Andre Susanto is in a unique position to lead the team to a successful completion on

this project. He has experienced the industry from various points of views and on
various sectors such as renewable energy contractor and product distributor, technical
design, policy analysis, private sector project development, development agency
consulting and rural electrification services. His work has included:
- designing of various on-grid and off-grid systems,
- in charge of construction projects,
- developing smart grids for remote areas,
- leading a team of engineers to inspect 200 remote micro/mini grids,
- advising various Indonesian government entities on renewable energy policies
- lead a team to successfully propose and receive a private grant and then design
and implement a smart grid system with mobile payment in a rural area in Papua
- assist the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources on policy
development, subsidy calculation, business models and support mechanisms
needed for a sustainable involvement of the private sector
- assist in the framework development (legal, financial and technical) of a national
energy resiliency fund
- head of the renewable energy division of a private company, with an 8x increase
in division revenue within 3 years
- vice president of a start-up renewable energy company, developed almost
US$1million in projects in the first 18 months
What makes Andre’s experiences uniquely qualifying him for the position is his broad
range of work within the renewable energy industry. He has successfully combined his
technical background and knowledge with the experiences working on the financial
requirements of renewable energy projects as well as policy advisory roles. All of this
provided him with a broad view of the industry, especially for rural electrification that are
based on personal experiences.
Since 2010, Andre has been working strictly in the renewable energy sector based in
Indonesia. Renewable energy with a primary interest in rural electrification is not only a
job but also a passion with him. This passion has always been there since he started
learning to install solar pv systems, pico hydro systems and small wind turbine for
friends and acquaintances.
The recreational passion gained a significant emphasis for him when he learned about
the Arun gas field in North Sumatra. It was one of the world’s largest gas fields with
proven reserves of 457×109m³ (457 billion cubic meters) that started production in 1975.
By 2014, Arun is closed due to lack of feed gas. The knowledge that within his lifetime,
a world class gas field has run out made Andre decide to dedicate his professional and
intellectual resources to the growth of renewable energy.
This passion was recognized by his peers and Andre has worked with various
development agencies such as GIZ, Hivos, Asian Development Bank, Danida, and
many others. He has also been an important resource to various Indonesian
government entities on renewable energy and rural electrification policy making efforts.
The work with the Indonesian government has included technical assistance to the
Indonesia Terang program (Bright Indonesia, the national electrification program), to the
Directorate of Various Renewable Energy under the Directorate General of New and
Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation, and to the Task Force for Acceleration of
Renewable Energy (P2EBT). Also, Andre has worked with various private sector
stakeholders such as renewable energy contractors, banks and investors,
manufacturers, and project developers.
In addition to Andre’s extensive experience in various sectors within the renewable
energy industry, Andre’s experiences with large international companies also add
significantly to his skillsets. Working for Daimler Trucks North America since 2003,
Andre was trained in various leadership and management tools needed to manage
teams and to work within a larger organization. He has since used these experiences
and knowledge to lead and manage various renewable energy related projects in
Indonesia.
Andre’s personal drive for leadership was proven early in his career within Daimler. He
met with the vice president of engineering and received his approval for the funding
required to start the Daimler Trucks Young Leadership Program. This program
matched young engineers with experienced mentors to improve their soft skills and
especially the leadership skills needed. He was able to identify the need for the soft
skills capacity building within many of his engineering peers.
Additionally, Andre was also active in the professional associations including becoming
a long-time member of the executive board of the Oregon state chapter including being
elected to its chairman.