Rodrigo Weiss and Fabio Eucalipto Transition to Candi
After several years committed to the growth and development of Persistent, Partner Rodrigo Weiss and CFO Fabio Eucalipto will transition to Persistent partner company candi, a platform that finances, builds and operates solar systems for SMEs in emerging markets. Rodrigo will take on the role of Chief Operating Officer and Fabio will be candi’s Chief Financial Officer.
Rodrigo joined Persistent in late 2016 to help grow Persistent into what it is today: a venture builder with offices in three continents and a team of 12 people. Rodrigo also led Persistent’s expansion into the commercial and industrial (C&I) space.
In early 2017, Fabio became a key part of the Persistent team as a Principal and eventually took on the role of CFO, institutionalizing the financial management of the firm as well as leading the charge in building up partner companies.
Additionally, Rodrigo and Fabio have both been involved in the development and launch of the US$120 million Energy Entrepreneurs Growth Fund which will provide affordable access to energy for homes and businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Their new positions at candi will focus on growing the company, which they see great promise in as a leading C&I rooftop solar company for SMEs in India, South Africa and other emerging markets. Rodrigo and Fabio intend to stay strongly connected to Persistent and although they will be missed as two key team members, Persistent is excited to welcome new members to the team.
As of November 2019, Jens Godat has joined Persistent as Chief Operating Officer with a focus on operations, organizational development and people strategy. Jens previously worked at Google where he set up and led various operation teams and HR business partner functions. Furthermore, Tobias Ruckstuhl, Principal at Persistent for the past two years and leader of the venture building activities, is officially taking over as CFO from January 2020. Additionally, Philip Cottier has agreed to serve as the Chairman of the Board for Persistent. Philipp is a successful financier, philanthropist and former managing director of equities at responsAbility, and brings a wealth of experience and cool-headed judgment to the Persistent Board.
The tail end of 2019 brought about some changes to the team but Persistent looks forward to moving forward in 2020, and will soon introduce and launch the Persistent Entrepreneurs Network. We aim for this to become a hands-on network where entrepreneurs and Persistent employees, both current and former, can exchange ideas, share insights, discuss sector developments and publications, and organize meetups. We believe the Persistent Entrepreneurs Network will facilitate great opportunities for previous employees, partners and friends of Persistent to stay connected and continue to make a sustainable impact in the sector.