Nick Vamvakas, former managing director at Investcorp International Inc., joined newly formed renewables firm Spearmint Energy.
As chief strategy officer, he will work closely with Spearmint’s senior leadership to identify, structure and execute strategic initiatives aligned with the firm’s mission to enable the clean energy revolution through battery energy storage. The initiative will include sourcing and executing new partnerships to business development and company expansion efforts, including via new markets, product lines and services.
Spearmint Energy was founded earlier this year by energy industry veteran Andrew Waranch in partnership with Kevin Kelley, CEO of Roscommon Analytics LLC. Waranch’s career spans energy trading firms such as Elustria, Elliott Associates, Deutsche Bank, Merrill Lynch, and Constellation Energy.
“Nick brings significant leadership, business strategy and problem-solving experience to Spearmint, and we are pleased to welcome him to our team as we continue strengthen our bench of talent,” said Spearmint Chief Operating Officer Richard Cardone in a statement. “Our ability to attract a high-integrity professional of his caliber is a clear testament to the unique value proposition of the Spearmint platform. We look forward to leveraging Nick’s deep alternative investment expertise and industry relationships as we seek to implement strategic initiatives that will cement Spearmint at the forefront of the clean energy revolution.”
Cardone had been managing director of business development at TJM Brokerage, where he focused on the commodity and macro spaces, prior to joining Spearmint.
Vamvakas brings three decades of alternative investment industry experience to the firm and was responsible for overseeing Investcorp’s absolute return business of hedge fund partnerships, special opportunity products and structuring activities. Prior to that he held management positions at Societe Generale and was a managing director of Lyxor Asset Management.
“Since launching this May, Spearmint has proven itself a force to be reckoned with due to its execution-oriented team, collaborative culture, fresh perspectives on solving today’s energy crisis, and importantly, double impact of driving profitability while adding much-needed services to the grid,” added Vamvakas in a statement. “I am thrilled to join Spearmint at such an exciting time not only in the Company’s evolution, but also for the energy storage industry broadly in light of the recent passing of the Inflation Reduction Act.”
Vamvakas’ appointment follows other notable hires Spearmint has made since founding the company, including Audrey Copeland as senior vice president of strategy and origination, Nick Dazzo as head of trading, and Prudence Heck as head of research and analytics.
As Spearmint continues to expand its footprint and offerings, the company plans to add to its roster of talent.
