Niel D’Souza
Junior Project Engineer
Give us a brief overview of your role.
I joined the GSI team three years ago as a Junior Project Engineer. My primary responsibility is designing solar projects, which involves detailed PVSyst analysis, reviewing site layouts, and sizing electrical components. I also manage interconnection applications for different states and work closely with various utilities. In my early years, I was part of the O&M team and played a role in overseeing the ongoing operations of our storage and solar projects.
What is the most memorable moment you have had working for GSI?
The company arranged an in-person team-building event, marking the first time that most of the team gathered in the same location since the beginning of the pandemic. Prior to this, we had only interacted through Teams video calls. Many colleagues were surprised by my height since they had only seen my portrait on Teams call and were amazed to discover how tall I am. I’m not sure if I appear shorter on Teams call.
What led you to a career in engineering, and more specifically in the renewables sector?
Becoming an engineer was always my dream, so I pursued a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. After graduating, I landed my first job in the petrochemical industry in Saudi Arabia, where I worked for over two years. During this time, I discovered my passion for making a positive impact on the environment and decided to shift my focus. To pursue this interest, I moved to Canada and started my studies in renewable energy.
Fortunately, my college professor, David Windley, who also served as Director of Engineering, played a crucial role in my career. I was offered a 6-month contract position, which later evolved into a full-time role.
Tell us one interesting fact about yourself that your colleagues might not know.
One interesting fact about me that my colleagues might not know is that I am multilingual. I can speak five languages, namely English, Hindi, Kannada, Konkani, and Tulu. What makes it unique is that out of these five, three have distinct scripts, allowing me not only to speak but also to read and write in these languages. I have plans to expand my linguistic skills by learning two more languages in the coming years.
How do you spend your time outside of work?
Outside of work, I really enjoy hanging out with friends and family. Watching TV series and movies is one of my favorite ways to relax. When the weather is nice, I also like to spend time in the garden and explore trails during the summer.
What is one thing you’d like to cross off your bucket list?
I’m eager to try Bungee Jumping in Whistler, BC. This fall, my wife and I had our first canoeing adventure at Canoe Lake in Algonquin Park. The weather was lovely when we began, but within 10 minutes, it took a dramatic turn. Despite our efforts to paddle to shore, the wind kept pushing us back. After 15 minutes of panic and fear, we finally reached the shore. I don’t think I’ll be going canoeing again.
Rapid Fire Favorites
- Movie: The Lord of the Rings
- Musician: Queen
- Restaurant: Mandi Afandi (Mississauga)
- Food: Pork Bafat (traditional)
- City: Mangalore, India
Yasemin Celik
Senior Accountant
Give us a brief overview of your role.
I became part of the GSI team a year and a half ago as a Senior Accountant. My role requires the timely and accurate input of information, which is presented to the management team to assist with strategic financial planning. I deal with many aspects of the business such as the financial statements, accounts payable, accounts receivable, employee expenses, and purchase orders. GSI’s philosophy of clean energy and sustainable living has changed the way I look at my job and made it much more meaningful.
What is the most memorable moment you have had working for GSI?
I live in Toronto, so I rarely go into the office, but every visit is a treasured memory for me. Among the many visits, the team-building event we organized last September is the most memorable. It gave me the opportunity to meet many colleagues with whom I had never crossed paths before. Together we worked on various projects, developed a strong sense of teamwork, and demonstrated the power of collective effort. It was a reminder of how joyful and enlightening it can be to embrace diversity, as it opens up new perspectives.
What led you to a career in finance and investment, and more specifically in the renewables sector?
Actually, accounting was not my first choice. I would have preferred to work in human or animal health, or any field related to nature, but life took such a path that I found myself in this field. I really liked the logic and order in accounting, and it was my favorite subject as a student. I decided to pursue an accounting career during my university days and through internships. Knowing that our work helps the world and future generations feel like an added bonus. Doing what you like and feeling spiritually fulfilled is the best feeling ever, isn’t it?
Tell us one interesting fact about yourself that your colleagues might not know.
I enjoy working with my hands, whether it’s embroidering, knitting, or getting into the soil while gardening. When spring arrives, my friend Maria and I organize her garden. We plant flowers and vegetables together, and in the fall, we tidy up the garden, which for me is a relaxing and enjoyable meditative activity. Being in nature, feeling the earth with my bare hands and feet, gives me a unique and special joy.
How do you spend your time outside of work?
I live in downtown Toronto where there’s always something to do or an event to go to nearby. I enjoy exploring new places and trying different foods with friends, but I also like spending time alone at home. It’s great to go to different worlds with books or learn about a new topic, watch a good movie, meditate, or sometimes just listen to yourself in silence.
What is one thing you’d like to cross off your bucket list?
I want to travel the world. I am very interested in exploring different cultures, beliefs, lifestyles, and various natural wonders. Every new thing I learn and every experience I have changes me, helps me grow, and broadens my perspective on life. When we combine the knowledge we gain from our hometown with the different perspectives of other places, a whole new view emerges. This is why I love Toronto; it is easy to find people from all nationalities and cultures here.
What is a personal accomplishment that you are proud of?
I came to Canada without speaking English or knowing anyone and started a new life on my own. I can’t say it was easy, but it has truly helped me to grow and develop immensely. When I reflect on my journey over the last 6.5 years, I feel a sense of accomplishment in how far I have come.
Rapid Fire Favorites
- Movie: Avatar
- Musician: Sezen Aksu and Passenger
- Restaurant: my friend Maria’s home 😊
- Food: Homemade pasta and homemade pizza
- City: Barcelona, Spain
Joseph Sacks
Chief Financial Officer
Give us a brief overview of your role.
I am the Chief Financial Officer for GSI. I’m responsible for all financing and investing activities for the team as well as helping to shape and drive the overall strategy and direction of the company. We have many different initiatives that we’re working through, but my main aim everyday is to make sure that I’m helping to support GSI’s mission and strategy, and that we have the capital and financing in place to build successful projects.
What is the most memorable moment you have had working for GSI?
I would say the acquisition of Saturn Power. That was definitely a game changer for everybody both on the Saturn side and the GSI side. We went from a team of a handful of individuals to 40 plus people. It was a very memorable process and a wonderful initiative, and I was proud to be a part of it.
What led you to a career in finance and investment, and more specifically in the renewables sector?
I studied political science and economics in college, and I think I took one corporate finance class. I was a good math student, but not a particularly special one. The honest answer was I needed to find a job that would enable me to start paying back my student loans and support living in New York City. Finding a job on Wall Street in finance was the easiest path to that. I didn’t grow up wanting to be a banker or CFO. There were some practical reasons that I went down the finance path to be completely honest.
In terms of renewables and infrastructure, I really enjoy being able to finance and work on things that you can touch and feel, as opposed to being a bond trader or an investment banker. I’m very happy to be focused on things that are going to be producing and adding value for many, many years because our projects are long-lived. I believe that we’re going to need more energy, not less, for my generation and future generations, and if we can do that in a sustainable and clean way, then I’m glad to be a part of that overall effort.
Tell us one interesting fact about yourself that your colleagues might not know.
I enjoy reading comic books. I’ve always been a big fan of collecting comics and cards, which I don’t tell a lot of people. I have a stack of comic books and graphic novels by my bed – reading them at night is often how I get to sleep. Recently, although I’ve never watched The Walking Dead, I’ve been reading the comics.
How do you spend your time outside of work?
I spend a tremendous amount of time with my family. There’s three of us – me, my wife, and my son, who’ll be 11 in November. We really are a unit because there’s only three of us and do everything together. I spent a lot of time coaching my son’s baseball teams, as some of the GSI folks know, so that’s quite a bit of my free time.
I also do some volunteer work. I’m on the board of the local Little League and on the Alumni Executive Committee for my college. I’m a bit of an exercise junkie as some of the GSI folks also know. I wake up at 5 pretty much every morning to get my workouts in. I don’t have a ton of a social life outside of work and my family, but my family is my life, so I spend every moment with them that I can.
What is one thing you’d like to cross off your bucket list?
I have a lot of things I’d like to cross off my bucket list, but I would say a near-term item I have is bringing my family to Spain, and I’m hoping to do that next year. We’re planning to go in March. It’s funny that my wife and I have both been individually, but we’ve never been together, nor our son, so I really am looking forward to us going as a family.
What is a personal accomplishment that you are proud of?
A personal accomplishment for me is watching my son grow up and learning to become his own person. I find that to be extremely gratifying and rewarding every day. To have a child that’s, to this point, been completely dependent on you, and now, turning around, and asking you on a Friday afternoon: “Hey, Dad, can I go out with my friends to the outdoor shopping mall?” is really something else! At first, I felt like I wasn’t ready for that, but now that he’s in fifth grade, I take a lot of pride in him becoming an independent and kind human being.
Rapid Fire Favorites
- Movie: The Usual Suspects
- Musician: Billy Joel or John Mayer (just saw John Mayer for the second time this month!)
- Restaurant: The Blue Water Grill in Union Square, NYC (it’s closed now but will forever be my favorite place to eat!)
- Food: Any kind of pizza (except Hawaiian style…sorry to those Hawaiian pizza lovers!)
- Sports Team: New York Mets and the New York Rangers (too hard to choose one!)
- City: New York City & London, England
David Brattan
Director of Legal Affairs
Give us a brief overview of your role.
My primary focus at GSI is providing the organization with legal expertise and support throughout multiple complex phases of the business. GSI’s legal team negotiates a variety of agreements for an array of industry and project specific requirements. It also deals with construction and warranty-related legal matters.
What is the most memorable moment you have had working for GSI?
I started with the company three weeks before the pandemic and sat beside one of our project developers that worked heavily on the site selection process. This helped provide me with a wealth of knowledge on the industry and the organization in a very truncated timeframe, and helped to set me up for what has unfolded over the past 3 plus years. The primer that I received on site selection is something that I think will be permanently etched in my brain until I’m on my deathbed.
What led you to a career in asset management, and more specifically in the renewables sector?
My legal path is a bit odd; I got my law degree in 1992 however I didn’t get called to the bar until 2015, which is about 22 years later than most people would have done it. I was doing other work when I was approached by a lawyer I knew, who offered to take me on as a “mature” articling student. So I had planned to be a lawyer, changed my mind, and then was persuaded back because of an invitation from a lawyer I knew.
For renewable energy, my past life was in large scale public infrastructure, working with highways, airports, and courthouses. Big government capital projects are commercially and legally structured similarly to renewable energy projects, so I had a transferable skill set. Additionally, for half a decade I was the developer of a green energy project on the Toronto waterfront, which worked to use conventional energy sources more efficiently.
Tell us one interesting fact about yourself that your colleagues might not know.
When I was in Toronto, I was doing a lot of courses in acting, film production, and screen writing, so I know some people in the industry. I was acquainted with a former police officer suffering with PTSD, and a documentary director. I managed to bring the two together so that they could address this important issue through a documentary on PTSD. As a result, I actually have one credit in the film industry which is special to me.
How do you relax outside of work?
My primary focus outside of work is spending time with my wife, Natalia, and my daughter, Jessica, who’s 7 years old. A lot of people from the company know Jessica well as she was a frequent special guest during virtual meetings throughout the pandemic.
What is one thing you’d like to cross off your bucket list?
I would like to visit Dubai someday.
What is a personal accomplishment that you are proud of?
Most of my career occurred in downtown Toronto, so it was a leap of faith when I left the city without a job. However, I ended up obtaining two jobs in the legal industry in Kitchener-Waterloo. I consider it a great personal accomplishment that I was able to take a risk and have since advanced my career in a smaller center, as I wasn’t sure of the type of legal work that would be available to me outside of Toronto.
Rapid Fire Favourites
- Movie: Pulp Fiction.
- Musician: Led Zeppelin.
- Restaurant: Daily Grill (Waterloo)
- Food: Diner food
- City: Paris, France