“Sustainable change starts with easy alternatives”
Sustainable Change
Leonie Baneke, CEO of Eneco eMobility, is a business builder who doesn’t shy away from challenges.
Her mission is to make the transition to electric driving as smooth as possible for both businesses and consumers.
Easy, sustainable alternatives
Leonie Baneke prefers to work at the intersection of people, strategy and finance. She finds numbers too dry and strategy too conceptual on their own. It’s the complex human element that really sparks her interest: “I want to contribute to a more sustainable world. The only way to get there is to give people easy alternatives. However, simply telling them what they should or shouldn’t do won’t get us anywhere.”
Accelerating the transition
“I strongly believe in making solutions convenient and accessible”, says Leonie. “And that’s our company’s mission. Even though the technology has been around for quite a while, a lot of people are yet to go electric. Their concerns about charging and wasting valuable time tend to hold them back. We need to accelerate the transition to electric mobility and think ahead. It’s a case of encouraging people to get on board by offering convenience.”
Eneco boring? Not at all!
Although Leonie is now the CEO of Eneco eMobility, she was not always interested in working in energy. She thought it was a stuffy, conservative sector that was too closely tied to government. But she soon changed her mind: “Not only is Eneco firmly focused on innovation, but it is much more dynamic than I had anticipated. When I joined the company, I was given the freedom to fully develop my role. I founded Eneco Ventures to invest in startups and scaleups and became infected with the scaleup bug.”
Dream job
Leonie continues, “Once Eneco Ventures was up and running, I was hungry for more. When I heard that Eneco eMobility was looking for a CEO, it wasn’t just a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity — it felt like a dream come true. I slept on it for barely a night. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was getting into, but I knew I would learn a lot.”
Strategic decisions
What does Leonie bring to the company? “Strategic knowhow and more structure, exactly what Eneco eMobility needs right now. That’s why I’m better working for a scaleup than a startup. I’m a business builder. The first phase has seen Eneco eMobility determining the right product for the target group, attracting its first customers and gaining market share. It’s been very successful.”
But the company is now entering a new phase. “We really need to organise things effectively in order to keep pace with our growth”, explains Leonie. “We’ve been making tough strategic decisions about what and what not to focus on. At this point, I’ve also brought in people who can help us take the company to the next level.”
Entrepreneurial spirit
Leonie says that everyone at Eneco eMobility not only shares a desire to make a difference but also displays a passion for sustainability: “We enjoy our rapid growth and relish the complex challenges. Yes, things can go wrong, but we don’t see that as a negative. We learn from it.”
One of the company’s values is ‘We drive growth’. Leonie adds, “In other words, it’s about entrepreneurial spirit. To work here, you need to have a particular mindset. That means coming to work with drive, zeal and energy. But it also means being open to change. After all, fast-growing companies tend to evolve as they move forward. So, every time I step into the office, the place is electric. I love that!”
One Planet Plan
“Our passion for sustainability is reflected in the Eneco One Planet Plan”, says Leonie. “We plan to be climate neutral by 2035. Our contribution centres on fleet electrification. We help customers, businesses and consumers switch to emission-free driving and charging.”
Leonie concludes by saying that the sustainability needs of both businesses and consumers are diverse and evolving: “For instance, they'll have solar panels and a heat pump in addition to one or more charging stations. Smart technology is key to this. Eneco Group combines these sustainable solutions, ensuring they integrate seamlessly. That’s what we offer our customers. Eneco eMobility is a vital link in this chain.”
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