Convergent is thrilled to welcome Leandro Abreu to the team! Leandro brings over a decade of experience in the energy sector and people-first, growth mindset to his role as Chief Operating Officer.
We caught up with Leandro in his few months at Convergent to dive into his career journey, current role, insights on the clean energy industry, and more.
[The following Q&A has been edited for clarity and brevity]
Could you elaborate on the career journey that led you to Convergent?
I always say that every step of my journey prepared me for this moment at Convergent.
Over the past 25+ years, I’ve led complex global organizations and delivered a commitment to operational excellence across countries and industries. Of those years, I spent 18 at IBM, where I had the privilege of actively participating in major market shifts: from hardware to services, and from services to software, that enabled the adoption of cloud computing. It was an extraordinary learning experience in people leadership, process management, and large-scale transformation.
While at Enel X (formerly EnerNOC), I led the intersection of IT and energy, overseeing a global operations team responsible for implementing and managing a cutting-edge energy-management platform. That role later expanded into leading the rapid growth of Enel X’s solar division, giving me deep, hands-on experience in renewables operations, regulatory frameworks, and project execution in emerging energy markets.
As Vice President for Digital Grid Solutions at Siemens, I spearheaded digitalization, automation, and modernization initiatives for energy infrastructure. I led a regional portfolio focused on making legacy energy systems smarter, more efficient, and more resilient.
More recently, I served as CEO of Prospera + Greener, where I led the strategic expansion and merger of both companies, forming an ESG-driven energy platform focused on reducing carbon emissions through solar generation.
Regardless of the business or industries I’ve been in, I’ve seen my role through the lens of people, because companies are made of people serving people. If we don’t understand people, we don’t understand business.
Because of my multidisciplinary background, stepping into the COO role at Convergent truly feels like the convergence (forgive the pun!) of my professional passions and learnings.
What are you focused on now as you fully onboard?
Since joining Convergent, my immediate focus has been on structuring and preparing operations to support the company’s ambitious growth plans.
We are in a sweet spot in the market, and operations must be ready to scale, ensuring smooth collaboration across teams, embedding a culture of operational excellence and governance, and strengthening data-driven decision-making through processes, dashboards, and people development.
As we scale, it’s essential that we maintain high standards for safety, regulatory compliance, project quality, and long-term sustainability and efficiency. To achieve this, I strongly believe in applying a “simple-mind” mindset: always searching for simplicity in everything we do.
My goal is to help Convergent expand its footprint across North America while preserving our reputation for reliability, innovation, and integrity and, of course, ensuring that our people grow with us.
Outside the office: how do you like spending your time?
I remain deeply connected to the world of music. Playing drums and going to concerts and shows is a big part of who I am.
I also love writing long-form articles, manifestos, leadership frameworks, and storytelling pieces, anything that blends creativity with strategy, psychology, and business insight.
Beyond music and writing (and getting a few more gray hairs thanks to my soccer team, the legendary Santos FC), what I value most is quality time with my wife, Vanessa, and my children. Well, they’re not exactly children anymore, Cecília is 28 and João Pedro is 23, but we’re still very close and love spending time together.
Can you share some fun facts above yourself?
- I hold formal training in music and the arts (music production, film-scoring theory, audiovisual), which I integrate into my work. It allows me to be a bridge between worlds, blending creativity and operations, art and business.
- I love building things from scratch. I think it comes from a mix of the composer in me and the executive in me. See things as they could be and build them don’t scare me at all.
How do you think about the growth of the energy storage and clean energy industries?
I see the growth of energy storage and clean energy as absolutely essential. Energy storage is the linchpin that allows renewables to scale: solar and wind generate energy, but energy storage provides the flexibility, reliability, and grid resilience needed to truly transform the system.
With rising demand for clean energy, volatile markets, regulatory changes, and the growing urgency of climate impacts, the smart deployment of battery storage and solar-plus-storage is critical. Convergent is exceptionally well positioned to lead this wave, we have a mature portfolio, deep understanding of grid complexity, and a proven ability to design solutions that address real market needs.
Energy storage paired with renewables turns energy from a commodity into a strategic asset: enabling cost savings, grid stability, and the ability to plan energy around demand, pricing, and environmental impact.
Why is the clean energy transition of utmost importance, in your opinion?
Because the environmental, social, and economic stakes are too high to ignore. The world is already experiencing the effects of climate change and energy instability, and the traditional energy model is no longer sustainable.
Transitioning to clean energy is both a moral imperative and a practical necessity. It means ensuring energy security, reducing carbon emissions, enabling sustainable development, and preserving a viable planet for future generations.
[End of Q&A]
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