David Howells, Group CEO of Pacific International Executive Search, sits down with Bjarne Nielsen, Pacific’s Advisory Board Member, for a fireside chat exploring what 2025 taught the best-performing companies in the Renewable Energy space, and how leaders can turn those lessons into a winning strategy for 2026 and beyond. Together, they unpack the pivotal shifts, capabilities, and priorities that will define resilience and competitive advantage in the year ahead.
TRANSCRIPT – Fireside Chat: David Howells with Bjarne Nielsen
David Howells:
Bjarne, firstly, happy holidays and thank you for joining me for the first of our Advisory Board member fireside chats. It feels fitting to start with you, as you were one of the first people we spoke to when forming the Advisory Board earlier this year, and you formally joined in April. I want to begin by looking back at 2025.
How would you summarise 2025 in three words, and why?
Bjarne Nielsen:
It’s tricky to boil a whole year down to three words, but the first would be war. The war in Ukraine continues to set the agenda globally, especially in Europe. It has influenced policy priorities and drawn attention to defence industries, sometimes at the expense of other important areas. But it has also pulled Europe together; the cooperation between the EU and the UK has been encouraging and has shown Europe taking more responsibility on the world stage.
The second word would be uncertainty. War always creates uncertainty, and the radical changes in U.S. policy added to that. This comes at a time when the general business environment is actually strong—rising stock markets, low interest rates—yet in renewables, U.S. policy shifts caused significant turmoil.
The third word is AI. Artificial intelligence has been around for years, but 2025 is when it truly accelerated. When AI becomes a standard part of Microsoft Office, you know it has reached a new level of adoption. It is also now a major driver of global stock prices. Those are the three words I associate most with 2025.
David Howells:
I want to come back to AI later, because that has big implications for 2026 and 2027. Looking back at 2025, and thinking about the renewable energy industry where you’ve spent most of your career, what was the one thing the best-performing companies did differently to show resilience—and how should others emulate that in 2026?
Bjarne Nielsen:
It helps to separate the Chinese market from the rest of the world. Chinese companies are doing extremely well in terms of market share, but not financially. Looking at Western OEMs, the strongest performers focused on becoming better at their core business.
We’ve seen a reset in some companies: fewer product launches and more emphasis on industrialising and improving existing designs. That builds long-term competitiveness and reduces short-term risk. Many Western OEMs are now returning to positive financial results and improving quality. They’re getting out of what I call the “warranty swamp.”
Service has also become a major strategic focus. Most wind OEMs have strong service businesses—10- to 20-year contracts with high margins. But this only works if the underlying products are solid. If the base product isn’t mature, you jeopardize future service earnings. So product quality and service excellence go hand in hand.
David Howells:
We talked earlier this year about service becoming a central value driver in wind, solar, and other renewable sectors. It feels like that’s where much of the long-term opportunity lies.
Bjarne Nielsen:
Absolutely. But again, you can’t have a successful service business if the product you’re servicing for the next two decades isn’t robust. The industry has learned that the hard way.
David Howells:
What is one market shift or disruption you think leaders are underestimating right now? And what should they be doing in 2026 to turn it into a competitive advantage?
Bjarne Nielsen:
AI, and particularly the speed of its development. I think everyone underestimated how quickly it would advance and how fast it would be integrated into real solutions. Falling behind by even a few weeks or months can impact competitiveness.
The companies that take AI seriously, embed it into their strategy, and manage to operationalise it will get ahead. AI has obvious applications in product performance and maintenance, improving the levelised cost of energy, but its impact goes much further—into supply chain, manufacturing, and even product design.
AI removes subjective judgment in inspection and quality processes. It provides consistent, calibrated data. That helps not only in improving the current product but in creating a much stronger foundation for the next generation of products.
David Howells:
We were speaking with a potential client recently who said a huge portion of his workforce is dedicated to inspection and quality control. AI is already stepping in to support or replace some of that, and that’s where companies can gain real efficiency.
Bjarne Nielsen:
Exactly. When humans are involved, there will always be subjectivity. AI gives you neutral, consistent assessments. And that data can be fed back into design and engineering to improve future products. It strengthens the whole cycle.
David Howells:
Let’s shift to leadership. If you were leading a renewable energy company today as CEO or COO, what would be your top strategic priority for 2026 to ensure you’re ahead of the curve for 2027?
Bjarne Nielsen:
I would have two priorities.
The first is building capability—organisational capability, product capability, and operational capability. Companies need to be excellent at what truly matters. That means making conscious decisions about insourcing and outsourcing. You don’t win with an average team; you win by being excellent, and excellence requires skill, focus, and practice.
This is where lean comes in—not just as a tool but as a leadership mindset. Lean places the customer at the centre and empowers frontline teams: service technicians, manufacturing teams, and salespeople. They are closest to the customer and must be supported by the rest of the organisation. That requires decentralisation and putting decision-making power where the work is done.
The second priority is building a real AI strategy—and executing it. Even if you don’t know exactly where to start, you must start. Bring in the right people, run experiments, learn fast, and expand from there. Time is critical.
David Howells:
What capability or talent should renewable energy companies be building now to position themselves well for the next two years?
Bjarne Nielsen:
Companies need to start developing AI capabilities immediately. You don’t wait for the perfect plan. It’s like getting a driver’s licence—you build the capability first, and then the opportunities emerge.
You need data scientists, IT people who understand big data, process engineers who can work with data scientists, and people who know machine learning. You might even need consultants to get started, but you must build internal capability. Leadership also needs AI literacy; it can’t be a hobby project—it must deliver value.
The other essential capability is lean expertise. Lean is not a toolbox; it’s a philosophy of how you run the company. But it still requires practical skills like value stream mapping, 5S, and Kaizen. Leadership must understand and champion lean for it to take root.
Strong data, strong processes, and strong fundamentals are essential before AI can deliver meaningful results.
David Howells:
Final question—and this can be personal or professional. What are you most looking forward to in 2026?
Bjarne Nielsen:
Professionally, I’m looking forward to continuing work that gives me energy: helping people and organisations grow. I’m passionate about leaving a better planet for the next generation, so renewables—and sectors contributing to sustainability—remain close to my heart.
I enjoy learning and trying new things. I’m currently on two boards supporting the wind industry and joining a third for a fast-growing international company serving renewables. I’m also fortunate to sit on three advisory boards, including Pacific International. These roles challenge me with new industries and new perspectives, which I find healthy.
I also take on selected consultancy assignments, which are different from executive roles and require a different type of customer relationship. I enjoy them when they are meaningful and aligned with my passions.
Most importantly, on a personal level, I love spending time with my family. I have two grandchildren, and watching them grow is incredibly rewarding. And I’ve set myself a goal for next year: to learn Spanish.
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