Jules Kortenhorst is the Chief Executive Officer of RMI. He is a recognized leader on global energy issues and climate change. His background spans business, government, entrepreneurial, and nonprofit leadership.
Since 1982, RMI has advanced market-based solutions that transform global energy use to create a clean, prosperous and secure future. An independent, nonprofit think-and-do tank, RMI engages with businesses, communities and institutions to accelerate and scale replicable solutions that drive the cost-effective shift from fossil fuels to efficiency and renewables.
Prior to RMI, Jules was the founding CEO of the European Climate Foundation, the largest philanthropic organization dedicated to policy development and advocacy on climate change in Europe. Before launching ECF, he served as a member of the Dutch parliament for the Christian Democratic Party.
During the first 20 years of his career, Jules worked in the business world. He was the CEO for International Operations of ClientLogic Corporation, a global leader in outsourced customer relationship management (CRM) solutions. He worked for almost 10 years for Royal Dutch/Shell, among others as managing director of Shell Bulgaria, and he began his career as an analyst at McKinsey & Co.
Jules currently serves as co-chair of the WEF Global Future Council for Net Zero. He also is a non-executive board member of the Energy Web Foundation and of Solidia Technologies, Inc. and an advisory board member of Land Life Company. Jules is married to Searl Vetter and has four children.
Masters of Business Administration, Harvard Business School, Baker Scholar
Masters in Economics, Erasmus University, Netherlands
Boulder, CO
Jules Kortenhorst’s Downloadable Bio
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As we enter the decisive decade for the climate crisis, every effort to reduce emissions matters. That is why on this Earth Day 2021 we are calling for every day to be a day of action, for the next decade and beyond. We know that emissions must be reduced 50%…
During this decisive decade for the climate crisis, all CEOs must act with urgency to align their business with net-zero targets. As leaders of organizations with significant impact on emissions, CEOs have a particular responsibility to ensure rapid progress towards net zero. Those that fail to act will find themselves…
A review of the new Bill Gates book “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster”
Today, the inauguration of the Biden-Harris Administration begins a new chapter in history, with the opportunity to look toward the far horizon of potential progress. As one of his first executive orders, President Biden has recommitted the United States to the Paris Agreement. Federal leadership in Washington, D.C., will now…
Today, a third of the world’s population still has unreliable power, or no access to electricity at all. As economies seek to recover from the prolonged impacts of COVID-19, distributed renewable energy offers an opportunity to reach the underserved and to power development.
California Governor Gavin Newsom showed bold leadership in issuing an executive order on Wednesday September 23 instructing the California Air Resources Board to establish rules for phasing out internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles by 2035. This is a significant step in moving towards the goal of net zero emissions statewide by 2045.
A net-zero global economy is technically and economically possible by the middle of this century. The technologies and business solutions needed to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero are already available or close to being brought to market. That is the encouraging conclusion of the latest report, Making…
At RMI we believe that corporate leadership on the climate crisis can help accelerate progress toward a carbon-free future, and have been inspired by leadership from corporations that have helped prove out the business case for clean energy. Among these leaders, Google has consistently set the standard for clean energy;…
At RMI, we are deeply saddened to learn of Ted Halstead’s tragic death from a recent hiking accident in Spain, where he often spent time with his family. Ted was a visionary leader in addressing the climate crisis, bringing together people from across the United States and around the world…
At Rocky Mountain Institute, it is not often that we agree with major players in the oil and gas industry, including BP, Equinor, Exxon, and Shell. However, today we must forcefully support the industry in condemning the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to end methane…