Dr. Varun Sivaram

Founder and CEO, Emerald AI; Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations

Dr. Varun Sivaram is a senior fellow for energy and climate at the Council on Foreign Relations, with a background in clean energy as a C-suite executive and U.S. diplomat. He was chief strategy and innovation officer at Ørsted, the largest producer of offshore wind energy, where he oversaw significant clean energy investments and launched Ørsted Ventures. Previously, he served as chief technology officer at ReNew Power, India’s largest renewable energy producer, and was a consultant at McKinsey & Co.

In the Biden administration, Dr. Sivaram was managing director for clean energy and senior advisor to Secretary John Kerry, leading the First Movers Coalition. He has advised mayors and governors and taught at Columbia and Georgetown universities. An accomplished author, his works include *Taming the Sun* and *Digital Decarbonization*. 

Recognized on various influential lists, including TIME 100 Next, he has delivered a widely viewed TED Talk on India’s clean energy transition. Dr. Sivaram holds a PhD from Oxford and degrees from Stanford University.