The simple tagline of his friend Victor’s real estate firm, ‘The little things matter’, proved to be far more than a mere catchy slogan for Matthew Wilkins, a finalist in the Energy and Mining category at The CEO Magazine’s 2025 Executive of the Year Awards.

As he built up renewable energy pioneer Venergy Solar Australia from a one-man band to a thriving national enterprise, those few words have, over time, become his philosophy for life and leadership.

“Victor would often say to me, ‘How you do anything is how you do everything,’” Wilkins tells The CEO Magazine. “At first, I thought it was just a neat phrase. But the more I watched how he lived it, the more it resonated with me.

“He treated the smallest tasks with the same care and attention he gave to million-dollar deals. Every detail, every interaction, every promise mattered. That consistency built trust, and trust built his reputation.”

These are lessons that Wilkins has carried into his own career as a CEO. In his early days as an electrician, he took pride in the smallest, most thankless of jobs, going on to take the same dedicated approach as he built his own business.

Through a combination of this steely determination with his eye for opportunity, he has grown Venergy Solar Australia from one tradesman in a van installing solar systems in rural South Australia, into a national energy efficiency company incorporating hundreds of staff and contractors across the country.

“We are in the middle of one of the biggest transformations in energy,” he explains. “For more than a century, power has come from large, centralized stations feeding the grid. Now, we’re shifting to decentralized generation, where energy is produced and stored in our own homes and businesses.”

A momentum shift

With South Australia leading the way nationally, Wilkins was perfectly positioned to harness this momentum. Last year, renewables supplied around three-quarters of the state’s electricity, and on almost 100 days, renewables met all demand.

“That kind of performance puts us firmly on the global stage,” he says.

More than that, as the world has taken notice of renewable energy, Wilkins has positioned Venergy Solar Australia as a solution to one of solar’s biggest challenges – the duck curve. The term refers to the mismatch between when solar power is generated and when it is actually used.

“Solar peaks in the middle of the day, when demand is low, and then falls away just as evening demand surges,” Wilkins explains.

The solution, however, is simple yet powerful: batteries that store excess solar during the day and release it when needed.

There is already growing energy around the technology, Wilkins shares, with the federal government implementing a US$1.52 billion rebate scheme.

“Since July, we’ve seen close to 1,000 batteries installed every single day, nearly 20,000 in the first month alone,” he says. “It feels just like the early days of the solar boom.”

This rapid adoption is driven by an emerging trend: homes that don’t just consume energy, but generate it, store it and support the grid.

“This is a fundamental shift in how we think about energy, and one of the greatest opportunities of our time,” he adds.

“What excites me most about the next decade is the shift from renewables being ‘add-ons’ to them becoming the backbone of our energy system. We’re moving from a world where households were passive consumers to one where they are active participants, generating, storing and even trading power back into the grid.”

These new energy ecosystems are cleaner, cheaper and more resilient. But for Wilkins, their most alluring aspect is scale.

“The next decade will take us from early adoption of batteries, EVs and microgrids into mass adoption,” he predicts. “That tipping point will transform not just energy, but how we live and work.”

Values-driven

While a good idea is at the heart of Venergy Solar Australia, the company’s reputation for honesty, quality and innovation has fueled its growth. For Wilkins, each installation is treated as though it were in his own home.

“That mindset became the foundation of Venergy,” he reflects. “Whether we’re bidding for a US$10 million tender or installing solar for a single home, we apply the same standard. Because customers notice. Staff notice. And ultimately, the market notices.”

How far the business has come is a source of pride for Wilkins – not just for its scale, but for maintaining those key values.

“We’ve delivered award-winning projects, formed strong partnerships and helped thousands of Australians embrace renewable energy,” he says.

It’s a focus on values that shapes every aspect of the company’s operations – especially how Wilkins leads the company. Having worked his way up from those early days, he takes a service-based view of leadership.

“Leadership to me has never been about titles or authority, it’s about service,” he says. “I serve three groups: the business, the people within it and the customers who trust us. If those three are aligned with purpose and integrity, results will follow.”

He has built his leadership philosophy around three core principles: clarity, accountability and empowerment.

“These principles have guided me from my early days as a tradesman to leading a national company,” he says. “They’ve helped Venergy grow from a local installer into a multi-award-winning business and preferred provider for councils across Australia.”

More importantly, they’ve shaped a culture where people are clear on the vision, accountable for outcomes and empowered to make their mark.

But while he values a growth mindset company wide, Wilkins recognizes that growth can be uncomfortable.

“It means change, new challenges and stepping outside the familiar,” he admits.

“We’ve encouraged it by being clear about what we’re trying to achieve and, more importantly, why. When people understand the bigger picture and purpose, they’re more willing to lean into that growth.”

Real impact

As Wilkins plans Venergy Solar Australia’s future, he insists customer conversations remain honest.

“If we don’t believe we can add real value to a project, or if it’s outside our core activity, we’ll say no,” he says.

It’s a discipline that has built trust with the company’s partners. One recent project stands out as a major milestone.

“We tackled a challenge the solar industry had largely written off: how to install solar in large embedded networks like retirement villages,” he says.

For years, solar was considered unviable in these settings due to the need for costly safety upgrades before systems could be installed. But by developing a control system that repurposed the village’s fiber optic network, Venergy Solar Australia has drastically reduced that initial outlay.

“Our first rollout is with Stockland, one of Australia’s largest diversified property development companies, connecting more than 1,100 homes,” he reveals.

“Each household is set to save around US$660 annually – more than US$660,000 in collective savings in just the first year. And the system is future-ready for battery integration.”

But what excites Wilkins most isn’t just the tech – it’s the real impact.

“These are retirees, often on pensions, and now they’ve got lower bills, access to clean energy and a more sustainable community.”

A 360-degree view

As a leader, Wilkins still draws on his early days at the coalface, which gave him a deep understanding of what makes the business tick.

“I’ve never lost that grounding,” he says. “I can walk onto a site, read the plans and have a direct, informed dialogue with the team.”

That foundation allows him to bridge the gap between strategy and execution.

“Our installers and engineers know I speak their language because I’ve been in their shoes. That creates respect. And it helps align the boardroom with the worksite.”

It’s a connection Wilkins is determined to keep. It reminds him of why the company exists – and the people it’s meant to serve.

With the world poised for mass adoption of renewables, its purpose is stronger than ever. Wilkins sees a future of batteries, EVs and microgrids transforming daily life – and Venergy Solar Australia powering that shift.

And even as he prepares for the next phase, Victor’s words stay with him – a lens through which to assess every aspect of the business and its interactions.

“When someone prepares thoroughly for a meeting, communicates with respect or pays attention to detail, it tells me how they’ll handle larger responsibilities,” he says. “The small moments are a window into character.”

That advice has taught him that leadership isn’t about grand gestures – it’s about consistency.

“When you set a high standard for the little things, you set a high standard for everything,” he says. “That’s how trust is built, and that’s how lasting businesses are built too.”