H. Jeffrey Leonard

Jeffrey Leonard, Ph.D. is the CEO and Co-Founder of Global Environment Fund (GEF). Founded in 1990, GEF is among the largest, most experienced and successful private equity firms dedicated exclusively to investments in the energy, environment and related sectors. He serves as Chairman of the investment committees for each of GEF emerging markets funds.

Jeffrey is Chairman-elect of the Emerging Markets Private Equity Association (EMPEA), and previously served as co-chairman of the Clean Technology Venture Network. He also served as co-chairman of the energy transition team of Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley from 2006 to 2007, and a member of the Hydrogen Technical Advisory Panel to the U.S. Secretary of Energy from 1992 through 1998. He has worked in Africa, Asia and Latin America for 25 years on economic, finance and natural resource use, having served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for International Pepsi-Cola Bottler Investments and as a founder and director of Global Forest Products Ltd.

Jeffrey is a member of the Advisory Board of the US-Brazil Biofuels Partnership. He is also a board member of Cantaloupe Systems, one of GEF’s portfolio companies, the New America Foundation, and Chairman of the Board of City Year (Washington, D.C.) and the Board of The Washington Monthly. He is a founding board member and Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Beacon House Community Ministry, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and their families in northeast Washington, D.C.

Jeffrey is the author of five books and numrous articles relating to global environment issues, energy production, international trade and technology development. He is a graduate of Princeton (Ph.D.), London School of Economics (MS. Econ) and Harvard College (BA, magna cum laude).

Jeffrey recently appeared on The Colbert Report, and a clip of the interview is available at: http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/374633/february-1...