People: Management
People: Management
Management
Kilian Hagemann
Chief Executive Officer
Dr Kilian Hagemann has been active in the renewable energy industry since 2002. In 2004, he worked in Germany for Windtest (now DNV GL) on wind measurements, resource assessments, modelling, and consulting.
He completed his PhD at the University of Cape Town in 2008, publishing the Mesoscale Wind Atlas of South Africa, the first comprehensive wind map covering the entire country.
Dr Hagemann co-founded G7 Renewable Energies in 2009 and has led the company ever since. With more than 17 years of experience pioneering renewables in South Africa, including utility-scale hybrid renewable technology, G7 delivers high-performing, grid-connected power plants.
Thanks to its highly skilled multidisciplinary team, G7 has successfully transitioned from a pureplay developer to a vertically integrated Independent Power Producer (IPP), retaining ownership while managing both construction and long-term operations of its projects. G7 has developed a substantial pipeline of projects: 435 MW fully operational, 591 MW under construction, and over 10 GW in various stages of development.
Nicolas Rolland
Chief Operations Officer
Nicolas Rolland is one of the founders and a director of G7 since 2009. He qualified as a mechanical engineer in 1996 from the Fachhochschule Konstanz in Germany and earned an MBA from EM-Lyon in France in 2003.
Nicolas began his career at a multinational Swiss engineering company, where he progressed from engineering roles to key account management before becoming an entrepreneur.
He also served as a board member of the South African Wind Energy Association from 2009 to 2011, helping the organisation gain momentum.
Karen de Bruyn
Chief Projects Officer
Karen leads the dynamic G7 projects team, developing multi-GW of competitive renewable energy projects in South Africa. She managed the development, bid submission process and financial close for the Oya hybrid facility, currently under construction in the Western Cape of South Africa. This innovative co-located dispatchable renewable energy generation facility is the largest plant of its kind in Africa, representing a significant step forward in addressing South Africa’s ongoing power challenges.
Karen holds a master’s degree in Environmental Management from the University of Stellenbosch. She passionately contributes to South Africa’s successful transition to a low-carbon energy mix. Karen was recognised as a 2020 Africa Energy Elite in the leadership category and received the Windaba SAWEA Watt-a-Woman award in 2022.
Catherine Brennan
Chief Financial Officer
Catherine heads up the corporate finance department at G7 as Chief Financial Officer. With more than a decade of experience in the renewable energy sector, she has been involved in concentrated solar power projects awarded through the REIPPP program of South Africa.
In her time within the sector, Catherine served as the financial director of a multinational company entering South Africa’s commercial and industrial photovoltaic and energy efficiency markets, where she played a pivotal role in establishing financial frameworks. Before venturing into renewable energy, Catherine worked in the property industry, gaining insights across diverse jurisdictions in Africa.
Careers at G7
Internship Programmes:
Our internship programme offers hands-on experience and the chance to work alongside a team passionate about renewable energy. We hope the time spent with us will spark the same enthusiasm for clean power that drives everything we do.
Depending on your interests and skills, you’ll gain exposure to a wide range of activities and some of the latest developments in renewable energy. We welcome undergraduate and postgraduate students, recent graduates, and even those looking to change career paths.
Testimonials from Interns
