Climbing into Cleantech with Vitor Santos

Traditionally, when people think about cleantech careers they think of engineers or scientists. Vitor Santos is here to prove that this is not the case! After deciding that he could no longer work for a company that wasn’t actively helping to solve climate change, he made the decision to climb into cleantech. This led him to his current role as Head of Design and UX at Sylvera, where one of his main responsibilities is to ensure that the platform is user friendly for everyone.

In this conversation, Vitor proves that if you care enough about a cause, you can pivot your career to live your purpose every day. Vitor shares his advice for anyone looking to make the move into cleantech regardless of career background, and why he believes that interdisciplinary teams are so crucial for solving the world’s wicked problems.?

Hello Vitor, it is lovely to chat with you today. Could you start by telling us a little bit about yourself?

My name is Vitor Santos and I am a Portuguese national currently living in London. I studied Digital Art Direction at EDIT in Lisbon and have an MA in Digital Management from Hyper Island/Teesside University.?

For the last seven years, I have worked with data-related platforms and SaaS products in different industries from fashion to video games and more recently in cleantech. I have also been fortunate enough to work with companies in different countries including Portugal, Spain, Japan, UK and China. I have always been passionate about the diversity of working processes in contrasting environments and cultures.?

My current role is as Head of Design and UX at Sylvera, a carbon intelligence platform providing data that helps businesses, exchanges and traders confidently evaluate the best, and most impactful, carbon credits to invest in. In this role, I am responsible for the company’s aesthetic and creative direction which is reflected in the platform, branding and marketing materials.?

I truly believe that design has the power to translate technically complex concepts into digestible and user-centric visual assets.?

In my spare time, I am an illustrator and enjoy my passion for visual arts, theatre and cinema.?

When did your interest in cleantech begin?

Climate change has been a concern of mine for a very long time but in the last couple of years, I decided I could no longer work for a company that doesn’t have a direct positive impact on the environment.

For me it went much further than just working for an organisation with a great purpose, I wanted to make sure that my expertise has beneficial measurable effects on the planet.?

In February 2021, I chose to make the move to Sylvera not just because their vision and values aligned with mine but because they are making such a significant impact on the industry.

Would you describe your entry into cleantech as unconventional?

Although I wouldn’t say that it was a particularly unconventional entry, I do believe that creative roles are not often associated with cleantech. When people think about a career in cleantech they often think more of professions such as scientists or engineers.?

I believe that having diversified and inter-disciplinary teams that are able to tackle problems with different perspectives is fundamental to solving wicked problems in the most effective, fastest way. Design, for example, can play a crucial role in helping user-centred companies engage with their users and make sure they are building intuitive products that actually solve users’ needs.

What I enjoy most about Sylvera is the collaborative environment - everyone is working towards a common goal with a sense of purpose and that creates such a positive ambience.?

Who are your inspirations with cleantech?

Although they’re not specifically working within cleantech, I am very much inspired by Jane Goodall and Greta Thunberg. They both became unexpectedly intergenerational heroes and have been able to influence millions of people toward a common purpose.?

What would you say is the biggest lesson you have learned from your time in cleantech?

I think the biggest lesson I have learnt is that everything is accomplishable if you have the right team, purpose and leadership. Sometimes it takes courage to break the mould but you can thrive if you are in a safe environment that allows you to make mistakes and learn from them.?

What advice would you give to others looking to climb into cleantech?

The team is everything! Make sure you are always learning as much as you can about other members' goals and priorities. This helps to ensure everyone is consistently working together to achieve them.

For me, what is crucial is to take the time to talk with customers, your team and opinion leaders to keep up to date about what is happening in the market. This will help you to suggest pertinent solutions that are aligned with the company’s mission and values and can push the company forward.

Keep up to date with Vitor’s work at Sylvera ?

To discover how Brightsmith can help you climb into cleantech and live your purpose, get in touch with the team today -?

[email protected]

UK: +44 (0) 203 488 7352

USA: +001 (832) 226 4952