Rafael Amaral

Executive Vice President at RNWBL

For over 15 years, Rafael Amaral has been engaged in the renewable energy industry, contributing to the execution and delivery of utility-scale power systems across various continents. With a background in electrical engineering, he recognized early in his career that success in this field is built through consistent, real-world results. Equipment must run reliably, systems must be stable, and teams must deliver safely and efficiently.

Rafael now serves as Executive Vice President at a renewable energy company, overseeing full P&L responsibility for a $220 million portfolio. His role covers field services, project execution, repowering, and asset management across wind, solar, and battery storage operations throughout North America.

From Engineering Foundations to Executive Accountability

Rafael's professional path began in Brazil, where he earned his degree in Electrical Engineering as valedictorian from Universidade Salvador. Early in his career, he worked on the design of electrical systems, substations, and other power infrastructure. This experience built a strong technical foundation and gave him a sharp sense of how systems behave under stress.

This understanding would later prove essential in managing renewable operations at scale, where even minor technical decisions can have significant consequences. His hands-on background allowed him to approach challenges with clarity and practical insight.

In 2011, Rafael joined an international energy company, where he spent nearly a decade moving through various leadership roles. He began in wind commissioning and site management, overseeing turbine delivery and managing engineering coordination and customer relationships. As the company expanded beyond Brazil, he led service operations in multiple Latin American countries, eventually taking on regional responsibility for a $10 million business unit with around 120 employees. Managing teams in remote, complex locations helped him understand the operational discipline required to support broader leadership responsibilities.

Leading at Scale Across Regions and Borders

His first global leadership role marked a shift from regional operations to international workforce coordination. As Global Renewables Resource Director, he managed the strategy for about 1,600 field professionals across 25 countries. His responsibilities included labor planning, training and development programs, and the creation of localized operating standards.

Later, Rafael Amaral of Florida led global operations in the renewables division, managing projects with a total annual value of nearly $190 million. His focus was on building consistency in delivery across markets with vastly different regulatory environments, cultures, and logistical realities. In this role, lean principles and continuous improvement were applied directly to project performance, safety, and operational margin stabilization.

Rafael then led regional operations first in North America and later across the Americas. These roles involved responsibility for organizations with over 1,200 employees and up to $160 million in annual revenue. He oversaw efforts to balance growth with operational capability, supporting customer needs while keeping pace with rapid expansion, especially in maturing renewable markets.

Driving Integration and Performance at RNWBL

Rafael joined his current organization during a phase of accelerated growth and integration. In early 2024, he played a central role in platform optimization by integrating more than 10 acquired companies into a single operating structure. This required aligning processes, systems, leadership teams, and culture, while maintaining service quality and meeting financial targets across a portfolio valued at approximately $220 million.

Later that year, he was appointed Chief Operating Officer. In that position, he became responsible for leading construction and operational delivery across wind, solar, and battery assets in both the U.S. and Canada. His focus was on stabilizing execution, implementing performance improvement technologies, and preparing the company to scale in line with market demand.

Today, Rafael is responsible not only for operations but also for business development and go-to-market strategies across Field Services, Projects, and Asset Management. His work emphasizes execution, long-term asset value, and customer reliability. For him, renewable energy investments only succeed if they operate consistently and deliver their intended results.

Education, Perspective, and Community

Alongside his engineering training, he earned an MBA focused on Finance and Project Management from Fundação Getulio Vargas. He has also completed executive programs at institutions including Yale University, the University of Michigan, GE Crotonville, Eckerd College, and the University of Florida. These experiences enhanced his leadership and financial skills without distancing him from the realities of technical execution.

Rafael holds a professional engineering certification in Brazil and is a certified Project Management Professional. With the ability to navigate both technical and business conversations, he works effectively across departments from engineering and field operations to finance and customer service, turning complex decisions into actionable plans.

Now based in Florida, he brings his international experience into a local context. His personal and professional ties to the region influence his leadership style and reinforce his focus on responsibility, community, and sustainable progress.

A Leader Shaped by Execution

Rafael Amaral has built his career through practical experience, disciplined execution, and consistent leadership. He has taken charge in challenging situations, led teams through periods of change, and supported long-term growth in the renewable energy space. His journey is a reminder that in this industry, real value is created through action, technical integrity, and strong leadership.