Early Life and Education
Ron Corio was born in New Jersey in 1961. He moved to New Mexico in 1979 and later attended the University of New Mexico, studying engineering before dropping out to work at HDI Research. This early experience gave him his first exposure to solar energy by installing a system for HDI's A-frame wilderness cabin.
Rise to Success
Corio founded Array Technologies in 1989. The company developed solar tracking systems, which maximize energy output by adjusting the angle of solar panels to follow the sun. Under Corio's leadership, Array Technologies became a frontrunner in the solar tracking industry. Corio stepped down as CEO before the company's IPO and resigned from the board in 2022. Array Technologies went public on the Nasdaq in October 2020. Forbes estimates that Corio received about $1.2 billion before taxes after the company went public.
Key Business Strategies
Corio's business strategy focused on creating a commercially viable product for the utility market and commercializing solar trackers. His vision was to create a premier tracker system that could squeeze as much energy out of every PV module as possible, while requiring zero scheduled maintenance and providing the highest uptime in the market. Array Technologies’ success is attributed to world-class engineering and innovation in the solar tracker market.
Philanthropy
Corio established the Corio Foundation in 2017 and seeded it with $40 million. The foundation has contributed to various charitable organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, the Mayo Clinic, and the Environmental Defense Fund. The Corio Foundation also announced the Corio Aspiring Innovators Program, which will fund scholarships.
