5 Questions With… Mak Nagle

Get to know us! Each month, we sit down with one of our employees to get their perspective on the industry and share a little more about them with you. This week, we have “5 Questions With” Mak Nagle.

As a Senior VP and Head of Development, Mak oversees site organization, development engineering, transmission strategy and energy storage initiatives. His primary responsibilities include taking projects from early stage of development through Notice to Proceed (NTP) stage and supporting Power Marketing effort to get the correct revenue contract in place.

1. What does Pine Gate Renewable’s mission of “getting solar done” mean to you?

Getting solar done is SIMPLE:

Skilled team

Innovation focused

Meet less, but collaborate more

Process driven

Lean in cost

Engage with customers

2. What are you most optimistic/excited about in this industry?

I’m most excited about creating a product (e.g. solar project) that has long-lasting positive impact on this as well as future generations!

3. What’s the best business advice you’ve ever received?

Our industry is like a playing an ice hockey game where approximately 75 percent of all goals are scored on rebounds. When you get rejected, never give up and keep trying until you score.

4. What is an unknown skill you possess outside of your day job?

I developed a skill teaching kids about renewable industry using one simple analogy. When you connect a solar farm to the grid, it’s like taking one bucket of dirty water out of the tub and pouring in an equal amount of clean water.

5. What’s one thing still on your bucket list that you hope to achieve in the next 5 years?

Visiting French Polynesia, Solomon Islands, Bali, Nepal and Bhutan. Places where there are no tourists, just locals. I’d like to understand their culture, eat their cuisine and make sure I forget my phone at home!