Meet the Team Nordex – Chris Leach, Sales Manager
Chris Leach is a Sales Manager in the Nordics and has been working at Nordex Group for just over six years. He is based in Uppsala but is originally from a small island in the UK called the Isle of Wight. He moved to Sweden about ten years ago when he was in his early 20s.
Chris’ academic background is in Environmental Science and he studied for his BSc at the University of East Anglia in the UK during which he found an interest in renewable energy. He knew he wanted to specialise in renewable energy when he moved to Sweden and fortunately found a master’s programme in Wind Power Development and Project Management at Uppsala University.
Chris was successful with his application and accepted for the programme. The education was however not located in Uppsala, but on Gotland (Sweden’s largest island located outside the southeast coast). Living on Gotland for 6 months Chris says in his own words was a brilliant experience and helped him consolidate his learning about wind power. The education although academic, also had a strong practical application based on programs used in the industry.
After graduating, he searched for a job and found a role he was interested in as a Wind and Site Engineer with Nordex. After a successful application and interview, Chris was offered the role and then began gaining experience in his chosen field. The role itself involved running loads analysis and ensuring that the turbines can withstand the site conditions by signing off a suitability assessment. Gradually it became apparent that he and the team were highly influential in bringing added value to the customers’ business case. “One good thing about that role was being on the frontline with the sales team; being invited to calls, listening to concerns from the client and then trying to best address them by engaging closely to ensure we optimise our bid and provide value. Being able to visit sites helped me make the link between the field production and theoretical analysis. Being office based is great but visiting the site and being in the natural environment is something very special.”
In 2019, Chris commenced his role as Junior Sales Manager. Supported by other Sales Managers he quickly learned about the role and soon lost the Junior title, becoming a fully-fledged Sales Manager – a role he has now had for about two years. Chris says “I liken the role of being a Sales Manager to the conductor of an orchestra, you should lead, guide and work with your team very closely to file a bid that best meets the clients’ expectations, scope and wishes but is ultimately competitive. You are that interface between client and internal Nordex.”
Chris also mentions that the role is very stimulating, and he loves the fact that no day is the same and that the interaction with other departments is incredibly enriching. Chris says that he and the team work closely with the headquarters in Hamburg to help ensure that Nordex has products which are a good commercial fit for the market.
With respect to what Chris enjoys most about working at Nordex, he mentions the balance between work and family life, and feels grateful that the company he works for values and supports flexibility in the workplace. Another important aspect is the colleagueship and leadership. He says that the ethos of teamwork is embedded in the culture and there are so many “gifted and amazing minds” in Sweden, the Nordics and wider organisation offering support.
The proudest moment for Chris at Nordex was when he heard those “preferred supplier” words for a project he was involved in. “When you’ve spent so much time fighting for it, it’s so rewarding,” he says.
With an eye on the future, Chris wants to keep on developing and consolidating his role. Chris wants to continue to contribute to Nordex and is positive that there will be a sustainable future for the next generations. “As a company we’re evolving continually, and as an industry we’re evolving continually. This is a learning process that never stops and that’s the beauty,”.
Learn more about working at Nordex and our job vacancies by visiting our career portal.