4 | Acquisition International, Global CFO Excellence Awards 2024 Sustainable Energy CFO of the Year 2024 (Europe): Maarten Juch he energy industry is more competitive than it’s ever been. Suppliers are under immense pressure to adapt to market shifts and ensure an efficient operation. Global expectations to evolve the way we produce energy, competitive pricing, and a shifting climate demand industrywide diligence, and throughout it all, POWWR is a beacon of innovation. Having started at KPMG between his bachelor’s and master’s degree, CFO Maarten Juch contributed to funding a multi-billion-euro strategic infrastructure project. This sparked a passion for working within the industry side of business rather than in an advisory capacity. His career goals shifted towards working on long-term projects of real significance, to truly make a difference to the market. He subsequently occupied a variety of positions within Shell for 11 years, developing a broad skillset which served him well in his role as CFO for ambitious start-up Bluegreen Europe. During this time at Bluegreen, he had a direct hand in building its financial infrastructure from the ground up, though when the pandemic hit, and energy prices reached record highs, the company had to close its doors. However, Maarten took this in stride, turning his vast experience to a new challenge as CFO for one of Bluegreen Europe’s crucial vendors, POWWR. Across the UK and US energy and utilities market, POWWR is streamlining procurement, sales, and risk management through its suite of cloud-based applications. 65 suppliers and over 2,100 brokers currently enjoy complex automated processes and accelerated sales cycles thanks to the company’s sustainable, cutting-edge solutions. To become a leader in any industry, it is important that a business has a way to grow. The problem is that most energy brokers and suppliers are using disparate and outdated tools which makes them feel frustrated and unable to compete in a marketplace that’s moving faster each year. Broker360 is the company’s energy portal, providing instant pricing and sales analytics to maximise returns. It’s aimed to scale businesses and provide real-time information for optimised strategy and customer service. It empowers brokers with full market coverage, team management, and provides an across-the-board competitive edge. Sales360 provides deal pricing, verified quotes, electronic contracts, and customer journey management. The software handles these processes automatically, freeing up sales teams to consider strategy and pivotal decision-making. The end user enjoys a seamless experience, while sales teams benefit from powerful analytics and a more coherent, rapid workflow. Risk360 forecasts demand, provides scheduling and position reporting, and operates via a single, modular platform. Tracking market changes and maximising margins is made simple, assessed against all available data points for holistic analysis. It’s able to integrate with other systems, maximising profitability while imposing minimal disruption. Risk360 presents data transparently, bringing a newfound simplicity to market analysis and an immediate shift towards profitability. The company’s expanding presence within its market is testament not just to the quality of its services, but it also reflects the stewardship of its leaders. Maarten Juch is a prime example of this leadership in action; as CFO, he has helped to drive growth and promote innovation to its fullest extent. I set high quality standards for myself and the people around me. At the same time, I go out of my way to spend time coaching or teaching others on how to achieve those standards, building capabilities and improving processes. A key to Maarten’s success is his desire to not just grow into a role, but to grow the role itself. By working closely with others and always striving to learn from them, as well as trying new things, he’s maximised the roles he’s occupied, seeking to mutually benefit the company and his career going forward. Each and every role has been carefully considered to ensure that it fits with Maarten’s long-term goals, and being CFO at POWWR is a vital part of realising his career vision. Maarten’s attitudes are reflected well by the company’s business model. The products on offer are driven by complex automation which yields insight, informs decision-making, and betters the overall customer experience. He’s keen to embrace tools such as artificial intelligence POWWR is a leading software provider for the energy and utilities sector. Its suite of SaaS and tech-enabled managed services brings newfound levels of efficiency to the entire energy procurement journey. Since bringing Maarten Juch on board as CFO, the company has benefitted enormously from his versatile skillset and profound knowledge of the industry. T “ “ ” ”
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