Our Board
Deep Chakraborty
Board Member, President and Chief Executive Officer
Deep has been with Centrosolar since 2008 as a founding member of Centrosolar’s North American operations. Deep has a strong background in strategy and operations, with a decade-long experience in the automotive industry. Prior to Centrosolar, Deep was at Daimler Chrysler where he led product development, program management and product strategy development for Chrysler’s Group’s vehicle platforms. Deep also worked for Roland Berger Strategy Consultants in USA and Europe, where he advised various global international clients in the energy and automotive industries on growth strategy formulation and pre-acquisition due diligence. Deep grew up in India and has a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur. Deep also has a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University, USA and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the Ross School of Business, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Ram Akella
Board Member, Joint President and CFO
Ram joined Centrosolar in 2011. Prior to joining Centrosolar, he served as Chairman and CEO of Oriundus Asset Management Co., a renewable energy private equity fund and Managing Partner of Phoenix Capital Partners, an investment banking boutique for companies in the entertainment, media and communications, healthcare and IT industries, which he founded in 1998. Prior thereto, Ram was Managing Director of Dover Finance Group, Ltd., a corporate finance boutique specializing in structured finance for media, entertainment and communications companies. He is an advisor to Cornell University’s BR Ventures and a member of New York Weill Cornell Council that serves as an important link between Weill Cornell Medical College and the Weill Cornell campus of New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Ram is also a member of Cornell’s Johnson Graduate School of Management’s Advisory Council. Ram holds an M.B.A. with Distinction from Cornell University.
Dr. Axel Müller-Groeling
Board Member, Centrosolar America. Executive Board Member, CENTROSOLAR Group AG
Axel Müller-Groeling, PhD in Physics, is responsible for strategy and operative management of all divisions for CENTROSOLAR Group AG, including Centrosolar America, Inc. He has been a member of the management board since 2005. Dr. Müller-Groeling has more than seven years of experience in the energy and financial services industries. He is a former McKinsey Associate Principal with focus on strategy, risk management and M&A.
Dr. Thomas Kneip
Board Member, Centrosolar America. Vice President, Finance and Strategy, CENTROSOLAR Group AG
Dr. Thomas Kneip joined CENTROSOLAR Group AG in 2007. His responsibilities include investor relations, controlling, budgeting and reporting, as well as strategic projects. Dr. Kneip brings more than a decade of experience in strategy, business development and finance. Before joining Centrosolar, he worked at Siemens VDO, a multi-billion automotive electronics supplier, as head of Corporate Strategy. Prior to that, he rose up the ranks at McKinsey & Co., managing and consulting top clients on growth and strategy. Dr. Kneip holds a PhD in Business Administration and an MBA from Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management.