GreenH2@Work Employee Spotlight: Carlos Beltrán on Leading Product Management in Plug’s Material Handling Unit

If you look at Carlos Beltrán’s accomplishments at Plug, you may be surprised he’s only been with the company for a little more than a year. Since joining Plug as the director of product management for the material handling business unit, Beltrán has built a high-performing team committed to spreading the good word about green hydrogen.

Tasked with leading the product strategy and portfolio with the objective to mass adopt green hydrogen as the main source of energy in the supply chain, Beltrán has a lot on his plate, but he’s excited about the big goals.

“Plug has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve the world we will leave to future generations by making possible the mass adoption of clean energy with green hydrogen, and using it to power our world,” Beltrán said.

He said he’s excited about transitioning as many customers as possible to hydrogen and fuel cells for many reasons.

“Nothing gets better than a high energy density renewable fuel that powers electrified vehicles with water as a by-product,” Beltrán said. “I’ve worked in electrification of vehicles and tools for 15-plus years, and we are at a turning point in human history with green hydrogen adoption. Green hydrogen is a reality today at Plug, with exponential growth.”

Helping customers transition to sustainable energy is great, but working with a first-class team makes it better.

“When you work with highly talented people who have a common goal, you are always learning and growing as an individual and as a leader,” Beltrán said.

 So, what does it take to have a career in product management? And, do you need technical experience?

Beltrán said the most important quality for a product manager is the ability to learn and understand customers.

“Product managers need to be able to listen and understand customers’ needs, communicate stories across multiple stakeholders, and be able to define business opportunities for the company,” he said. “You don’t need a technical background as great product management is a combination of skills that can be acquired through multiple experiences. The most important one is a passion to solve problems for our customers, and the ability to work with cross functional teams on the solutions to those problems.”

Interested in joining Beltrán at Plug? Check out the company’s careers page for a list of openings.