Fluence Energy Appoints Bernerd Da Santos as COO Following Operational Delays

Fluence Energy has appointed former AES executive Bernerd Da Santos as its new Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, effective September 16, 2026. This appointment occurs as the energy storage firm works to resolve manufacturing bottlenecks that recently forced a reduction in its fiscal 2026 financial guidance.

In his new role, Da Santos will oversee the company's customer success, product development, supply chain, and manufacturing operations. His appointment follows leadership changes at the firm, including the September 11, 2026, termination of former Chief Product Officer Peter Williams and the addition of AES CFO Stephen Coughlin to the company board.

"I am excited to join Fluence at a time of record backlog, a growing list of customers and the delivery of our new product platform, Smartstack," said Bernerd Da Santos, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

Addressing Manufacturing Constraints

The leadership shift arrives as Fluence Energy navigates operational strains at its contract manufacturing facility in Houston. These delays have affected the company’s ability to meet delivery timelines, prompting management to lower its fiscal 2026 revenue guidance to $2.4 billion. The company also projects an adjusted EBITDA loss of $200 million for the year.

"Bernerd has demonstrated his ability to improve operations in different businesses across AES, including the end-to-end transformation of AES’ supply chain organization. I am confident he will lead the successful resolution of our operating challenges," said Julian Nebreda, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fluence.

Strategic Importance for Energy Storage

For Fluence, the success of the transition depends on its ability to scale production of its Smartstack product platform, which is intended to serve as a cornerstone of its revenue growth. The company recent financial disclosures highlight the pressure on the operations team to stabilize output at the Houston facility to protect the company record backlog from further delivery delays.