‘I remember an HR director guessing my age during a recruitment process and assuming I would have children soon’

The solar and storage sectors are scaling so quickly that we simply cannot afford to waste talent. According to IRENA, women now hold around 40% of full-time jobs in the solar energy sector, a higher share than in renewables in general and significantly more than fossil fuels. For energy storage, the numbers are still lower, but they are growing steadily. At the same time, Europe is experiencing record growth in PV and battery energy storage systems. To me, that reality makes one thing very clear: if we want resilient and successful industries, we need teams built on diversity of thought, experiences and perspectives.

When people with different backgrounds and experiences sit around the same table, they challenge assumptions, identify blind spots, and design solutions that work not just on paper but in the real world. This is what resilience looks like. Diverse teams are also better positioned to build trust with communities, regulators and customers because they better understand real needs and concerns. In such a rapidly evolving sector, who can afford a team where everyone thinks the same way? Diversity, equity and inclusion do not slow us down; they make us sharper.

Navigating systemic barriers

Looking back on my own career, most of the barriers I encountered were systemic rather than personal. I grew up professionally in environments where leadership was often associated with a highly technical, tough and, above all, masculine style. Collaborative leadership approaches were sometimes seen as ‘less senior’, while visibility and access to major projects were often determined by informal networks.

I remember an HR director guessing my age during a hiring process and assuming I would have children soon. Shortly afterwards I was left out of consideration. Later in my career, I discovered that I was the lowest paid member of my team, despite consistently delivering strong results, and that I was also the only woman.

At the same time, one of my biggest personal challenges was imposter syndrome. For years I over-adapted. I said yes too often and assumed that when something failed, I must somehow be the problem. Ultimately, that mentality led me to burnout. That experience forced me to pause and think deeply about who I was, what kind of leader I wanted to become, and how I wanted to work with others.

Redefining leadership

Over time, I have learned that credibility and trust are much more important than fitting into the stereotype of a “perfect leader.” Leadership is not about creating stars; it’s about building high-performing teams. That requires transparency, accountability and the ability to make quick but well-informed decisions. It also requires recognizing that soft skills are just as important as technical expertise.

Years of handball have taught me something that I still apply every day: individual actions can win a match, but never an entire season. Sustainable success comes from diverse, generous and well-coordinated teams. That lesson profoundly shaped my leadership style, especially in an industry that has historically celebrated its only hero.

One of the most encouraging shifts I’ve seen in recent years is that we no longer recognize just one “valid” leadership style. Coaching-oriented, transparent and people-oriented leaders are increasingly respected, provided they remain decisive, coherent and business-oriented. I also see more women reaching mid- and senior-level positions, and more transparency around promotions and appointments. We are slowly getting rid of the old habit of recommending people who simply look and think like us.

The power of mentorship and allyship

Mentorship has played a fundamental role throughout my career. Early on, I actively looked for experienced professionals who could help me build a strong technical foundation. Later, coaches and HR professionals encouraged me to question my own assumptions, reconnect with my strengths, and think honestly about the kind of professional and person I wanted to become.

Good mentorship creates space to pause, analyze and make informed decisions. It has had a direct impact on the way I negotiate, lead teams, make difficult decisions and communicate.

I was also fortunate to experience true allyship early in my career. One manager in particular made a big difference. On a team where I was the only woman, he made sure my voice was heard, prevented others from talking about me, and even advocated for a salary increase after identifying a clear pay gap between me and my male colleagues.

That experience didn’t solve every challenge overnight, but it quickly broke down barriers and, perhaps more importantly, made me realize for the first time that gender inequality was not abstract, but affected me directly.

Building inclusive and high-performing teams

Today, as a senior leader, I am fortunate to work in an organization where inclusivity is already embedded in the culture. I inherited an engineering team where women represented 44% of the workforce, which is still unusual in this field. In addition to gender, we also embrace different personalities, soft skills, physical conditions and perspectives.

Together with our People Operations colleagues, we actively work to identify development opportunities, training needs and future leaders. I am also very conscious of the behavior we reward. Ambition is welcome, but never at the expense of others. When traditional leadership styles become toxic or overly political, we address them head-on.

One of the biggest challenges at the executive level is to move DEI beyond slogans and make it part of real accountability: hiring decisions, promotion criteria, leadership evaluations and budgets. People are increasingly skeptical of performative initiatives, and rightly so. Inclusion only becomes credible when it changes the way organizations actually operate.

I have seen firsthand the measurable impact of diverse leadership teams. In both my current and previous roles, more diverse teams consistently improved decision quality, speed of execution, engagement, and sense of belonging. My current team, consisting of four nationalities, three seniority levels and 44% women, combines strong business performance with high commitment and mutual support. That balance is important.

For organizations that want to take the retention of diverse talent seriously, honesty and visibility are essential. Career development criteria should be transparent, pay equity should be addressed openly, and managers should have honest career conversations rather than relying solely on annual reviews. People also need meaningful stretching opportunities, combined with the right support. Diverse talent will not remain where growth, recognition and honesty exist only in presentations.

Advice for the next generation

To young women entering the renewable energy sector today, my advice is simple: stay curious, stay generous and stay true to yourself. Learn the basics of the industry, but don’t wait until you feel like you know it all before taking on the responsibility. No one in this industry knows everything; The industry moves far too quickly for that.

Look for good managers and mentors instead of superheroes. Pay close attention to the culture and the way people interact, not just the job titles. Set boundaries with toxic behavior and don’t reduce your ambitions to conform to outdated stereotypes of what an engineer or leader should look like.

The energy transition needs diverse talent, diverse leadership, and people willing to lead in ways that are both humane and effective.

Marián Giner is head of engineering at Alight, with more than 19 years of experience in the sustainable energy sector, especially in the field of solar energy and energy storage. She has held technical and commercial roles at companies such as SunPower, SunEdison, Sunco, Wärtsilä and OX2, where she managed projects, teams and customers from development through to execution in Europe, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, successfully delivering over 2 GW and helping shape the commercial strategy for utility-scale PV and BESS in several markets. Marián combines a strong technical background with a 360-degree understanding of the sustainable energy sector, from market dynamics to project financing and commercial strategy. She focuses on building diverse, high-performing teams, developing new leaders and connecting technical decisions with long-term value creation. She has an MSc in Industrial Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Valencia and an executive program in leadership and project management from the IE Business School in Madrid. Marián is currently based in Madrid, Spain.

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