Stefan Parhofer

Observer
DISC Type : ic

Chief Investment Officer at Smartenergy

Wollerau, Schwyz, Switzerland

Overview

As Chief Investment Officer at Smartenergy, Stefan Parhofer leverages a strong background in renewable energy and PV. He combines technical expertise from his PhD in Physics with business acumen from his MBA, and has experience scaling a US company from zero to over $150 million in revenue in under three years.

Outside of his corporate roles, Stefan is an author, having published a book on political theory that proposes an alternative model for democracy. He is also the co-founder of Palitree, an innovative peer-to-peer sharing platform, and is fluent in German, English, and Spanish.

Unique fact: He authored a book titled "Die funktional-orientierte Demokratie, " outlining a new model for democratic governance.

Personality Overview

Assertive

Example Seeker

Value Driven

They can sound friendly and charming but can quickly change gears to become inquisitive and probing.  They are generally good communicators and can be hard to convince. They ask a lot of questions and rely heavily on information and collaterals.

Topics They Care About

Renewable Energy Investing
As Chief Investment Officer at Smartenergy, he is focused on investments in renewable energy and related ventures to advance the energy transition.
Green Hydrogen
His work and company presentations highlight a focus on financing and de-risking large-scale green hydrogen projects as a key area for the future of clean energy.
Utility-Scale Solar
His career includes building up international business for utility-scale PV projects, notably during his time as CEO of Gehrlicher Solar America and at Smartenergy.

Media Appearances

Smartenergy strengthens management to prepare for further growth. Featured in Climate Action

See Now

Work History

9-2020
Chief Investment Officer at Smartenergy
5-2019 - 12-2023
Co-Founder at Palitree
4-2016 - 9-2019
next47 (Corporate VC) at Siemens
1-2014 - 4-2016
Chief Strategy Officer at Smartenergy
1-2011 - 9-2013
CEO & President (USA) / Member of the Group Board (Vorstand) at Gehrlicher Solar America / Gehrlicher Solar AG

Education

1994 - 1997
Dr. rer. nat (PhD) from Technische Universität Dresden
1994 - 1997
MBA from Wake Forest University School of Business

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 30 Location : Wollerau, Schwyz, Switzerland Job Level : Leadership Designation : Chief Investment Officer at Smartenergy
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Insights For Selling To Stefan

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Persuade objectively how your product will help them achieve their goals
  • Focus on immediate action-items rather than the larger goals
  • Use phrases like ‘clear proof that’, ‘data shows’ etc.

DONT's

  • Don’t rely excessively on your relationship with them to win the deal
  • Don’t try to rush them into a decision, provide all necessary information first
  • Don’t brush off any concerns, take all questions seriously

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Stefan is

  • Proven value, strong testimonials are important for them, rapport can impact decisions a little.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Stefan

  • They are practical and friendly, don't expect a clear-cut response often.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Stefan move?

  • They like to perform full analysis and can take time to make any decision.
  • Can Stefan take some risk or not?

  • They weigh all decisions systematically and are unlikely to take many risks.

You And Stefan

Personality Compatibility


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