Born in Gauteng and shaped by years spent living in Mpumalanga and Limpopo, Alicia Dean learnt early that growth rarely follows a straight line. Movement, contrast and adaptation became familiar companions; themes that quietly echo through her work today as head of people and group services at Sola Group.
At Sola Group, power is generated long before a solar panel meets the sun. It starts inward in systems, culture and people – and that is where Alicia does her work.
“HR brings together two fields of study that fascinate me – psychology and business,” she says. “On the one hand, it’s creative, abstract and intangible, and on the other hand, it’s concrete, factual and methodical. Very few occupations require the breadth and depth of skill that HR does.”
That duality shows up everywhere in how she describes her role. And perhaps it’s no coincidence that when she speaks about how she switches off, she speaks about making things with her hands.
“I’m a very practical and creative person, love working with my hands and thoroughly enjoy learning new things, whether this is learning to play the guitar, waterpainting, sewing, painting a room, gardening, or anything DIY. This is a very welcome escape from a highly cognitive occupation, and I love seeing a creative project come to life.”
Her career has unfolded in much the same way, thoughtfully assembled, piece by piece. “My career has been a non-linear one, with quite a few twists and turns, experiments and lessons learnt along the way,” she says. “Notable moments include my very first job in HR where I was entrusted with significant responsibility and independence from the onset. To this day, I’m grateful for the solid foundation that I built in this role.”
Looking inward
“Since then, I’ve gained insight into listed corporates and entrepreneurial start-ups, worked with purely South African and international companies and had a taste of the HR consulting world. My deep passion for learning, as reflected in my two masters’ degrees, and has also resulted in my involvement as a part-time lecturer in strategic analysis for the MBA programme at Stellenbosch Business School. Each one of these experiences have played a role in shaping who I am, what I believe HR to be, and the opportunities that exist for HR.”
At Sola Group, that belief is tested daily in a business that is scaling fast and operating in one of South Africa’s most critical sectors. “The Sola Group is a vertically integrated independent power producer,” she explains. “In short, Sola develops, finances, designs, constructs and operates large-scale solar PV plants. Ultimately, Sola is a human-driven business. Everything the company has achieved is as a direct result of the incredible people we have working here.”
As the only function that looks inward, she says HR’s role at the organisation is both protective and enabling. “Our key contribution is to nurture and evolve the company’s culture, to architect and refine processes that sustain performance, and to look after the interests of both the company and the people who work here. I believe HR is responsible for maintaining and strengthening an organisational core, that operates efficiently, and that enables the market-facing, project-facing employees to do their best work.”
“In high-growth organisations, HR’s role evolves on a daily basis which is a significant, yet exciting challenge in itself. As the company grows, employee expectations shift, systems, policies and processes need to be adapted to ensure that they can scale, and all of this impacts how organisational culture evolves.”
Culture, she notes, cannot be engineered once and left untouched. “Given the organic nature of an organisational culture, the biggest challenge in a high growth business is to ensure that the culture is protected and that it evolves where it needs to. HR needs to stay connected to the expectations of the people, have a finger on the pulse of the business and industry, and continuously improve what we do and how we do it.”
Getting the right people
Alicia also knows some of the challenges too well, as the renewable energy sector brings its own talent pressures. “The sector has experienced significant growth in recent years, and the available talent pool is not quite keeping pace with the demand,” she says. “As a purely South African company, competing with international players for talent is a challenge, hence why we place such emphasis on our culture and creating a great place where people want to work.”
“One of our core tenets is that we’re ‘a company of firsts’ – the opportunity to work on industry leading projects and this really appeals to those who want to make a difference. It is a balancing act between filling a position as soon as possible, but also ensuring that the right people come on board. We often hire people into growth positions, meaning that we know they don’t yet have all the experience they ideally need, but we know they’re surrounded by proficient people they can learn from.”
Technology is approached through the same lens of putting people first. “We view AI and digital transformation not as a replacement for human expertise, but as a powerful catalyst for it, especially when it comes to streamlining workflows for productivity,” Alicia says. “While we are in a deliberate phase of strategic exploration, our approach is rooted in ensuring our workforce is the primary driver of these new technologies.”
That same sense of intention shapes how she speaks about family. Based in the northern suburbs of Cape Town, Alicia lives with her husband and almost-eight-year-old son. “I am the proudest mom, and I am so grateful to have such a beautiful family and to be surrounded with so much natural beauty.” Time spent walking, creating and gathering with loved ones is not separate from her work; it sustains it.
When she reflects on what brings her the most pride, her answer returns to culture. “All the work we’ve done over the years to develop Sola’s culture and values,” she says. “I’ve yet to come across another organisation where the values are so deeply embedded into the way we work. This requires continuously conceptualising and implementing creative mechanisms to reinforce culture, and keep it a great place to work.”
For Alicia, the work on culture is never finished. Much like her garden or a new painting, it requires constant tending.
“The aspect here that makes me most proud is experiencing the competitive advantage our culture creates, and how it enables us to achieve impactful business outcomes."
