Hilary McMahon
Managing Director, Hazel
I put sustainability strategies into action every day at the Carbon War Room (CWR); as such, my title is a bit of a misnomer given my daily docket of highly-tactical work. While generating intelligence is crucial to any business strategy – and is the foundation of my professional life – I’ve been fortunate to be unquestionably hands-on. I am constantly assessing, and then activating against, how we can make the biggest impact on the lowcarbon economy at gigaton scale.
From energy efficient retrofits of cargo ships to “smart island” economies, the skills that I provide as a business development professional and senior strategist has made financially beneficial projects like these come to life. Creating deal flow, vetting projects, developing strategy, empowering large teams to work together and providing overarching due diligence are skill sets I bring to any engagement. Any innovative business opportunity that taps into the power of the private sector to create meaningful change, from social causes to access to energy and water, piques my interest.
I have an interest in the role of technology and new business models in solving social and environmental challenges. Communicating on energy and sustainability comes naturally to me. I am equally comfortable speaking as an expert on live news as I am to the U.S. Congress or the U.N. – in fact, I’ve done both. I welcome future opportunities to engage a range of audiences on innovative ways to solve sustainability issues that combine profit and practicality. My global perspective on environmental affairs runs deep; I’ve always wanted to live in interesting places, and I’m fortunate to have done just that. From growing up in Dublin, Egypt and Israel to my education in Brugge and Lausanne to years in Washington, DC and NYC, I apply a uniquely international perspective to my life and career.