Career Advice: Life Is Not Linear

Welcome to Season Nine of Conversations in Cleantech!

This season, we’re going behind the scenes of transition infrastructure - speaking with the investors shaping how, where and why climate capital flows. From decarbonisation and energy security to technology maturity and policy gaps, we’re unpacking what it really takes to fund the systems that underpin a net-zero future.

In this episode, Jenny Gladman and Chloe England are joined by Mona Dajani, Global Co-Chair of Energy, Infrastructure and Hydrogen at Baker Botts, to explore the legal, structural and human dimensions of getting clean energy deals over the line.

From engineering and economics to law and fine dining, Mona’s career path is anything but conventional. But it’s this blend of deep technical insight and practical creativity that makes her one of the most sought-after voices in climate finance today. She’s built a reputation for combining sharp legal execution with relationship-building that goes far beyond the boardroom - a rare combination in a space where trust and agility are everything.

This conversation covers the shifting sands of clean energy investment - from the rise of AI and hyperscalers to the myth of energy abundance. Mona shares why policy volatility demands layered risk management, how new financing models are emerging around data centre demand, and what developers must do to build investor confidence in an uncertain landscape.

It’s also a conversation about leadership - the power of transparency, the importance of track record, and why sometimes the smartest move is knowing when to pivot.

01:19 - Introduction to Mona
02:10 - How have you been preparing for RE+ next week?
03:20 - What are your industry predictions for this year’s RE+?
04:30 - How did you get into the energy sector?
08:22 - What early moment showed you how engineering, business, and law fit together to get energy deals done?
10:16 - What does a day in the life of a climate lawyer look like?
13:24 - Where are you seeing the biggest challenges across the sector right now?
17:19 - Given your point about certainty, how do you think it will shape where and how capital is invested in clean energy over the next year?
20:16 - With AI and data centres driving soaring power demand, what’s the biggest myth about future energy needs that we should retire?
22:20 - How can developers safeguard projects and protect deals when policies or incentives change midstream?
25:00 - What are the strategies that are helping to bring down the overall cost of capital?
26:45 - What do the best leadership teams do differently to keep deals moving and partners aligned, especially when things change?
31:49  - If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of career advice, what would it be?

Connect with your hosts, Jenny Gladman and Chloe England, on LinkedIn.

Find your guest, Mona Dajani, on LinkedIn.

Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.

This is a Loaded Hype production.