In our renewable energy space, a lot can happen in a short space of time. Whether in the form of project developments or organisational growth, change is our constant reality. There comes a time, though, when change deserves a moment of observation and appreciation, especially when it comes to our people.
Red Rocket has had the immeasurable pride of seeing this growth in our Head of Development, Sharief Harris, who recently celebrated his 10th anniversary at Red Rocket. This was an occasion marked by emotion, recalling the memorable moments of hard work and his commitment to addressing the energy challenges facing us all.
Sharief’s time with us began right after completing university, showing promise from day one. One could say that heading up a team at a leading renewable energy IPP was not on his list of expectations, but much to our delight, his journey has truly come full circle.
“When I started, we were up to about 12 people, and to me, it was all very surreal. It was like coming into a boutique type of an office which was a division of a global IPP. I knew nothing about renewables and that this was happening in our backyard.
“At that time, our first projects had just come online and generating power into the national grid,” he said.
As new as the experience was, I watched as he embraced it all, growing with our company from one milestone after another. He has brilliantly steered our Development team of talented professionals to secure groundbreaking projects under the REIPPPP and our growing C&I market.
“To me, the whole situation was mind-blowing. I never would have thought that I’d one day take on the position of the person who was interviewing me when I started. It has all been unbelievable,” he said.
Fittingly enough, Sharief’s personal development has captured the attention of respected newspapers, not only for his impressive journey, but also for his trusted voice in our industry, where it is growing, and how to take it there.
He has also represented our organisation on numerous occasions, sharing the world stage with important figures such as Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, and lending his voice on panels aimed at providing energy solutions for our country and beyond.
It is my hope that he views his journey with the same, if not more, pride as I do. Dedicating as much as he has done for us over the years is no small feat, and an achievement deserving of all the accolades and recognition he has received.
As we say at Red Rocket, the sky is not the limit, and we’re looking forward to flying even higher together. Bravo, Sharief!
