‘It's fast-paced, innovative and mission-driven,’ says director of HR at Polar Racking discussing renewable energy sector
Sarvin Hajivandi began her career focusing on how people and systems interact globally, having pursued a degree in Communications and International Development Studies.
“That academic path helped me build a strong foundation in cross-cultural communication, social impact and systems thinking — all of which are deeply human-focused.”
Over time, her passion shifted: “While I loved the global and societal lens of development studies, I was most energized by the people-facing and organizational aspects — how we build inclusive environments, support growth and empower others to thrive.”
This led her naturally to HR, where Hajivandi — now director of HR at Polar Racking — could combine empathy with operational structure.
“HR gave me the opportunity to work strategically and operationally, combining empathy with structure — whether it’s through recruitment, training, employee engagement or policy development.”
Consulting, risk management in HR
Hajivandi’s early career involved insurance and risk management at Aon Hewitt for almost four years. She then worked for eight years at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), focused on large-scale projects.
“This phase accelerated my growth significantly, as I worked on large-scale workplace transformation and technology transformations, cross-functional teams and complex project delivery.”
But by 2022, Hajivandi sought more agility and impact, and Polar Racking and the renewable energy sector offered that opportunity, she says: “It's fast-paced, innovative and mission-driven — with a clear focus on sustainability and long-term global impact.”
Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Toronto, the company is a North American leader in in the design, engineering and manufacturing of solar PV mounting systems.
Innovation and AI
A huge appeal of Polar Racking is the innovation side of the business, she says.
“The pace and innovation in this industry are incredibly rewarding. I’ve been focused on helping the business scale effectively — leveraging both my consulting background and risk management mindset to support people strategies, operational growth, and sustainable practices.”
Hajivandi was also looking to be more hands-on, build processes from the ground up, and “directly influence growth during a transformative time,” she says.
“It was a strategic move that allowed me to apply everything I learned in large organizations, while also pushing myself in new ways — working closer to decision-makers, adapting quickly, and contributing to something that aligns with both my professional goals and personal values.”
Of course, AI is transforming many industries, including the renewable energy sector, from forecasting to maintenance, says Hajivandi.
“AI is playing a transformative role, basically renewable energy like solar wind hydro event — the fact that you can now use all this data and algorithms and machine learning and put it in every single part of the renewable energy life cycle,” she says.
“AI isn’t just the tool. It's an enabler for more efficient, resilient, sustainable energy systems.”
Human side of HR
While AI streamlines recruitment, Hajivandi insists on the importance of human interaction: “We should never bypass face-to-face or either online or in-person interaction.”
She is especially interested in cross-cultural and multinational environments.
“One thing that I always say is that we are not human beings, we are human ‘becomings,’” she says.
“We constantly change. We constantly evolve our knowledge, our attitude, society around us, family circumstances, even educational circumstances. The country that we live in… you need to adapt and in this day and age with AI and everything else coming to the picture, you need to be very agile in your game. You need to be open to change. You need to act fast.”
Hajivandi says she values the challenge of building teams in new markets, such as opening a new office in a new market overseas.
“It may sound easy, but in reality, it's not. And then you… create this mini home, and you bring everyone together. And then you see this home flourish.”
