Tyson Zehr

Director of Project Finance

Give us a brief overview of your role.

I lead GSI’s strategic capital team, focusing on financial assessments of acquisition opportunities, developing complex models for bids and investments, and raising capital by securing equity and debt financing. I joined Saturn in 2017 as an intern while attending the Ivey School of Business and signed on full-time after graduation.

What is the most memorable moment you have had working for GSI?

My most memorable moment was when we won the Iyuhána PPA. That moment was the culmination of years of hard work and relationship-building by the team, while also signaling great things to come as we moved forward together as one unified team under GSI following the Saturn acquisition. Being selected as the preferred proponent was a major achievement and a testament to our collective efforts both pre and post-acquisition.

What led you to pursue a career in strategic finance, and more specifically in the renewable energy sector?

In university, I had a professor who encouraged us to ‘find a wave and ride it,’ meaning we should identify an emerging industry and grow with it to become experts. Having previously worked in rooftop solar construction; I was already familiar with the solar industry. I realized that battery storage could be the key to solving the challenges of fluctuating solar energy production. So, when battery energy storage started to gain traction, it really caught my interest. At the time, Saturn was just starting to investigate batteries and their numerous use cases, and when the opportunity came to join the Energy Storage team, I jumped on it.

Tell us one interesting fact about yourself that your colleagues might not know.

I spent a summer in Italy and Greece studying… English.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

I spend most of my free time playing sports and travelling. I play fastpitch, hockey and volleyball. My goal is to travel to Europe once a year. My last trip was to Italy, and next on my list is Switzerland.

What is one thing you’d like to cross off your bucket list?

I would love to do a batting practice session in an MLB stadium.

Rapid Fire Favorites

  • Movie: Moneyball
  • Musician: AC/DC
  • Restaurant (City): Tonnarello (Rome)
  • Food: Carbonara
  • Sports Team: Toronto Maple Leafs
  • City: Florence, Italy