ADVANCE SUSTAINABILITY AWARD WINNER 2019
Hugh is passionate about the use of innovative business models to solve the world’s big problems. He is a founder of three businesses in Africa providing financing for useful and productive products such as solar home systems and solar-powered irrigation to underserved customers. His first company pioneered crowdfunding for energy loans to the developing world. His next company, a solar distribution and asset financing operation in Ghana, was acquired by a US private equity firm. He is currently CEO of PEG Africa, which uses pay-as-you-go technology to provide solar to millions of people in West Africa. PEG has raised $50M in the last 4 years, has 1000 staff (450 full time staff and 550 sales agents), and operates in 4 countries and counting.
Hugh has been recognised as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, as one of Australia’s top 30 entrepreneurs under 30, and as an Aspen Institute Global Leadership Fellow. He has been featured in a wide range of mainstream media, including BBC, CNN, Forbes and The New York Times. He is an occasional contributor to Fast Company.
Winner of the Advance Sustainability Award for 2019
> Meet Hugh Whalan | Watch
> Celebrating the work of winner Hugh Whalan | Watch
