Willem Van der Ven

Chief Operating Officer Leeward Renewable Energy, LLC

Willem van der Ven brings more than 25 years in the energy business, with 18 years of experience in renewables. His responsibilities at Leeward Renewable Energy (LRE) include leading field and energy services, asset management, EHS, fleet procurement, operational engineering, control center and data analytics.

Prior to LRE, Mr. Van der Ven served as VP, Power Operations for Enbridge and also held senior leadership roles at Atlantic Power Corporation, KR Wind Inc. and Suzlon Energy Corp. He has extensive experience in developing and implementing corporate growth strategies within the renewable energy sector and has played integral roles in establishing new departments, teams and markets for corporations that place high value in company cultures of safety, reliability and performance.

Mr. Van der Ven holds an international executive master’s in business administration from the University of Twente, a master’s degree in electrical energy systems from the Technical University of Eindhoven, a bachelor’s degree in control systems from the Technical Academy in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and an associate degree in electronics from the Technical Academy in Nijmegen.

Main Conference Day Two - November 6

3:00 PM Balancing Growth and Operational Excellence: Lessons from a Renewable Energy Journey

In this fireside chat, Willem reflects on his journey from Vice President of Operations at Enbridge to Chief Operating Officer at Leeward Renewable Energy. During his tenure, Willem led the transformation of Leeward’s operations by building a future-ready leadership team and laying the foundation for sustained excellence through structure, governance, and process discipline.

The session will explore how Leeward navigated rapid organizational growth while maintaining a relentless focus on operational performance (OPEX). From implementing systems with a clear return-on-investment mindset to building a resilient team capable of adapting to emerging technologies—particularly solar and storage alongside wind—Willem shares insights on leading through uncertainty, including volatile supply dynamics and market shifts.

Themes of cross-functional collaboration, external partnerships, and leadership accountability will be discussed, along with practical reflections on what the renewable energy sector can learn from adjacent industries such as oil and gas.

Join this session for an engaging conversation on striking the right balance between growth and operational excellence in today’s evolving energy landscape.

Check out the incredible speaker line-up to see who will be joining Willem.

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