INTERVIEW: Greenlight Planet welcomes Krishna Swaroop as the CFO
Greenlight Planet welcomed Krishna Swaroop as the new Chief Finance Officer in June 2020. We spent a few minutes with Krishna to learn more about his background and hear what he is most excited about joining Greenlight.
Q: Welcome to the team, Krishna! You have worked with companies with a very sustainable outlook. What excites you most about joining Greenlight Planet?
A: I have been fortunate to have worked in a diverse set of industries, ranging from a large public utility (Indian Railways) to multinational consulting firms, to extremely large manufacturing groups in my career, so far. Each one of these career moves came with its own challenges, opportunities, and learnings which have helped me to evolve as an individual, both professionally and personally. When I came across the opportunity to join Greenlight, what fascinated me was the hybrid of sectors it operates in: renewable energy and financial inclusion. The work we do has substantial real world implications and positive impact on vulnerable communities and individuals. Each of the companies I’ve previously worked with had a sustainable business outlook, but Greenlight’s business model also enables vulnerable communities to lead improved and more sustainable lives. And that is what attracted me here. As I said before, it is quite satisfying and exciting to call “making a difference to the world” your job!
Q: Greenlight Planet recently announced funding of $90 million. What are your thoughts on this?
A: The off-grid solar space is still in a relatively nascent stage, and the ability to source this amount of funding is amazing. It sets the stage for the rapid pace of growth we intend to achieve. The fact that this investment came through in challenging times of a global pandemic is extra meaningful. It represents a large vote of external confidence in what we do and how we do things at Greenlight. I know that a lot of time and effort went into closing this investment, so I applaud everyone that worked towards achieving it.
Q: How do you view leadership when working as a Global CFO for an organization like Greenlight Planet?
A: Leadership is like a steering wheel. The best of engines cannot reach their destination if not steered well and in fact, may cause disasters en route. This is more critical in the case of companies like Greenlight which work in a space having a large social impact. Given that we work with individuals and communities who have not been a target audience for traditional business and banking players so far, it is incredibly important that we are able to create a sustainable business while making the desired social impact. These are largely conflicting goals and only a clear vision and leadership can help to align the journey between the conflicting pressures.
Q: From a CFO’s perspective, what are your thoughts on how the COVID19 pandemic is affecting access to capital?
A: The COVID-19 pandemic is a situation that any business (and the world at large) has never seen before. There is very little precedent to make an estimate of the impact this pandemic could have on businesses and society. What it has definitely done is that it has created uncertainty and volatility in the short run. Both these factors are big enemies for finance! Many investment decisions have been frozen given the uncertainty and cost of funds has jumped due to volatility. Having said that, I am highly optimistic that the world will bounce back soon. Given that almost all the countries are going to have expansionary fiscal and monetary measures for some time to come in order to support their respective economies, a good business would have enough opportunities to attract investments even in these challenging times. We just have to keep doing what we do well (i.e. our business), day in day out, consistently.
Q: Finally, big positions come with big responsibilities! In such cases, how do find the right balance in life?
A: Loving what you do makes finding work-life balance much easier! In the constantly connected environment we live in today, it is almost impossible to be regimented about strict boundaries between our personal and professional time. It also helps to remember that we cannot solve all of our challenges immediately and to be willing to tolerate imperfections, to some extent. One silver lining of this pandemic has been the ability to spend more time physically with my family since I am working from home. While I pray that we return to normal life soon, I also sincerely hope that some of the changes from these times stick with us.
