GWEC expands global team with Director of Women in Wind Jeanette Gitobu
Nairobi, 15 December 2021 – The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) announced today that Jeanette Gitobu has joined the GWEC team as the association’s Director of the Women in Wind Global Leadership Programme. Gitobu is an award-winning renewable energy practitioner and a past Participant in the Women in Wind Global Leadership Program, who previously worked as a Project Developer at Windlab. She is based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Ben Backwell, CEO, GWEC, commented “As Women in Wind enters its fourth year of operation, Jeanette’s appointment as Director marks a shift into a new phase for the programme. The global wind energy industry is set to expand at an unprecedented rate this decade as we strive to meet the climate action targets set under the Paris Agreement. This growth will require whole-of-society mobilisation to ensure that the industry scales equitably and sustainably, and that its future workforce is diverse and inclusive. Jeanette’s passion, wind energy expertise, and track record of leadership and community engagement are all assets for this role.”
Jeanette has been recognized for her work by The Kenyan Ministry of Energy as a woman leader who has made a mark in the energy space through career advancement, business, or innovation that has brought change in her space and society. She was awarded with Energy Institute Young Energy Professional of the Year 2021 and McKinsey’s Women’s Achievement Award in 2020.
As Women in Wind enters its fourth year of operation, Jeanette’s appointment as Director marks a shift into a new phase for the programme. The global wind energy industry is set to expand at an unprecedented rate this decade as we strive to meet the climate action targets set under the Paris Agreement. This growth will require whole-of-society mobilisation to ensure that the industry scales equitably and sustainably, and that its future workforce is diverse and inclusive. Jeanette’s passion, wind energy expertise, and track record of leadership and community engagement are all assets for this role
Gitobu brings her track record as an international renewable energy leader to support GWEC’s Women in Wind Global Leadership Programme’s goal of bridging the gender gap in the wind industry to help the wind sector harness top talent to drive the energy transition.
Jeannete Gitobu, Director of Women in Wind Global Leadership Programme, commented “I am delighted to be joining GWEC to lead and drive the Women in Women Global Leadership Program forward. Gender diversity drives innovation, opens new pathways for technology deployment, brings valuable perspectives to social and economic development and provides a richer pool of talent for key and emerging industries. In the landscape of global issues requiring strong leadership and a skilled workforce, few areas are as critical as the transition to a sustainable energy system. Playing a role in this journey is a true honor for me especially helping to advance the role of women as agents of change in society and promote best practices within the wind industry.”
I am delighted to be joining GWEC to lead and drive the Women in Women Global Leadership Program forward. Gender diversity drives innovation, opens new pathways for technology deployment, brings valuable perspectives to social and economic development and provides a richer pool of talent for key and emerging industries. In the landscape of global issues requiring strong leadership and a skilled workforce, few areas are as critical as the transition to a sustainable energy system. Playing a role in this journey is a true honor for me especially helping to advance the role of women as agents of change in society and promote best practices within the wind industry
The Women in Wind Global Leadership Program, which was established in 2019 and is run in partnership with the Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET), was designed to accelerate the career of women in the wind industry, support their pathway to leadership positions and foster a global network of mentorship, knowledge-sharing, networking, and empowerment. Now in its third edition, in 2021 the Programme welcomed 15 participants from 11 emerging markets, selected out of a pool of over 200 applicants.
Joyce Lee, Head of Policy and Projects at GWEC and outgoing lead of the Women in Wind program said: “The Women in Wind programme provides a guiding light for the wind industry to maintain diversity and inclusivity as core principles of growth. Over the last three years, we have engaged hundreds of workers across the global wind value chain as mentees, mentors, speakers and partners. The program has built a thriving multi-generational network of alumni spanning CEOs to siting engineers, which will continue to expand under Jeanette’s leadership. I am grateful to all our collaborators who have contributed to the program to date, and thrilled that Jeanette will bring her capabilities and vision to lead Women in Wind.”
The Women in Wind programme provides a guiding light for the wind industry to maintain diversity and inclusivity as core principles of growth. Over the last three years, we have engaged hundreds of workers across the global wind value chain as mentees, mentors, speakers and partners. The program has built a thriving multi-generational network of alumni spanning CEOs to siting engineers, which will continue to expand under Jeanette’s leadership. I am grateful to all our collaborators who have contributed to the program to date, and thrilled that Jeanette will bring her capabilities and vision to lead Women in Wind
Since its establishment, Women in Wind has worked collaboratively with international bodies to accelerate gender diversity, including “Wind Energy: A Gender Perspective”, the first comprehensive assessment of women’s presence in the global wind workforce co-authored with IRENA, and fed into UNFCCC’s work on gender and climate change with a statement as part of the Lima Enhanced Gender Action Plan. Other activities include the release of industry guides such as “Best Practices for Gender Diversity at Industry Events” and “Best Practices for Gender Diversity in Talent Recruitment”.
