The academic world was once the largest employer of Ph.D. graduates. Science and engineering qualifications would secure a position at a major university or other educational establishments, but the world is changing. Today, the employment of Ph.D. graduates in the private and non-academic sectors and businesses is growing rapidly and may be on par with jobs in academia.
Dr. Stephane Fierro is a prime example of a Ph.D. graduate from the academic world who now works in the industry. And he will be discussing Pacifico Energy's expertise in developing solar photovoltaic and offshore wind projects, with operations in Japan, Vietnam, Korea, and the United States.
About Dr. Fierro
Stephane's path in the education field saw him graduate with a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne. He speaks English, French, and Spanish fluently and has professional competency in German, Italian, Japanese, and Portuguese.
His various roles included a short stint as a researcher for the largest chemical producer in the world-BASF-in 2005, after which he took a position as an assistant professor at Keio University in Japan.
During his stay at the university, Stephane successfully published peer-reviewed articles in the scientific field. "The research I carried has applications in a wide range of fields. The results are used in capacitors, various sensors, and semiconductors. An impressive proportion of the research is devoted to energy storage and solar energy," said Dr. Fierro.
He has also contributed to the field of sustainable energy, namely green energy storage. His post-doctoral project focuses on the evolution of hydrogen. The importance of this work is confirmed by the more than 2,000 citations of articles written by Dr. Fierro while working on the project at the laboratory of inorganic catalysis of EPFL.
Later on, Stephane moved into the industrial world by taking a position as a researcher at IHI Inc, a leading name in fuel cell development for passenger vehicles. The results of his work heavily contributed to the publishing of two patents, and they had listed Stephane as one of the inventors.
That further proved Stephane as an accomplished researcher and specialist who aspires to continue collaborating with others in his profession. His previous and current profession in each industry he explored made this possible.
"A few years working with Deloitte in Tokyo further enhanced my business acumen," he told Science Times. From that, he also gained broad experience in management and better knowledge of the renewable energy industries. This coupled with attaining an MBA from McGill University in 2017, where he honed his business administration and management talents.
The knowledge and experience Stephane gained in his prior roles made him a prime candidate for the position he now occupies as Asset Manager at Pacifico Energy, a Tokyo-based market leader in the solar power industry.
Stephane's combined experience and academic excellence made him an attractive candidate for Pacifico Energy. When asked about his role, Dr. Fierro said that he "manages major solar plants that provide massive amounts of power to many homes and businesses."
The majority of his work carried biological and environmental relevance, and his contribution to renewable energy is already considered a significant impact on the solar-powered generation industry.
About Pacifico Energy
Pacifico Energy K.K is based in Tokyo and is among the leading names in the renewable energy markets. The company focuses on solar photovoltaic projects, of which Dr. Fierro is the manager of many.
"Pacifico Energy seeks to build renewable energy projects that will increase Japan's energy self-sufficiency in the future, offer an eco-friendly global environment, and aid in developing local communities," he highlighted.
With the cost of solar energy products falling and those of fossil fuels on the rise, managers such as Stephane can concentrate on developing clean energy products while implementing cost-saving projects and developments.
According to Dr. Fierro, his MBA became helpful in this field. And that's because the management of solar projects is multi-layered: financial, legal, technical, and political. After all, solar projects involve many parties, from scientists to contractors to politicians. It enables effective communication with politicians, funding bodies, local authorities, contractors, etc.
"My MBA made me a valuable personnel in areas of marketing, and I was able to negotiate project financing with lands and the likes," he remarked.
This shows how his knowledge, along with those of Pacifico Energy's other managers, enables the organization to deliver services in all market sectors, encompassing everything from land negotiation to project finance and marketing.
By employing people with experience in research and the academic world, Pacifico Energy has proven that candidates with such training and experience are the perfect choice for an industry that combines financial expertise, team management, and engineering knowledge and capability.
Stephane's remarkable list of publications and patents has propelled him to the top of his profession on a national and worldwide scale. He did not just discover areas to explore; he also improved them, marking his contribution to the world more significant.
But most importantly, Dr. Stephane Fierro has provided Pacifico Energy with the perfect combination of academic skills, engineering knowledge, and best business management practices. This helped drive the business forward while reducing expenditure and improving performance across the board.
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of sciencetimes.com
