João Schmidt is the Chief Business Development Officer of Naxxar Energy Group. He holds an Executive MBA from IE Business School in Madrid and brings more than 20 years of international leadership experience across the renewable energy and clean technology sectors. His expertise spans business development, project origination, project finance, strategic partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, and the delivery of large-scale renewable energy infrastructure projects throughout Europe and Latin America.
Throughout his career, João has held senior commercial leadership positions with responsibility for country-level profit and loss performance, business growth, project delivery and asset optimization. His experience encompasses the complete renewable energy project lifecycle, from market entry and project origination through permitting, financing, construction and commercial operation.
João joined Naxxar in the fourth quarter of 2025 following senior business development leadership roles with Statkraft, where he served as Head of Business Development, and Iberdrola, where he also held the position of Head of Business Development. In these roles, he was responsible for identifying strategic investment opportunities, expanding renewable energy portfolios and leading commercial growth initiatives across competitive European energy markets.
He has successfully led full-cycle renewable infrastructure developments across Europe and Latin America, with direct responsibility for significant mergers and acquisitions, project finance transactions and strategic partnerships across solar PV, onshore wind, battery energy storage systems (BESS), electric vehicle infrastructure, green hydrogen and biomass. João also has extensive experience structuring and negotiating corporate and utility-scale Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), including complex commercial arrangements supporting industrial customers and large-scale data centre developments.
Among his most significant professional achievements are:
Jenner Renewables (Denham Capital)
- Co-developed a 146 MWp solar photovoltaic project in Chile through financial close in 2017.
- Led the development of 86 MW of wind capacity and 185 MWp of solar projects in Mexico.
Iberdrola
- Built and led a high-performing business development team from the ground up, expanding the organization to approximately 10 professionals.
- Directed the greenfield development and permitting of 270 MWp of solar photovoltaic projects awarded through the Portuguese renewable energy auctions.
- Led the development of 450 MW of wind generation integrated through hybridization with hydroelectric assets.
Statkraft
- Originated and advanced renewable energy mergers and acquisitions with a transaction value exceeding €15 million.
- Held full profit and loss responsibility for Statkraft’s Portuguese business, driving commercial growth and market expansion.
João’s leadership combines entrepreneurial thinking with disciplined commercial execution. He has consistently demonstrated the ability to identify emerging market opportunities, build high-performing teams, negotiate complex commercial agreements and successfully deliver renewable energy platforms in highly competitive and rapidly evolving markets.
As Chief Business Development Officer of Naxxar Energy Group, João is responsible for leading the company’s commercial growth strategy, including project origination and delivery, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, and business development. Working closely with the Executive Management Team, he supports Naxxar’s objective of building a diversified, pan-European renewable energy platform focused on creating long-term value through disciplined investment and sustainable growth.