Sam De Frene is the new CEO of CE+T Energrid, a spin-off of CE+T Power, focusing on Energy Management. He joined the adventure few months ago and is enthusiast about the future of this start-up and its potential. Who is he? Let’s discover it!
What do you like about CE+T?
I like the opportunities the Energy transition brings and the important value CE+T has to offer in this transition. There is a real potential in this company as it has a wide range of required products and intelligent people with great capabilities. Energy transition brings many opportunities and CE+T is well positioned to play an important role. The opportunities and the people are the main reasons why, few months ago, I‘ve chosen to join CE+T.
What is exciting about your job here is…
Working with a great team and creating innovative products and services which bring value to a market with a great potential. Moreover, this job really fits with my personal goals in life: provide the innovative technologies to reduce our impact on the climate so that we are all able to enjoy nature and have a great life for many years ahead.
What are your hobbies?
I enjoy spending time in the nature: I like hiking, mountain biking and skiing adventures with my wife and two children. I like to travel as well to discover new areas and people. I prefer rural area rather than touristic places because I have more chance to meet and talk with local people.
Which type of music do you like the most?
Depending on my mood and what I have to do, I will listen mainly to three types of music that are completely different. I like electronic dance musique (like Hungry Music), classical music like Julien Marchal (my absolute favorite componists/pianist) and hard rock music like Rammstein.
If you had to recommend a book, which one will it be?
Actually, there will be two books. The first one is Tribes written by Seth Godin. This book is challenging the status quo and is giving a good insight of human behavior. It presents the idea that humans are wired to unite and form tribes which need leadership.
The second book I would recommend, especially for people working in a start-up like CE+T Energrid, is Zero to One by Peter Thiel. This book explains how, when you have nothing and start from zero, you can bring it to a number one product. It helps me a lot for setting the scene for Energrid.
What is your favorite quote?
“Every problem has an opportunity”. For some people, opportunities involve difficulties. As I’m an optimist, I believe that if you think about a problem and go deep into it, you will see the opportunity.