Better Than We Found It

Sustainability Through Abundance: Why Consuming Less Has Failed

GS2 Partnership Season 5 Episode 5

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0:00 | 1:07:24

Welcome to Season 5, Episode 5 of Better Than We Found It, the go-to podcast for sustainable leadership and purpose-driven business practices.

Today, we're joined by Marco Terruzzin, Chief Revenue Officer at Energy Vault. Marco's career spans mechanical engineering, a PhD in energy economics, carbon credit trading in China under the Kyoto Protocol, and scaling Energy Vault from five employees to a publicly listed modern independent power producer.

In this episode, we explore how Marco navigated the tension between engineering ambition and commercial reality, from validating a gravity-based energy storage technology to pivoting the company's entire value proposition when market assumptions didn't hold. We discuss why the energy transition needs to be framed around prosperity and abundance rather than scarcity and reduction, how AI data centres could undo 20 years of grid decarbonisation within 24 months, and why Marco believes the economics will ultimately pull the industry back toward renewables.

We also get into Marco's leadership philosophy including his unconventional hiring test, why he values dialogue over interviews, and the guiding principles that have kept Energy Vault's commercial team aligned through rapid growth and strategic pivots.

If you're interested in energy storage, the intersection of AI and clean energy, or building high-performance teams in fast-moving industries, this episode delivers.


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This podcast is brought to you by GS2 Partnership, the recruitment partner for ambitious, impact-led teams across energy, finance, and the built environment.

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