Name: Ron French
Title: President, Commercial Business
Company: Real Goods Solar
Location: 523 Danbury Rd., Wilton, CT 06897
Place of birth: Tewksbury, Mass.
Family: Jodi (wife) and five children
College: BA Economics - University of Vermont MBA - Finance and Marketing - Columbia Graduate School of Business
First job unrelated to your current field: Business Analyst, General Foods Corp.
First job in current field: President, Solar Works Inc. of Montpelier, VT
What your firm does now and its plans for the future? Real Goods Solar is a national solar integration company serving the residential, municipal, government, education and commercial markets. As a leading integrator, Real Goods offers its customers exceptional value through outstanding sales, service and support. Our 30 plus years of longevity in the business, during which we have installed over 11,000 solar systems, is proof of customer commitment and exceptional value.
Keys to success: Following a path of honesty and integrity with our customers, employees and suppliers. Starting from a premise that the customer is always right, I have a strong desire for our customers to be delighted that they chose to work with us. If we execute well, we will build a strong and enduring business with this approach.

Person you most admire (outside of family): Martin Luther King. 40 plus years after his death, he is still reminding us to dream of a better way.
If you had to choose a different profession, what would it be? I have actually pursued different business professions and left the "Fortune 100" track for this nascent industry. I enjoy that we are engaged in work that is worth doing even if the turbulent incentive structure and fluctuating political support make this business very challenging. In the end, I know that our solar solutions work toward delivering an elegant solution to the potentially devastating side effects of other forms of electricity generation.