ConnectDER Appoints Ivo Steklac, Proven Industry Executive, as CEO to Lead the Next Phase of Growth
ConnectDER, the climate tech company that provides fast and dramatically lower-cost installation of residential solar, EV charging, and storage, has appointed industry veteran Ivo Steklac as its new President & Chief Executive Officer. Ivo was most recently Chief Technology Officer of EVgo, the pioneering EV charging solutions company, and previously was the GM of Residential and Commercial Solar at SunPower. With a career spanning over three decades in technology commercialization and executive leadership, Steklac brings exceptional experience to accelerate ConnectDER’s rapid growth in the residential electrification market. Founder and current CEO Whit Fulton will transition to Chief Product Officer, where he will continue leading product strategy and partnerships. 
At EVgo, Steklac helped grow revenue from $16 million in 2018 to $161 million in 2023 and was part of the team that successfully led the company through its IPO in 2021. His additional executive experience at notable leaders in the sector including SunPower, Tendril, and C3.ai, comprised roles in senior management, business development, marketing, engineering, and operations.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead a company with extraordinary technology positioned to capitalize on the rapidly developing residential electrification market,” said Steklac. “At SunPower we were constantly on the lookout for game-changing technologies that reduced project costs, that is what first attracted me to ConnectDER. The growth in this sector is massive. In solar alone, the US is expected to add approximately nine million residential homes by 2030, a 15% average annual growth rate. EV charging and storage similarly represent enormous growth opportunities.”
“Ivo brings extensive experience and a proven track record of leading transformational initiatives within the distributed energy sector. He is the ideal leader for ConnectDER’s next stage of growth. I look forward to working with Ivo to build the pre-eminent distributed energy company,” said Fulton.
“We are excited to welcome Ivo as the new CEO to help realize the Company’s extraordinary growth potential. Under Whit’s leadership, the Company has developed and sold over 20,000 solar adapters which enable significantly faster and less expensive residential solar installation. Now the company is launching new products that will do the same for the 50+ million households that do not have adequate electrical infrastructure for EV charging and battery storage”, said Rajan Gupta, Senior Managing Director of Energy Innovation Capital, and a member of ConnectDER’s Board.
ConnectDER | https://connectder.com/