Global energy giant Ørsted has appointed senior Biden administration official and clean technology expert Dr Varun Sivaram as group senior vice president for strategy and innovation.
In this global leadership role, Sivaram will oversee Ørsted Group’s corporate strategy and lead the development and deployment of transformative technologies and digital innovations.
Before joining Ørsted, Sivaram served as managing director for Clean Energy and Innovation and Senior Advisor to Secretary John F. Kerry, the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate.
He has also served as chief technology officer of ReNew Power, India’s largest renewable energy company; on the faculty of Columbia University and Georgetown University; as director of the energy programme at the Council on Foreign Relations; as a consultant at McKinsey & Co.; and as senior energy advisor to the Los Angeles Mayor and New York Governor.
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During his tenure with the Biden-Harris administration, Sivaram built and led the First Movers Coalition, a partnership between the US government and the World Economic Forum that has convened more than 70 world-leading companies to invest in the next generation of innovative climate technologies.
“I am delighted to welcome Varun to Ørsted, after having worked with him to create the powerful First Movers Coalition, of which Ørsted is a founding member,” said Mads Nipper, CEO of Ørsted.
“Varun brings proven expertise in the next generation of clean technologies, as well as the strategic and regulatory landscape in which the clean energy industry operates.
“We value his service to the Biden-Harris Administration, which has made historic progress on climate, and I am confident that Varun will advance our aspiration to lead the global green transformation and further establish Ørsted as a world-leading innovator.”
Sivaram said: “I’m grateful to President Biden and Secretary Kerry for the opportunity to serve my country during a pivotal moment in tackling the climate crisis.
“Setting the right strategic vision for clean energy leadership and scaling the next generation of emerging technologies go hand in hand, which is why I believe this new portfolio of Strategy and Innovation can be so impactful.”
