Ep. 26: Guillaume Clairet - Operations, Rule-Breaking and Erin Brockovich
We all know about the CEO in a company. When the company is small, the CEO does everything, and when it's big, the CEO sets the vision, hires the right people and makes sure they have what they need to be successful. But what about a layer deeper than that? Guillaume Clairet is a fascinating example of a world class COO. Now he's too modest to be known as the power behind the throne, but he's the guy that makes sure what needs to be done gets done. And it's an interesting time for him after both the $395 million delisting of H2O Innovation by Ember Infrastructure and their acquisition of NextEra’s Distributed Water business. Along the way, H2O Innovation have done things their own way and have built an exceptional business and this is a fascinating insight into the practicality of that journey. Please enjoy my conversation with Guillaume Clairet.
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Full show notes and links to mentioned content below.
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H2O Innovation COO Guillaume Clairet shares his insightful journey through the world and business of water. He discusses navigating the complexities of public markets, mastering M&A strategies, and building robust recurring revenue models. Guillaume also details H2O's transformative acquisition of NextEra’s Distributed Water business, a strategic move towards owning water assets and offering diverse customer solutions, and finishes up by offering his invaluable advice to aspiring water entrepreneurs.
00:00 - Water Technology & Entrepreneurship
01:50 - Erin Brockovich Inspiration
03:45 - H2O Innovation Origin Story
06:12 - Early Roles & Company Growth
07:30 - Value of Full-Cycle Experience
09:23 - Navigating Public Markets
11:42 - Transition to Recurring Revenue
15:16 - M&A Process & Integration
19:03 - Successful M&A Integration Strategies
21:01 - COO Role: Serving & Problem-Solving
21:53 - When to Hire a COO
23:04 - CEO Sequencing Operations
26:18 - Going Private with Ember Infrastructure
29:25 - NextEra Acquisition & Future Strategy
30:30 - Holistic Water Solutions Provider
36:14 - Advice for Water Entrepreneurs
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