Welcome Your New Expert Interview Series: Germán Toro Ghio, New Expert in The Energy Collective - [an Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Expert Interview]

Germán is the CEO at Germán & Co, and you’ll likely recognize the work he’s already put in with sharing the most notable and critical international energy news stories with our community. He’ll continue these efforts now as one of our Experts in The Energy Collective, and he also recent sat down with us for the latest iteration of our New Expert Member Interview series:  

Matt Chester: Thanks for agreeing to be one of our experts, Germán. Why don’t we start with you introducing yourself and your background to our community: what is your experience leading to this point in the energy industry and what is your role today?

Germán Toro Ghio: In a world that has changed and where bad news has turned into a nightmare, it is challenging and tiresome to talk about oneself.  The world has changed so much; it is becoming increasingly difficult to envisage that we will ever be the same again.  How we live, work, and relate to each other has been altered forever, and we try desperately to adapt to the new reality and here we must be very careful especially with trends.

That said, I was born in Santiago, the capital of southern Chile.  I am a professional photographer, but I have been linked to the communications world since the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). 

By accident, I would say, I reached the electrical sector. I became public relations and communications manager for the Spanish company Unión Fenosa in its subsidiaries in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic in 2000.  I assumed the Corporate Vice-Presidency of Communication of AES Dominicana in the second half of 2004 until January 2018, since this has been an advisory for AES Corporation and other sector institutions. 

For two decades, I have travelled through the industry's genesis in all its areas, thus creating a life in which I feel passionate about the sector. My participation in the natural gas promotion strategy has been crucial, starting with learning the product, its transportation methods, regasification characteristics, and types of markets where gas is commercialized with particular emphasis on the differentiation of the NYMEX price concerning the European market. In terms of marketing, I've created more than 70 advertisements to promote natural gas and the electrical industry.

MC: You are very plugged into the way that news in the energy industry impacts the wider world, and we thank you for sharing those insights for our community. Why do you think tracking energy and oil news is so critical at this point in time? Do you find there is sufficient coverage about this area?

GTG: The point here is not whether the sector's coverage is sufficient. I will try to answer the question with a reflection I wrote a few days ago: Although the human being is the result of the fusion of male and female gametes, two people are inevitably needed for procreation. However, due to this dual nature and the fact that we build our lives within a tribe, humans are inclined to become selfish, possessive, and jealous of their territory, which takes them further away from their beginnings. We are so entrenched in our small territory that we forget about global analysis. That is the great danger.

MC: We are no doubt in unprecedented times geopolitically when it comes that the oil and gas sector, between the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to OPEC influence to U.S. and its allies trying to counter all of that amid economic uncertainty. What do you think members of the Energy Central community, people who are entrenched in the utility sector, should be doing to prepare for how the coming years may play out?

GTG: Wow, that's quite a thought-provoking question. It reminds me of those lengthy and arduous corporate strategic planning sessions, where we'd often explore the most improbable and absurd scenarios to fulfil our due diligence. Sadly, we now know that some of these scenarios have become a reality with disastrous consequences for the global economy and humanity. Reflecting on these events, we must remain transparent and critical in our analysis. One of these scenarios resulted from a grave political mistake regarding essential facilities and infrastructure for the energy sector; the other health echo is still shrouded in mystery and speculation. It serves as a sobering reminder of how easily our world can crumble and how crucial it is to make wise choices that put everyone's safety and well-being first.

MC: What are the current news stories in the energy sector that have you most concerned for the coming years? And on the other hand, where do you see the greatest reason for optimism in the energy industry ahead?

GTG: I reiterate I am concerned about the trends and the hasty decisions. And here I don't want to go into detail about new technologies. Since all are welcome, what cannot be forgotten and never is that the sector requires firm and reliable power and a constant fuel supply. If we can be optimistic, it is that politicians have learned their lesson, for example in the case of Europe that could not depend on a single pipe and a single supplier, that was a tragic error.

MC: Why did you feel compelled to get more involved in the Energy Central Community? And what value do you hope to bring to your peers on the platform?  

GTG: For information that is provided on the sector every second, but above all the infinite intelligence accumulated from extraordinary professionals in one place. It is trying to make the importance of in-depth analysis and 360-degree vision prevail.

So, thank you for inviting me to participate in such an extraordinary platform.

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Thanks to Germán Toro Ghio for joining me for this interview and for providing a wealth of insights and expertise to the Energy Central Community. You can trust that Germán will be available for you to reach out and connect, ask questions, and more as an Energy Central member, so be sure to make him feel welcome when you see her across the platform.

The other expert interviews that we’ve completed in this series can be read here, and if you are interested in becoming an expert, you can reach out to me or you can apply here.