn a position at the shortlist table.

→ Led 9 vendor qualification processes with tier-1 European utilities and EPCs. Achieved the first-ever vendor qualification by a tracker manufacturer at ENEL Green Power.

The Problem

Structuring and closing a strategic investment process

Bringing in a strategic investor requires a disciplined process: target selection, investment bank appointment, information memorandum, Big Four due diligence, and board-level negotiation.

→ Isofoton: Led the process resulting in Deyá Capital (Grupo March) investing ~$205M USD for a 25% stake — implying a valuation of approximately $848M. IB-managed. Big Four DD across 8 countries.

Execution Portfolio

The work, in detail.

From launching European operations for a global OEM with no prior footprint, to building a $400M+ international industrial division across 8 countries, to leading a multi-jurisdiction institutional investment process culminating in a $205M equity transaction with Big Four and investment bank execution.

Different contexts. Same operating logic: enter early, solve the constraint, build institutional trust fast, and convert execution into scalable international and institutional value.

Arctech Solar

Built European market entry from zero into tier-1 utility scale solar qualification system

Read Case Study →

Isofoton

Built international industrial platform from $43M to $426M across 15+ countries

Read Case Study →

Deyá Capital · Grupo March

Led institutional investment process → $205M equity entry

Read Case Study →

SolFocus

Took a technology no bank would finance and no customer would adopt — and built both frameworks from zero

Read Case Study →

Built on the work others considered
too complex.

The continent that
started everything.

Building a global
division from nothing.

Crisis. Overnight.
Appointed MD at dawn.

The startup that
taught me everything.

The partnership
ahead of its time.

Building Europe from zero.
Then the ENEL breakthrough.

You have a commercial challenge.
I have solved it before.

The work, in detail.

Built European market entry from zero into tier-1 utility scale solar qualification system

Built international industrial platform from $43M to $426M across 15+ countries

Led institutional investment process → $205M equity entry

Took a technology no bank would finance and no customer would adopt — and built both frameworks from zero

Free resources for founders and executives.

Let us talk about what you are building.

Christian Herrero de Egaña

Built on the work others consideredtoo complex.

The continent thatstarted everything.

Building a globaldivision from nothing.

Crisis. Overnight.Appointed MD at dawn.

The startup thattaught me everything.

The partnershipahead of its time.

Building Europe from zero.Then the ENEL breakthrough.

You have a commercial challenge.I have solved it before.

The work, in detail.

Built European market entry from zero into tier-1 utility scale solar qualification system

Built international industrial platform from $43M to $426M across 15+ countries

Led institutional investment process → $205M equity entry

Took a technology no bank would finance and no customer would adopt — and built both frameworks from zero

Free resources for founders and executives.

Let us talk about what you are building.

Built on the work others considered
too complex.

The continent that
started everything.

Building a global
division from nothing.

Crisis. Overnight.
Appointed MD at dawn.

The startup that
taught me everything.

The partnership
ahead of its time.

Building Europe from zero.
Then the ENEL breakthrough.

You have a commercial challenge.
I have solved it before.