Senior Appointments to Drive Next Wave of Growth
London, 3 February 2025 – NextEnergy Group is pleased to announce a restructuring which strengthens its business model and bolsters its leadership and senior management team with several appointments and promotions. These appointments add significant expertise and experience across the entire Group to help underpin NextEnergy’s position as a market leader whilst ensuring the Group continues our successful trajectory in the next wave of anticipated global growth across the renewables sector.
• Ross Grier: Promoted to Chief Investment Officer of NextEnergy Capital
Effective January 30, 2025: Ross Grier steps into the role of Chief Investment Officer of NextEnergy Capital and will assume responsibility for NextEnergy Capital’s investment activities, fund management, portfolio value creation and portfolio management activities.
Formerly the Chief Operating Officer (“COO”) of NextEnergy Capital, Ross joined NextEnergy in 2013 and successfully led NextEnergy’s UK investment and operating activities, investing c.£2bn across both public and private funds, before taking on his COO role in 2023. In his new role, he retains his responsibility to the NPUK fund and will work closely with the existing teams to drive the growth and expansion of our investment strategies and investment vehicles, as well as focus on the ongoing improvement of portfolio value creation and management operations. Ross joins the Group Leadership Team, the executive committee managing the Group, and will report to Michael Bonte-Friedheim, NextEnergy’s CEO.
• Carrie Cushing: Appointed as Group Chief People Officer of NextEnergy Group
Effective January 6, 2025: Carrie Cushing joined NextEnergy Group as Chief People Officer. Carrie assumes responsibility for NextEnergy’s human resources, talent acquisition, talent management, learning and reward operations. She joins the Group Leadership Team, the executive committee managing the Group and reports to Michael Bonte-Friedheim.
Carrie joins NextEnergy from EXA Infrastructure, where she was Chief People Officer between 2022 and 2025. Prior to this, between 2007 and 2022, Carrie was active across multiple subsidiaries of General Electric, leading the HR and transformation functions across a variety of sectors.
Carrie’s experience across the people function will be of the upmost importance to NextEnergy as we strengthen our talent-related activities and continue to expand significantly from our current team comprising some 370 professionals globally.
• Zoey Carver: Appointed as Group Chief Technology and Information Officer of NextEnergy Group
Effective January 27th, 2025: Zoey Carver joins as Chief Technology and Information Officer of NextEnergy Group. Zoey will assume responsibility for NextEnergy’s technology and information management systems design, implementation and management. She will join the Group Leadership Team, the executive committee managing the Group and reports to Michael Bonte-Friedheim.
Zoey joins NextEnergy from KPMG, where she was an Equity Partner UK and Data and Analytics, AI Accelerator Lead. In that role she was responsible for providing GenAI and data thought leadership and advisory services to clients and member firms. Previously, she worked for Vodafone Group as Head of Global Business Solutions and Head of Innovation. She has extensive experience as a systems architect and implementation lead in technology and information management.
Her appointment underscores NextEnergy’s commitment to continue innovating its systems and data management capabilities and to take advantage of emerging technologies in managing our data flows.
NextEnergy Group also announces two senior strategic advisor appointments
• Andrew Newington: Appointed as Senior Advisor and Chair of the Investment Committee of NextEnergy Capital
Effective January 2025: Andrew Newington joins as a Senior Advisor and Chair of the Investment Committee of NextEnergy Capital. In this role, Andrew will support Ross Grier and the investment and investment-related teams across all their activities.
Andrew has extensive experience in scaling investment management firms as well as in the renewable and energy sector. He is currently, inter alia, a Senior Advisor to Generation Investment Management, was Chief Investment Officer and Chief Operating Officer at Actis between 2015 and 2021 and was previously Managing Partner and Co-Head of London Office for BC Partners between 1998 and 2013.
NextEnergy is particularly pleased to welcome Andrew to its team of strategic advisors as we continue to scale and institutionalise our activities. His extensive experience will be invaluable as our growth accelerates and we continue to expand our activities.
• Armin Sandhövel: Appointed to NextEnergy Group’s Advisory Board
Effective January 30, 2025: Armin Sandhövel joins the NextEnergy Group Advisory Board alongside Simon Eyers, Raymond Carlsen and Kerim Kaskal.
Armin was previously Chief Investment Officer, Infrastructure Equity at Allianz Global Investors (2007-2022), where he led real asset related investment activities, fundraising and portfolio management activities. Furthermore, he was CEO of Allianz Climate Solutions GmbH (2007-2012), a business incubator of the Allianz Group. He has been particularly active in climate-related policy and other environmental frameworks.
His extensive experience innovating in the renewable energy sector, energy and carbon policy will contribute significantly to NextEnergy’s on-going strategic ambitions and management of our existing activities.
• Aldo Beolchini: no longer holds an operational role at the company whilst remaining a shareholder and Board Member of NextEnergy Group
Effective January 30, 2025: As a result of these appointments Aldo Beolchini, Managing Partner and Group Chief Investment Officer will no longer hold an operational role at NextEnergy Group.
Aldo remains a shareholder of NextEnergy Group and will continue to be actively involved as a Board Member of the Group.
Michael Bonte-Friedheim, Founder & CEO, NextEnergy Group commented:
“NextEnergy continues to strengthen its structure by promoting key executives and welcoming senior professionals with very strong track records in successfully managing many of the challenges our sector faces. As we continue to expand our activities, whilst delivering superior results for our stakeholders, new perspectives combined with long-standing experience and expertise are invaluable additions to the exceptional skills and superior performance of our existing talent pool.
I am particularly excited about working with these newly appointed senior team members alongside our existing teams to continue improving our structures, processes and systems while enhancing and growing our relationships to enable us to take advantage of the rapid evolution and growth of our entire sector.
I would also like to thank Aldo for all his contributions as an operating executive at NextEnergy Group and we look forward to his continued involvement as a member of the Board of Directors.”