João Duarte, a seasoned communications professional with over 16 years of experience at Italian energy giant Enel Group, has taken on a new challenge as the global head of communications at ContourGlobal. This US-based electricity producer is undergoing a significant shift towards renewable energy sources, and Duarte's expertise will be crucial in supporting this transition.
Duarte's responsibilities will encompass a wide range of communication functions, including corporate communications, brand strategy, media relations, digital communications, and employee engagement. ContourGlobal operates across a vast geographical spread, with a presence in 18 countries. The company boasts a market capitalization of $1.98 billion and is currently generating 27% of its power from renewable sources. Their plans involve accelerating the decarbonization of their operations and actively developing new renewable energy projects.
Duarte's impressive track record at Enel included overseeing global and regional communication functions, leading a global rebranding initiative, and spearheading communication efforts for the power distribution business line on a global scale. He also played a key role in crafting communication and brand strategies for Gridspertise, a B2B spin-off company.
In his new role, Duarte will report directly to ContourGlobal's president and CEO, Antonio Cammisecra. Duarte expressed his enthusiasm about the company's transformative journey and ambitious plans for renewable energy growth, particularly during this critical decade for climate action.
Duarte emphasized the growing importance of renewables and the shift in investment away from fossil fuels and towards clean technologies. He envisions the ContourGlobal brand becoming a powerful symbol, demonstrating that achieving Net Zero emissions is not just achievable but also a commercially and industrially sustainable path forward.
Duarte's accomplishments extend beyond his work at Enel. He holds the distinction of being the first executive officer of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communications Management in 2007. He is also a member of FERPILab, the think tank of the Italian Public Relations Federation.
