Gazelle Wind Power Appoints U.S. Wind, Finance Pioneer as CFO
Álvaro Ortega to lead floating offshore platform developer’s financial growth
DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Gazelle Wind Power (Gazelle), the developer of a next generation floating offshore wind platform, has appointed clean energy finance industry expert Álvaro Ortega as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Ortega is the former Vice President of Finance at Avangrid Inc., a publicly traded company on the NY Stock Exchange and the U.S. subsidiary of global energy leader Iberdrola.
IMAGE: Gazelle Wind Power CFO Álvaro Ortega
“Finding someone with a track record like Álvaro’s is rare. Due to his financial expertise and passion for renewable energy, his joining the team is a home run for Gazelle as we enter an exciting phase in our company’s development,” said Gazelle CEO and Founder Jon Salazar. “As the financier of one of the first commercial-scale offshore wind projects in the U.S., his impressive résumé and commitment to clean energy development make him ideal for this position.”
As VP of Finance at Avangrid, Ortega managed investor relations and treasury for the company, which currently has a ~$12.1 billion market capitalization. Before that, Ortega served as CFO of Vineyard Wind, where he played a central role in achieving the financial close and commencement of construction for the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the United States, the 800MW Vineyard Wind 1.
“There were several factors that drew me to Gazelle, the first being Jon’s passion and the world-class Gazelle team. Moreover, I believe the company is positioned to lead the industry because its technology excels under the most extreme conditions while utilising fewer resources and less steel compared to its counterparts. Additionally, it offers a simpler assembly process and maintenance, which further enables the competitiveness and acceleration of offshore floating wind. This aligns with what the future of this industry demands,” commented Ortega.
Ortega has an MBA from Babson University, renowned for its entrepreneurship education. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of the Basque Country and a Certificate in Financing and Deploying Clean Energy from Yale University. Ortega will lead all financial aspects of Gazelle’s business as the company focuses on demonstrating its next generation design through a pilot plant in Aguçadoura, Portugal together with renewable energy developer WAM Horizon.
“Currently, in offshore development, the focus should not solely be on manufacturing the technology but also on making it affordable, especially during challenging times when supply chain costs have risen,” Ortega added.
About Gazelle Wind Power
Gazelle Wind Power Limited is accelerating the commercialisation of the floating offshore wind market with its next generation platform. Gazelle’s solution is poised to become the benchmark for the industry with a design that is targeted to lower costs, enable local content, utilise preexisting port infrastructure, and incorporate shipbuilding construction with modular assembly. The floating platform offers high stability and easy transport, installation, and maintenance while preserving fragile marine environments. The company is based in Dublin and has a presence in Dubai, London, Madrid, Porto, and the U.S. For more information, visit www.gazellewindpower.com.
Contacts
For Gazelle Wind Power:
Wendy Prabhu | Mercom Communications
T: +1 512 215 4452
