GREENWICH – The private equity firm-backed Unison Energy has appointed Mariko McDonagh Meier as its CEO as part of a strategy to change leadership.
Meier, who comes to Unison after serving as chief revenue officer for Convergent Energy and Power in Boston, replaces co-founders and Co-CEOs Andy Cooper and Tim Lukes.
The energy-as-a-service (EaaS) provider of on-site power generation for critical infrastructure facilities announced Meier’s hire on Friday, Jan. 23. She brings a track record of growth and success – along with two decades of experience in the energy and utility space and specializes in scaling EaaS businesses.
“I believe there is a great opportunity to scale this business, especially as the grid lags behind, and I am excited that the Unison team and their investor, Tiger Infrastructure Partners, have placed their trust and confidence in me,” Meier said.
The company also announced that Cooper and Lukes are transitioning to executive chair and president, respectively.
“America’s power grid is at capacity, and the lack of energy will hinder efforts to grow the economy, unearth the resources we need to compete on the global stage, and even keep the lights on at places like hospitals, data centers, and industrial facilities when bad weather strikes,” Meier said. “This problem will define our next decade, and Unison Energy is well positioned to meet the moment.”
Founded in 2013 by Lukes and Cooper, Unison Energy develops, owns, and operates microgrid systems that deliver reliable electricity and thermal energy where power is needed most. The company serves critical infrastructure facilities across the United States, including data centers, industrial facilities, logistics terminals, hospitals, and large hotel and convention centers.
“We are excited to have Mariko take up this leadership position as Unison Energy continues to add the capabilities necessary to scale its business. Mariko’s track record, experience, leadership, and energy will be vital to our growth,” Lukes, said.
Cooper described how the company is ready to take its next step.
“For more than a decade, Tim and I have built Unison Energy into a national leader in on-site power generation,” he said. “We are excited that Mariko will lead the company’s next chapter, which we believe will be marked by growth and the continued focus on quality systems and service that our customers have come to equate with Unison Energy.”
Customers typically hire Unison Energy because they need more power than is available in constrained markets or more reliable power to operate their facility during utility outages.
One competitor in the EaaS space is Budderfly, which is based in Shelton. That company is operated by founder and CEO Al Subbloie.
Tiger Infrastructure Partners, a growth infrastructure private equity firm, backed Unison Energy in 2024. The firm focuses on providing transformational growth capital to middle market infrastructure companies, and it targets growth investments across the digital infrastructure, energy transition, and transportation sectors in North America and Europe.
“Tiger Infrastructure Partners and the Board of Unison Energy are excited to welcome Mariko McDonagh Meier as the company’s next CEO,” said Marc Blair, Unison Energy board chair and COO and senior managing director of Tiger Infrastructure Partners. “We believe Unison Energy is well positioned to capitalize on the tailwinds of the energy transition, and we believe Mariko’s successful track record of scaling businesses in the energy-as-a-service sector make her a great fit for Unison Energy.
As Convergent Energy CRO, Meier led all go-to-market activities including strategy, sales, and marketing, as well as land development, pre-construction and interconnection engineering. During her three years in this role, Meier increased bookings with commercial and industrial customers sixfold.
From 2013 to 2020, Meier held several senior management positions at Enel X, formerly EnerNOC. She has worked in the energy space since 2008, including in Southern California Edison’s Strategic Projects group, where she focused on long-term grid planning and reliability work, and at McKinsey and Company. She is a graduate of Stanford University and earned an MBA from the Harvard Business School.
Unison Energy provides turnkey energy solutions underpinned by long-term fixed price contracts with investment grade counter parties with no commodity exposure. The company designs, builds, owns, and operates microgrids on-site for critical infrastructure facilities including hospitals, data centers, food & beverage and other industrial, supply chain logistics, and hospitality customers in North America.
