Vortex Energy, a leading renewables-focused investment vehicle in Europe, managed by the private equity arm of EFG Hermes, has recently appointed ‘Ana Peris Caminero’ as its Chief Operating Officer (COO) and a member of the Investment Committee.
Caminero will be the main individual who will be responsible for running the operational and asset management practice of Vortex Energy, overseeing and managing the day-to-day operations of Vortex’s portfolio companies, and utilizing her hands-on technical knowledge and expertise to accelerate, scale, and unlock operational efficiencies. Caminero will assist the investment team in sourcing investments opportunities and evaluating related technical and operational aspects.
Caminero will be reporting directly to Karim Moussa, CEO of Vortex Energy and Head of Private Equity and Asset Management at EFG Hermes.
According to Vortex Energy resources, Caminero is an industry veteran having 20+ years of expertise in renewables, power, and gas utility sectors. She has worked in multiple leadership roles across the public and private sectors in Europe.
She was most recently at Spain’s Naturgy since 2009, where she held senior positions across business and strategy development as well as overlooked the company’s entry into the US through the acquisition of solar and storage development platforms. Caminero oversaw a business with an EBITDA of c. EUR 200 million and a team of over 200 employees.
She was responsible for adding 1GW of new renewable installed capacity in Spain and the configuration of more than 5 GW pipeline. Prior to that, Caminero worked with Unión Fenosa and Eurelectric in the power generation business and greenfield project development.
The firm also claimed that as of the end of 2020, Vortex Energy had already aggregated, managed, optimized, and divested an 822MW European portfolio consisting of wind and solar assets through various investments amounting to approximately EUR 1.3 billion, spanning the UK, Spain, France, Portugal, and Belgium.
In October 2021, Vortex announced entering into an agreement to invest EUR 625 million in Ignis Energy Holdings, one of the leading renewable energy companies in Spain, to fund its development activities for more than 20 GW pipelines globally. As Vortex Energy pursues its ambitious growth plans in solar and wind projects, similarly, it focuses on hiring exceptional talent.
Caminero’s experience will support the company’s strategic vision of seamlessly managing and growing its portfolio along with expanding its geographical footprint.
Caminero added: “In a short amount of time, Vortex Energy has built a stellar reputation as a leading renewables-focused investment vehicle in Europe. I’m excited to join this dynamic team as we look to offer our capabilities across the globe through demonstrating our value-add for investors and developers alike.”
Karim Moussa stated: “Demand for renewable capacities is expected to continue growing exponentially. The net-zero targets are not anymore the only catalyst. The recent crisis in Europe underlines how vital the asset class is to reduce dependence on fossil fuel geopolitically and utilize the abundant and decentralized sources of energy given to us by nature. We have an outstanding team at Vortex that has been solely focusing on renewables for over eight years now. Deep understanding and knowledge of the sector will enable us to unlock the upcoming new era of renewables.”
“Ana’s experience in scaling businesses across geographies perfectly complements our current growth plans as we look to expand our footprint in markets including the Americas and Asia. Her long industry knowledge and experience in developing and operating large-scale portfolios will not only help us with managing and enhancing operational efficiencies in our own assets, but will further strengthen our approach to identifying market opportunities and building close relationships with our stakeholders,” Moussa added.
