ENERGIZING AND EMPOWERING THE NATION
CREATING OPPORTUNITIES AND EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES WITH SOLAR ENERGY
Solar Philippines is the largest solar company in Southeast Asia with over 300 MW of generating capacity and 10,000 hectares of land area conducive for solar farms.
Founded in 2013, we have been creating a path towards a renewable future by embarking on utility-scale solar farms that generate additional electricity supply for the Luzon grid, effectively increasing the productivity of many communities and customers.
By pioneering the development of solar energy zones, we believe that we are helping the Philippine solar energy industry eliminate barriers and grow further, creating opportunities to build more solar-fired facilities across the nation.
LEADERSHIP
We have assembled a leadership team composed of reputable professionals with a wealth of experience and knowledge in the power sector and other related industries. They lead the company in creating a solid portfolio of solar-related projects that will help address energy poverty in the Philippines.
Leandro L. Leviste
Founder/CEO
Leandro L. Leviste founded Solar Philippines in 2013. It is now Southeast Asia’s largest solar company and integrated solar developer, EPC, and power generator, with a mission to make cheap, reliable electricity universally accessible. He is seen in the industry as a visionary who has persevered in pioneering new technologies and business models, defying conventional wisdom to advance progress for the Philippines.
Upon founding Solar Philippines, Mr. Leviste has received numerous awards, including being ranked at the top of Forbes Magazine’s inaugural “30 Under 30” list for Asia in 2016. The International Finance Corporation of the World Bank awarded Mr. Leviste’s first mall project its “2016 Sustainable Energy Finance Award”. His pioneering innovations won for the company the Asian Power Awards for Independent Power Producer of the Year, Dual Fuel Power Plant of the Year, and Solar Power Project of the Year.
Mr. Leviste is said to be the youngest ever member of two of the nation’s associations of business leaders: Management Association of the Philippines and Makati Business Club. He is also a member of the National Renewable Energy Board, an official power industry body with a mission to accelerate the development of renewable energy in the Philippines.
Meldin Al. G. Roy
Chief Financial Officer
Meldin Al. G. Roy is Solar Philippines’s finance expert with extensive experience in Filipino conglomerates with wide-ranging interests including in energy and infrastructure. Prior to joining Solar Philippines, Mr. Roy played key roles in the Udenna Group of Companies and the Philippine Transmarine Carriers (PTC) Group of Companies where he took on executive roles in their energy and infrastructure projects.
Mr. Roy was President and Chief Operations Officer of Udenna Corporation from 2017 to 2019 and of Udenna Infrastructure Corp. from 2018 to 2019. For almost a decade until 2017, he helmed the PTC Group as its Group Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director. Specifically, he headed its Northern Star Energy Corp. from 2012 to 2017 and was Managing Director of PTC Energy Corporation from 2016 to 2017. He also led PTC on the path to its many accomplishments not only in crew management but also in integrated value chain services including energy, shipping, real estate, hospitality, aviation, and international professional placement.
An alumnus of the University of the Philippines, Mr. Roy kicked off his career in finance when he joined Philippine American Life Insurance Company as Account Officer in 1979. His career soared further while working with the First Pacific Group, where he was Vice President for Corporate Development and Group Treasurer of its Metro Pacific Corporation in 1991. Mr. Roy lent his financial management expertise to many other Filipino conglomerates including the Alcantara Group of Companies, RFM Corporation, Philsteel Group of Companies, BayanTel, and Swift Foods, Inc.
He is a member of prestigious national business bodies including the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Hazel Lafuente
Head, Land and Community Development
Hazel Lafuente is the Head of Solar Philippines’ Land and Community Development. She leads the group’s Project Development, Permitting & Compliance of solar farms, and land acquisition, one of the major businesses of the company, aside from power.
With a solid background of working in both private and public sectors, Hazel brings to the team over 12 years of experience in project management, real estate negotiation, and customer service. Prior to joining Solar Philippines, she worked in the Senate for almost a decade.
Hazel holds a master’s degree in Public Management and a bachelor’s degree cum laude in Social Sciences, both from the University of the Philippines-Diliman.
Rhinebert Kyle A. Mina
Head, Business Development
As Head of Solar Philippines’ Business Development, Kyle Mina leads the wholesale contracting of the company’s solar farms through utility tenders and strategic partnerships. Some of his key roles include identification and setting up of international entities and recruitment and management of offshore teams. He was responsible for leading the company in expanding to six new markets: Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, India, Nigeria, and Kenya, with pilot projects closed within months of each subsidiary’s operation.
Kyle was one of the five initial members of the company that put up the Philippines’ first locally-owned solar module factory and first large-scale registered manufacturer under the country’s renewable energy law.
Before joining Solar Philippines, he was a full-time instructor at the University of the Philippines-Diliman Department of Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering. He was also a product engineer at Cypress Manufacturing Limited, one of the leading US semi-conductor manufacturers and programs solutions providers.
He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Materials Engineering from UP Diliman in 2013 and was in the top three passers in his Career Service Examination – Professional Level batch.
Daniel Sutanto
Head, International Business Development
Our Head of International Business Development has an extensive background in the power generation industry. With years of experience in growing businesses to different segments and building relationships with stakeholders, he leads Solar Philippines in forging strategic relationships in foreign markets in order to expand our business.
Prior to joining Solar Philippines, he served as the Country Representative for REC Solar, an international pioneer in the solar energy industry, in Indonesia. As Country Representative, he focused on the company’s overall business development, sales and marketing efforts, as well as overseeing project development and building partnerships with different EPC companies. He then served as the Country Leader for GE Power Conversion, growing the newly formed power conversion business unit through his thorough sales leadership and development of a new market in engineering solutions focused on vertical markets (marine, energy, and mineral mining).
He received his bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Universities Kristen Satya Wacana in Indonesia.
Terence Justin Dy Echo
Deputy Head, Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC)
As deputy head for EPC, Terrence supervises the development of the company’s solar facilities to ensure the timely and efficient completion of projects.
Prior to this role, he served as the Business Development Manager for Solar Para Sa Bayan (SPSB), the social enterprise unit of Solar Philippines, which spearheads the development of microgrids in unserved and unserved communities in the country. Under SPSB, he worked on regulatory and compliance requirements and handled the company’s project bidding participation in Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, India, Kenya and Nigeria.
He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of the Philippines – Diliman.
George Exiomo
General Counsel
Vivian C. Cruz
Head of HR, IT & Administration
Our human resources chief has extensive exposure to HR management in select Asian markets over the last two decades. A Certified Organizational Coach from the Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership, Ms. Cruz has in-depth knowledge and skills in all facets of human resources – talent acquisition, talent management, development and retention, total rewards, talent engagement, organization development, human capital management system, employer branding, employee and industrial relations, HR analytics, corporate social responsibility, and stakeholder management.
Prior to joining Solar Philippines, Ms. Cruz was instrumental in the successful set-up of the regional operating headquarters and shared services office for leading cruise line Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., making it fully operational in six months in the Philippines. She later served as HR Director for Asia Pacific of the cruise line, managing HR operations in the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia. As an Asia HR Business Leader for US power generation company AES (covering the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam), she led the company’s accreditation as a great place to work by Investors in People. Ms. Cruz was Assistant Vice President for Manufacturing HR for the Ramcar Battery Group. She also served in various capacities as an HR professional with Kraft Foods Philippines Inc., Alcan Starpack Packaging Corporation, Schneider Electric Philippines, Citishoppe, Inc., and First Ridge Concrete Aggregates.
She completed her certification program in Project Management at the Asian Institute of Management and Strategic Leadership Course online via Columbia University. She is a certified Hay (Job Evaluation methodology) practitioner. She is one of the country’s sought-after speaker in a wide range of topics at conferences organized for HR practitioners. Ms. Cruz completed her degree in Liberal Arts and Commerce – Political Science and Accounting cum laude at MS Enverga University Foundation in 1992.
AWARDS
Solar Philippines was awarded as the Power Company of the Year at the 2017 Asian Power Awards, known as “the Oscars of the power industry.”
The company also won gold in two other categories: Solar Power Project of the Year for its 150 MW Tarlac Solar Farm, and Hybrid Power Plant of the Year for the Paluan Hybrid Solar Facility.
Our Leadership
We have assembled a leadership team composed of reputable professionals with a wealth of experience and knowledge in the power sector and other related industries. They lead the company in creating a solid portfolio of solar-related projects that will help address energy poverty in the Philippines.
Leandro L. Leviste
Founder/CEO
Leandro L. Leviste founded Solar Philippines in 2013. It is now Southeast Asia’s largest solar company and integrated solar developer, EPC, and power generator, with a mission to make cheap, reliable electricity universally accessible. He is seen in the industry as a visionary who has persevered in pioneering new technologies and business models, defying conventional wisdom to advance progress for the Philippines.
Upon founding Solar Philippines, Mr. Leviste has received numerous awards, including being ranked at the top of Forbes Magazine’s inaugural “30 Under 30” list for Asia in 2016. The International Finance Corporation of the World Bank awarded Mr. Leviste’s first mall project its “2016 Sustainable Energy Finance Award”. His pioneering innovations won for the company the Asian Power Awards for Independent Power Producer of the Year, Dual Fuel Power Plant of the Year, and Solar Power Project of the Year.
Mr. Leviste is said to be the youngest ever member of two of the nation’s associations of business leaders: Management Association of the Philippines and Makati Business Club. He is also a member of the National Renewable Energy Board, an official power industry body with a mission to accelerate the development of renewable energy in the Philippines.
Meldin Al. G. Roy
Chief Financial Officer
Meldin Al. G. Roy is Solar Philippines’s finance expert with extensive experience in Filipino conglomerates with wide-ranging interests including in energy and infrastructure. Prior to joining Solar Philippines, Mr. Roy played key roles in the Udenna Group of Companies and the Philippine Transmarine Carriers (PTC) Group of Companies where he took on executive roles in their energy and infrastructure projects.
Mr. Roy was President and Chief Operations Officer of Udenna Corporation from 2017 to 2019 and of Udenna Infrastructure Corp. from 2018 to 2019. For almost a decade until 2017, he helmed the PTC Group as its Group Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director. Specifically, he headed its Northern Star Energy Corp. from 2012 to 2017 and was Managing Director of PTC Energy Corporation from 2016 to 2017. He also led PTC on the path to its many accomplishments not only in crew management but also in integrated value chain services including energy, shipping, real estate, hospitality, aviation, and international professional placement.
An alumnus of the University of the Philippines, Mr. Roy kicked off his career in finance when he joined Philippine American Life Insurance Company as Account Officer in 1979. His career soared further while working with the First Pacific Group, where he was Vice President for Corporate Development and Group Treasurer of its Metro Pacific Corporation in 1991. Mr. Roy lent his financial management expertise to many other Filipino conglomerates including the Alcantara Group of Companies, RFM Corporation, Philsteel Group of Companies, BayanTel, and Swift Foods, Inc.
He is a member of prestigious national business bodies including the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Hazel Lafuente
Head, Land and Community Development
Hazel Lafuente is the Head of Solar Philippines’ Land and Community Development. She leads the group’s Project Development, Permitting & Compliance of solar farms, and land acquisition, one of the major businesses of the company, aside from power.
With a solid background of working in both private and public sectors, Hazel brings to the team over 12 years of experience in project management, real estate negotiation, and customer service. Prior to joining Solar Philippines, she worked in the Senate for almost a decade.
Hazel holds a master’s degree in Public Management and a bachelor’s degree cum laude in Social Sciences, both from the University of the Philippines-Diliman.
Rhinebert Kyle A. Mina
Head, Business Development
As Head of Solar Philippines’ Business Development, Kyle Mina leads the wholesale contracting of the company’s solar farms through utility tenders and strategic partnerships. Some of his key roles include identification and setting up of international entities and recruitment and management of offshore teams. He was responsible for leading the company in expanding to six new markets: Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, India, Nigeria, and Kenya, with pilot projects closed within months of each subsidiary’s operation.
Kyle was one of the five initial members of the company that put up the Philippines’ first locally-owned solar module factory and first large-scale registered manufacturer under the country’s renewable energy law.
Before joining Solar Philippines, he was a full-time instructor at the University of the Philippines-Diliman Department of Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering. He was also a product engineer at Cypress Manufacturing Limited, one of the leading US semi-conductor manufacturers and programs solutions providers.
He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Materials Engineering from UP Diliman in 2013 and was in the top three passers in his Career Service Examination – Professional Level batch.
Daniel Sutanto
Head, International Business Development
Our Head of International Business Development has an extensive background in the power generation industry. With years of experience in growing businesses to different segments and building relationships with stakeholders, he leads Solar Philippines in forging strategic relationships in foreign markets in order to expand our business.
Prior to joining Solar Philippines, he served as the Country Representative for REC Solar, an international pioneer in the solar energy industry, in Indonesia. As Country Representative, he focused on the company’s overall business development, sales and marketing efforts, as well as overseeing project development and building partnerships with different EPC companies. He then served as the Country Leader for GE Power Conversion, growing the newly formed power conversion business unit through his thorough sales leadership and development of a new market in engineering solutions focused on vertical markets (marine, energy, and mineral mining).
He received his bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Universities Kristen Satya Wacana in Indonesia.
Terence Justin Dy Echo
Deputy Head, Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC)
As deputy head for EPC, Terrence supervises the development of the company’s solar facilities to ensure the timely and efficient completion of projects.
Prior to this role, he served as the Business Development Manager for Solar Para Sa Bayan (SPSB), the social enterprise unit of Solar Philippines, which spearheads the development of microgrids in unserved and unserved communities in the country. Under SPSB, he worked on regulatory and compliance requirements and handled the company’s project bidding participation in Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, India, Kenya and Nigeria.
He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of the Philippines – Diliman.
George Exiomo
General Counsel
Vivian C. Cruz
Head of HR, IT & Administration
Our human resources chief has extensive exposure to HR management in select Asian markets over the last two decades. A Certified Organizational Coach from the Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership, Ms. Cruz has in-depth knowledge and skills in all facets of human resources – talent acquisition, talent management, development and retention, total rewards, talent engagement, organization development, human capital management system, employer branding, employee and industrial relations, HR analytics, corporate social responsibility, and stakeholder management.
Prior to joining Solar Philippines, Ms. Cruz was instrumental in the successful set-up of the regional operating headquarters and shared services office for leading cruise line Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., making it fully operational in six months in the Philippines. She later served as HR Director for Asia Pacific of the cruise line, managing HR operations in the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia. As an Asia HR Business Leader for US power generation company AES (covering the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam), she led the company’s accreditation as a great place to work by Investors in People. Ms. Cruz was Assistant Vice President for Manufacturing HR for the Ramcar Battery Group. She also served in various capacities as an HR professional with Kraft Foods Philippines Inc., Alcan Starpack Packaging Corporation, Schneider Electric Philippines, Citishoppe, Inc., and First Ridge Concrete Aggregates.
She completed her certification program in Project Management at the Asian Institute of Management and Strategic Leadership Course online via Columbia University. She is a certified Hay (Job Evaluation methodology) practitioner. She is one of the country’s sought-after speaker in a wide range of topics at conferences organized for HR practitioners. Ms. Cruz completed her degree in Liberal Arts and Commerce – Political Science and Accounting cum laude at MS Enverga University Foundation in 1992.
Awards
Solar Philippines was awarded as the Power Company of the Year at the 2017 Asian Power Awards, known as “the Oscars of the power industry.”
The company also won gold in two other categories: Solar Power Project of the Year for its 150 MW Tarlac Solar Farm, and Hybrid Power Plant of the Year for the Paluan Hybrid Solar Facilty.
