Youssef Sarhan

Commercial and product leader with 10+ years commercializing newly adopted technologies in Egypt's energy and mobility sectors. Built and scaled businesses across the full customer spectrum: residential B2C solar (founded the top residential installer in Egypt), large-scale C&I PPA development, and now EV drivetrain and battery technology.

Product Launch Manager - Shift EV - Cairo, Egypt

(2025-04)

Own commercial structuring, market validation, and client engagement across the battery business line, reporting directly to the CEO.

• Built the commercial strategy and financial model across four target sectors, matching market demand against factory capabilities to define product-market fit.
• Developed bottoms-up unit economics and TCO models benchmarking lithium against lead-acid, and established pricing frameworks across the product portfolio.
• Lead end-to-end B2B execution: technical scoping, commercial negotiation, contract drafting in Arabic and English, and account management; manage a multi-client forklift pipeline and inbound international leads.

Director of Business Development - SolarizEgypt - Cairo, Egypt

(2023-03 - 2025-03)

• Led origination and commercial structuring for 50+ MW of C&I solar PPA projects, owning the client acquisition cycle from lead to signed contract.
• Structured tailored PPA financing and offtake terms for large industrial and commercial clients, coordinating with technical, legal, and finance teams.
• Built and managed strategic partnerships across the Egyptian renewables value chain, expanding pipeline into new market segments.
• Supported long-term business planning and growth strategy, including channel partner strategy for residential solar and storage.

Founder & CEO - The Solar Company - Cairo, Egypt

(2019-01 - 2024-01)

• Founded and scaled a B2C residential solar company that became the top residential solar installer in Egypt with 800+ units installed.
• Built the company from zero across five years: team, operations, supplier base, sales channels, and financial controls; owned full P&L and met growth targets year over year.
• Simplified a technically complex product into a clear B2C commercial proposition, developing pricing, financing options, and sales processes that turned residential solar into a repeatable consumer offering.
• Built strategic relationships with suppliers, contractors, and key industry stakeholders across the Egyptian solar market.

Head of Residential Business Line - SolarizEgypt - Cairo, Egypt

(2016-06 - 2018-12)

• Built and led the residential solar business line at SolarizEgypt during the formative years of Egypt's residential solar market, when the product category was effectively new to consumers.
• Established pricing, commercial offerings, and customer acquisition processes that created a repeatable residential channel for the company.

Drilling Fluids Engineer - PetroServices GmbH

(2015-01 - 2016-12)

Supply Chain Management - Juhayna Food Industries

(2015-01 - 2015-12)

Intern - Nestlé

(2013-01 - 2013-12)

Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) - Mechatronics Engineering - German University in Cairo (GUC) (2008-01 - 2013-12)