It is definitely not boring! Alex’s story

Joined June 2020. Joining Lightsource bp was an important milestone in my career given I left private practice in 2008 to join a start-up solar development company and have always pushed to work with the best companies in the industry.  Getting to know Nick and Kareen at various solar sector functions gave me a glimpse of the dynamic energy and the depth of expertise at Lightsource as it grew to dominate the UK market.  I always hoped to be part of the Team and, despite the pandemic, the global restructuring of the business in early 2020 created the opportunity to join as General Counsel for EMEA.

Energy & Personality. I enjoy working in a dynamic, creative, results driven work culture. Lightsource bp has an entrepreneurial energy but is also mature in its risk management and approach to good governance. The Executive Team are not averse to taking a wholly different approach to an issue or problem than the rest of the market. For example, back in the 2010s many development companies in the UK originated early-stage projects and then fought to secure funding. Lightsource bp in its inception took the reverse approach ensuring that it could move quicker than its competitors.  Today Lightsource bp has two complementary sides to its personality – an entrepreneurial determination to succeed and a resolute commitment to good governance and best in sector execution.

Team Spirit. This is a team where people naturally support each other and embrace mutual accountability to deliver targets. Given the pace we work, it can sometimes be challenging to manage commitments across multiple jurisdictions, but cross-departmental teamwork is always part of the reason we get the job done. The collegiate spirit of the legal team has been inspiring to see in action.  Every day I see members of the team benefiting from the skills, experience and support of their peers and we are all able to perform better as a result.

The Future is Solar. We delivered twice the MW capacity in 2021 as in the previous year and going forward are geared to grow at a similar pace. The scale and geographical scope of development at Lightsource bp reflects how much the solar industry has matured in the last few years and is a key part of the energy transition. Even a few years ago, the ambition to go to market for $1.8 billion to fund solar projects, would have seemed barely credible. The fact that we can deliver gigawatts of pipeline and raise over a billion in capital flows from the alchemy of macro global forces and the vision of the Lightsource bp executive team.  I am ready for and embrace the challenges we will face as a company as the solar market consolidates. There are still new markets to explore and new ways of working to adopt.

Alex DeSouza, General Counsel

Be the Change, join Lightsource bp

We hope that you have enjoyed visiting our careers section and learning more about who we are. If you’re ready to take the next step, link up to our careers list below.

Careers