PLEASANTON, California, January 27, 2009 – McDermott & Bull, a retained executive search firm, announced today the successful appointment of Mr. Andrew Siegelstein as General Manager for BrightSource Construction Management Company. Under Siegelstein’s leadership, BrightSource Construction Management Company will oversee and manage the construction of BrightSource Energy’s solar energy projects. BrightSource Energy is headquartered in Oakland, CA.
“Andrew’s strong background in engineering, procurement, and construction management within the energy industry make him an ideal fit to lead the BrightSource Construction Management team,” noted Israel Kroizer, Chief Operating Officer of Engineering and Project Execution for BrightSource Energy. “We look forward to having his leadership and experience as we proceed toward starting construction of our first commercial plants later this year.”
Siegelstein’s appointment marks another key step in BrightSource Energy’s path to construct the Ivanpah Solar Power Complex, California’s first large-scale commercial solar thermal power plant in nearly three decades. The Ivanpah Complex will be comprised of three separate solar plants and will produce a combined total of 400 MW of power, producing enough clean energy to power the homes of 140,000 PG&E customers and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by over 500,000 tons per year. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2009.
Siegelstein brings more than 32 years of experience in the power and energy industries. Prior to joining BrightSource Energy, Siegelstein served in senior management positions at Shaw, Oxbow, AMEC Paragon, and Calpine, where he oversaw the construction of three combined cycle merchant and cogeneration projects in southern California, Texas, and Arizona. Siegelstein holds a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from City College of New York and a Masters of Business Administration degree from New York University.
BrightSource has achieved numerous milestones in the past nine months. In March, BrightSource entered into a series of power purchase agreements with PG&E for up to 900MW of electricity. In May, BrightSource announced that it had secured $115 million in additional corporate funding from its Series C round of financing, bringing the total the company has raised to date to over $160 million. In June, BrightSource dedicated its Solar Energy Development Center (SEDC), an operational solar field that will provide the company with the ability to test equipment, materials, and procedures as well as construction and operating methods. In December, BrightSource signed an agreement with Siemens for the largest ever fully solar-powered steam turbine generator for its Ivanpah Complex.
For its technological leadership, the company was recently selected as a 2009 Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum. The only solar company to win this year’s prestigious award, BrightSource Energy was recognized for helping global utility and industrial customers reduce their dependence on fossil fuels by providing clean, low-cost, and reliable solar energy.
About the Client
BrightSource Energy, Inc. (www.brightsourceenergy.com) provides clean, reliable and low cost solar energy for utility and industrial companies worldwide. The BrightSource Energy team combines nearly three decades of experience designing, building and operating the world’s largest solar energy plants with world-class project development capabilities. BrightSource Energy’s solar plants lead the industry in environmental design and help customers reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. Headquartered in Oakland, Calif., BrightSource Energy is a privately held company with operations in the United States and Israel.
About McDermott & Bull
McDermott & Bull, Inc. (www.mbsearch.net) is a retained executive search firm headquartered in Irvine, California with offices in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Inland Empire. The firm serves both public and privately held clients in a variety of industries and functional areas. McDermott & Bull has developed expertise in fields including Technology, Financial Services, Manufacturing, Bio-tech and Life Science, Retail, Professional Services, and others. Founded by Christopher Bull and Rodney McDermott, the firm specializes in recruiting difficult-to-find and critical talent for its clients. McDermott & Bull works with a large number of prestigious clients in many industries. Some notable clients include Allergan, Cisco, Google, Netflix, KLA-Tencor, Lam Research, Spectra-Physics (Newport Corp), Western Digital, Conexant, Invitrogen, Bausch and Lomb, Black & Decker, Mattel, Boeing, and BrightSource Energy. For more information about this search, please contact Marty McMahon at (415) 722-8966.