GG Pique
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 | This article may contain excessive or inappropriate references to self-published sources. (April 2008) |
Gonzalo "G.G." Pique is the President and CEO of Energy Recovery Inc.(Ticker: ERII). ERI has developed and manufactures the PX, a unique device which recycles 98% of the energy from a desalination plant. The PX becomes the CPU of a modern desalination plant and is the enabling component helping drive a Global boom in desalination as an affordable supply solution to the world water crisis.
Biography
GG Pique, President and CEO Energy Recovery, Inc. (Ticker: ERII). Who is this CEO of ERII who Launched a successful Clean-Tech IPO in Middle of Dismal IPO Landscape? Is GG Pique of Energy Recovery the Roberto Goizueta of Clean Tech?
In the 1990’s Goizueta, a Cuban-born Chemical Engineer with a strategic vision transformed the Coca Cola Company into the global market leader it is today. For the last 8 years G G Pique, another Cuban-born Chemical Engineer has transformed a little-known California clean-tech company into a dominant global player.
Energy Recovery, Inc, (ERI) invented a unique pressure recycling pump made from synthetic sapphire which first became commercial in 1997. The ERI Pressure Exchanger, PX is a unique "freewheling, rotary positive displacement device made from synthetic shapphire" which recycles 98% of the waste energy from a desalination plant. The PX becomes the hydraulic CPU of a desalination plant. By dramatically reducing energy consumption, the PX is the enabling componet making desalination affordable.
Under GG’s leadership the ERI team has executed a global launch of this new technology which, by drastically reducing energy, is helping make seawater desalination affordable and hence is driving a global tsunami of new desalination plants being built to help solve global water shortages in India, China, Australia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
Mr. Pique is a Clean-Tech entrepreneur who has managed the 50-fold growth of this “Silicon Valley North” company from a garage operation all the way to what many consider a rather successful IPO in early Summer 2008. This IPO was executed in the middle of one the worst Financial Markets in 75 years.
GG has gained a solid reputation in the water space and Reverse Osmosis Desalination industry due to his strategic vision and unique leadership style within ERI and past businesses he has been running since age 29. Under his leadership ERI's has achieved enviable profitability while driving a 50 fold revenue increase and leading market share since he became CEO in 2002.
Mr. Pique has been a top executive for over 30 years who, after rising to Group Vice President of a Fortune 50 Industrial company in Corporate America. In his latest Corporate life before ERI GG was part of the US Filter "Dick Heckmann Gang". After being cashed out by Vivendi, 'retired' in 2000 and became President and CEO of a wildly successful clean-tech start-up. http://www.energyrecovery.com
'We have doubled the company six times over the last 24 quarters" Doesn't sound like a big deal? Let's do the math: You start with 1, then you double ... 2, again 4.. 8.. 16... 32..64. If you manage the process tightly, you create a lot of shareholder value.
GG is also a seawater desalination 'guru' with a Chemical Engineering Degree and a solid background in clean-tech startup management.
GG was born in Havana, Cuba on May 16, 1947 and immigrated to the US with his family in 1961. He graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1969 with a degree in Chemical Engineering and started out his career as Middle East regional sales manager at Combustion Engineering ABB while he pursued his masters degree at night at the University of Hartford. By age 29, GG became Country Manager of Dorr Oliver de Mexico. In this first (of his three tours of duty) in Mexico GG was in charge of the turn-around of the Mexico City subsidiary of whas then the largest water treatment company in the world. Curious note: The Stamford Connecticut parent is long gone. Dorr-Oliver the Mexico lives on 32 years later run by the team GG put in place.
Later, he was a VP of Sales at Fluor Corporation] mining and metal division.
GG worked for 10 years for the reverse osmosis membrane companies in San Diego, while helping raise two children. During this time he also became involved as Editor of the Omega-3 Project which published several books on the health effects of dietary oils. Along the way GG became involved in the design, startup and operation of Dozens of seawater desalination plants worldwide.
GG worked for Ionics (now GE) in the design, and start-up of the Santa Barbara, California Emergency desalination Plant in 1992 as well as the retrofit of Ionics Iberica desalination plant in the Canary islands.
In the spring of 1993, GG was approached by Dick Heckman, Chairman of US Filter to join the "Heckman Gang" GG became Sr. Vice President and Corporate officer of US Filter Corp., a Fortune 500, NYSE water Company, where he drove a 25% division internal growth rate while simultaneously integrating and succesfully running an avalanche of multi-national acquisitions.
In 1999 Vivendi bought US Filter for $7.5 billion in cash. All of the USF stock options were cashed. GG spent 9 months after the acquisition “tucking his people in.” The parting feedback from colleague Andy Seidel was:
“GG, you have built the best water business in your segment, with creativity, risk taking and pure hard work. I have always respected your loyalty and good judgment.”
Three days later GG joined ERI Energy Recovery, Inc. start-up on February 7, 2000 as a Marketing consultant. Energy Recovery manufactures the PX, a unique, patented ceramic freewheeling pump that recycles 98% of the pressure energy of a desalination plant. This has cut desalination energy costs by more than half and is helping make seawater desalination affordable. See link to The Economist June 2008 article on desalination and energy below.
Mr. Pique was recruited as Executive Vice President in 2001 and became President CEO of ERI in 2002. Since he became involved in 2000, ERI revenues have grown dramatically as climate change increases water scarcity and the disruptive PX technology helps drive a global tsunami of affordable desalination plants being built in India, China, Africa, Israel, Spain and Australia.
G G Pique has quietly become a Global Business Leader in the clean-tech space. As President and CEO of ERI GG has gained a reputation as a strategic visionary with the knack of recruiting, motivating, developing and managing a culturally diverse executive team. The ERI team has established an enviably effective sales/service organization, which has rapidly achieved global dominance in a sharply-focused sector of the clean-tech space.
GG said recently: While you must learn the basics by studying Peter Drucker and Warren Buffet "I do not believe you can learn how to successfully launch a global business with explosive revenue growth by reading managemet books". "Perhaps this is why you have so many overpaid cargo cult Corporate Executives flailing out there.
How do you get 92% market share of your new technology in China? ERI breakthrough PX-220, which was first introduced in 2003 has become the industry standard in less than 5 years. However, most people know that the water industry is very conservative and adopts new technical innovation slowly and carefully. For this reason, people often ask: How did you guys precisely do this? We asked GG's advice on Achieving Global Introduction and Dominance
GG said: "We are not going to give away all the ERI team’s secrets but we will share the basic principles with you:"
1-If you are going to do a global launch you must assemble and manage a multi-cultural management team. Hire the best!
2-Go Direct. Agents, reps, and distributors cannot sell new concepts and technology. Direct, motivated employees can/will.
3-Retrofit existing plants. Get a reference plants out there for engineers and operators to validate savings. In a global launch do several--make them accessible. Clients must travel no more than a few hours to talk with the operators to validate benefits.
4-You must establish a Global network of factory-trained technicians and spare part depots to support your product.
5-Identify, contact, and work with, validators and connectors to support your quest. Read: Six degrees of separation.
6-Share the wealth. Recognize and pay the people who help you. Work with your board to give lots of options to your employees to make them stakeholders. Do more options!
7-Break the market codes. Understand your product, your industry, and your clients—avoid “Cargo Cult” Marketing
In 2007 GG was elected to the Board of Directors of the International Desalination Association.
At the July 2, 2008 IPO, GG was elected a member of the ERI board of directors.
Company
Energy Recovery, Inc (ERI): global clean-tech 'pure play' leader in the water desalination industry. Ticker symbol ERII. http://www.energyrecovery.com/
References
http://ggpique.blogspot.com/
http://www.energyrecovery.com/company/GG_Pique.php
http://www.idadesal.org/t-board_063.aspx
http://www.economist.com/search/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11484059
http://eastbay.bizjournals.com/eastbay/stories/2008/05/05/story2.html?b=1209960000^16300134
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1421517/000095013408010930/f38510a2sv1za.htm