CEO Today Africa Awards

9 CEO TODAY AFRICA AWARDS 2020 South Africa www.biothermenergy.com Julian Johnson is both Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at BioTherm Energy, a pan-African renewable energy development and investment platform focused on the commercialisation of PV solar and onshore wind projects. BioTherm is backed by the world’s leading emerging markets investor Actis. Julian was drawn to the clean energy sector in 2014, to be a part of securing the countries energy supply as a catalyst to sustainable economic growth. BioTherm - through its development, construction and operation of renewable power facilities - creates employment in often remote communities and through meaningful social and economic development programmes that create opportunities to improve and uplift these communities. BioTherm has a portfolio of assets in operation, construction and development across the African continent, with 400MWs still under construction in South Africa and Kenya. Additional capacity is in the process of reaching financial close in the short to medium-term across the African continent. Julian has been involved in the financial close of 284MWs of renewable energy projects for the Round IV Projects, under the South African Department of Energy’s REIPP Programme. These projects raised funding of over USD500m and reached financial close in July 2018. All these projects are currently under construction, with the first of the projects currently expected to reach commercial operations in Q2 of 2020. Through the growth of the company – Julian has been involved in various corporate transactions including the sale of its Round I solar and wind projects that were awarded under the REIPP Programme, and a successful private equity exit that contributed to an overall improvement in value for investors. Julian is a Chartered Accountant (SA). He has an Honours degree in Accounting from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa and a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting Degree from Bond University Australia. In his career he has completed the JSE Sponsor Development Program, Financial Services Board certifications for a Category II Discretionary Financial Services Company and is a registered S43 Compliance Officer. He gained experience in the auditing and advisory divisions of professional services firm KPMG, broad experience across the African continent heading financial reporting and consolidations at MTN Group (Africa’s largest mobile operator) and a range of data-driven services and capital solutions at Transaction Capital. Julian was a recognised in 2019 by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants as one of the Top 35 Chartered Accountants under 35 years old.