Skyline Renewables is thrilled to announce its continued growth with the addition of three new Executives to the team: Rajiv Kakar (Managing Director of Origination & Structured Projects), Vanessa Rakowitz-Holloway (Director of Human Resources), and Tom LaBarge (General Counsel).
Rajiv has over 20 years of experience in the Retail Energy industry, holding leadership positions in Origination, Trading and Pricing Risk at Liberty Power, Constellation Energy, Sempra Energy, and Thermax prior to his transition to Skyline. He received his MS in Financial Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University; he additionally obtained an MBA from National University of Singapore, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Delhi College of Engineering. Rajiv’s responsibilities at Skyline include structuring solutions to ensure offtake from renewable generation assets acquired or developed by Skyline by developing, maintaining, and expanding relationships with both new and existing customers.
Vanessa joins Skyline with over 8 years of experience in Human Resources. Previously serving as the Director of HR for the Timbers and Thorns (Portland’s men’s and women’s Major League soccer teams, respectively), she has assimilated seamlessly from the fast-paced industry of professional sports to her new ventures in the Renewable Energy industry. In her role at Skyline, Vanessa is in charge of recruiting, compliance, employment law, payroll, and compensation functions; she additionally oversees personnel management, supporting all departments within the organization. She obtained her BA in Psychology and HR Management Certificate from Portland State University; she additionally holds a SHRM-CP Certification.
Tom leads the legal function for Skyline Renewables and brings more than 20 years of experience as a corporate lawyer to the role, including several years at Vestas, the global leader in wind turbine sales and service. Tom began his career at Aquila (previously UtiliCorp United), a gas and electric utility company based in Kansas City, MO, and then spent 8 years as the Assistant General Counsel (Finance) and Director of Corporate Compliance for Novelis, an aluminum manufacturing company in Atlanta, GA. Before joining the Skyline team, he most recently served as the Editor-in-Chief of One Page Thinking, an advisory firm specializing in visual communication tools. Tom holds two B.A. degrees in English/Spanish and Fine & Performing Arts from St. Louis University, a J.D. from St. Louis University School of Law, and an LL.M (International Legal Studies) from New York University School of Law.
With their vast combined experience, Rajiv, Vanessa, and Tom bring fresh and exciting new perspectives and skill sets to Skyline Renewables. Their contributions to the organization will be invaluable as it continues its trajectory of new growth, acquisitions, and development.
