– Erik Zimmerman , Chief Executive Officer
ECHO GROUP / CHERRY ENERGY SOLUTIONS
There ’ s an energy revolution going on and Echo Group CEO Erik Zimmerman and COO Ben Wright tell Niki Waldegrave how its businesses are at the forefront of it
When Erik Zimmerman watched A Crude Awakening , a documentary on the planet ’ s dwindling oil resources in 2006 , his life would never be the same . By day , he was the head of learning at ANZ Bank . By night , he was an entrepreneurial energy crusader , meeting up with the Alternative Technology Association and solar engineers asking how he could put solar on every roof in the country . That question occupied his mind 24 / 7 until he got the lightbulb moment – bulk buy solar neighbourhoods . So , in 2007 Zimmerman extended his mortgage by $ 365k , left ANZ and launched his company , Rezeko ( Eko Energy ).
“ My parents thought I was nuts ,” he laughs , “ But I think businesses that answer a question are always a great place to start .”
The gamble paid off , and by the time he sold Rezeko ’ s business assets to AGL in 2011 , it was the third biggest solar company in Australia , with 8000 installations and a turnover of more than $ 30 million .
Now he ’ s the CEO and joint director of Echo Group – along with Ben Wright , founder of upmarket fruit and vegetable business , The Market Runners – focusing on Australia ’ s booming energy movement , from solar panels to energy efficient lighting , with exclusive manufacturing relationships across Asia Pacific and SE Asia .
“ When we invested in Littil , it was a small LED lighting business but had the look and feel of the solar market 10 years earlier ,” says Zimmerman , “ where the prices were due to come down ,
“ The of what we have is in the we have in the business ”
– Erik Zimmerman , Chief Executive Officer
120 September 2017