FTC Solar appoints Yann Brandt as new CEO & President

FTC Solar has announced the appointment of Yann Brandt as the company's new President and Chief Executive Officer.

Brandt, who will also join the Board of Directors, is set to take up the role effective 19 August 2024. The decision follows a comprehensive search process conducted by the Board with the aid of external resources.

Shaker Sadasivam, Chairman of the Board of FTC Solar, stated: "FTC has built a strong industry brand and foundation as a company, with a robust catalog of single-axis trackers for both 1P and 2P configuration with industry leading constructability and an enhanced cost structure."

"Following a thorough and highly competitive process to identify FTC Solar's next CEO, the Board finds that Yann is the right leader for FTC at this time, to execute on this foundation and capture the significant opportunity we see ahead."

Sadasivam added that Brandt is a strategic leader with considerable experience and strong relationships within the solar industry, capabilities he believes will assist the company in focusing on performance and delivery.

Brandt brings over 18 years of experience in solar manufacturing, project development, finance, and energy storage to FTC Solar. He moves to FTC Solar from FlexGen, a battery energy storage services and software company where he served as Chief Commercial Officer since November 2022, and prior to that, as Chief Financial Officer since February 2021.

During his time at FlexGen, Brandt was credited with overseeing significant growth in both revenue and profitability.

His earlier roles include serving as CEO of Quick Mount PV, a manufacturer of solar racking for residential solar, where he steered the company through a period of reorganisation and subsequent robust growth. Brandt also held key roles at Conergy, a solar company, including President of the Americas and Global Head of Marketing and PR, managing operations in 15 countries.

Brandt is also a Board Member for the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Johns Hopkins University.

Commenting on his new position, Brandt said, "I am thrilled to be selected to lead FTC Solar, a top brand in the tracking market. I have been familiar with FTC Solar since its inception and continue to be impressed with the reputation it has developed for innovation and ease of use. It is an exciting time to join FTC Solar and work with their customers and prospects, many of which I know well, and provide the best tracker solutions for their projects, while helping to take FTC's business to the next level."

"Together with this incredible team, I am certain that we will impress the market with service and execution," he added.

FTC Solar, founded in 2017 by renewable energy industry veterans, provides solar tracker systems, technology, software, and engineering services globally. Its solar trackers are designed to maximise energy output by dynamically optimising solar panel orientation in relation to the sun, promising high performance and reliability at a competitive installation cost-per-watt advantage.