Meet the Team: Hannah Abend, Director of Growth
At OWC, our teams are constantly expanding, into more locations, in expertise and in sectors of influence, so that our people can truly drive safety and sustainability across our energy and oceans.
Our people are at the heart of what we do, and we invite you to get to know our team members so you can meet the energy behind change. This week, we introduce a brand-new member of OWC, Hannah Abend.
Position: Director of Growth
Office: London
Hobbies: I am an avid nature lover and love long-distance hiking and trekking. I recently discovered the Julian Alps in Slovenia and found the hiking and nature there breathtaking. Otherwise, I spend my time surfing, dancing, oil painting and other creative outlets.
Favourite book: I am an avid reader and love too many books to have a favourite.
What does your day-to-day look like at OWC?
No two days have been the same so far! I am spending my first days at OWC getting to know the service lines leads and country managers, to start developing a strategy for growth company-wide. This means looking at what we do well, where we want to grow geographically, what additional service lines and sectors we are considering, to assess what would enable robust and healthy growth. There are many new faces and expertise to get to know, so for now, I am focusing on learning and understanding how things are done. I am also doing some BD which has been great to help me pitch OWC globally.
What inspired you to join your industry?
I grew up in New York City and living in a city you become acutely aware of the impact of pollution and industry health. I have been an environmentalist for as long as I can remember; I became a vegetarian when I was 12 because of the environmental impact of agriculture. I have also been a science geek from childhood, fascinated by how things work and the micro and the macro. So I knew I wanted a career that focused on how to improve the ways humans interact with our home planet, and was always interested in renewable energy. My first role after graduate school was with a tidal energy startup in NYC, and I was thrilled by the opportunity to explore and innovate clean energy in my home city.
Can you tell us about something exciting you are working on right now?
I am working on establishing a new services, new geographies and new technologies incubator for OWC, to enable us to grow in a deliberate and structured way. The incubator would provide growth support to ensure we make wise investment decisions and help those investments grow in a sustainable way. I can’t wait to work with the incredible talent here at OWC to move into the next growth phases for the company.
What does the future look like in energy and oceans?
A lot rests on political will, to be honest. I think if humans rally behind sustainability, the future is bright. But, there are some key challenges in this industry, and the impact of the financial markets on this industry is not to be underestimated. The marine renewables space has lower margins than the other energy industries and yet plays a critical part in the wider sustainability goal, so needs support.
If you’d like to know more about OWC’s growth plans, reach out to Hannah, or catch her on the “Scaling up strategies towards commercialisation” panel at Floating Wind Solutions 2024 in Houston, on 6 February