Dan Vermeer

Athlete, Business leader, Change Agent, Connector, Environmentalist, Explorer, Idea generator, Parent, Potential employer, World traveler

* Associate Professor of the Practice leading energy and sustainability-related programs at a top-ranked business school in a globally recognized research university. * Executive Director of an academic center, overseeing education, research, and industry engagement related to energy, development and sustainability. Current projects include ClimateCAP, a national business school initiative on climate education, and Oceans@Duke, a university-wide initiative focused on ocean sustainability. * Thought leader and consultant on energy and sustainability issues to senior management of leading organizations, including Google, Walmart, Nike, General Motors, FedEx, National Grid, World Wildlife Fund, and the UN Global Compact. * Board member of several organizations, including Trane Technologies, Conservation X Labs, SeaAhead, Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster, and Better Sugarcane Initiative. * Extensive collaboration with decision-makers of business, government, NGO, and community organizations. Broad networks and active participation in civil society initiatives, public speaking, and advocacy. Deliver 15 public speeches per year. * Leader of corporate initiatives on Water Sustainability and Sustainable Value Creation at Fortune 50 global beverage company. Created and managed global cross functional projects involving hundreds of employees (up to 15 direct reports) and multi-million-dollar budgets (up to $5 million annual budget). * Creator of Coca-Cola’s Community Water Partnerships program, launching over 500 public-private partnerships, reaching 10 million people across 100 countries in the last 15 years. Total annual company investment = $20 million. * Designer of “gold standard” environmental risk assessment, identifying priorities across 800 manufacturing facilities in 200 countries. Coca-Cola voted #1 food and beverage company for water risk management (CERES 2019) * Founding member of corporate strategy think tank, reporting to Fortune 50 executive management on long-term strategic issues such as global aging, social media, and environmental sustainability. * Board member/Advisor to several organizations, including Ingersoll Rand, Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster, SeaAhead, and Conservation X Labs. * Co-author of CEO Water Mandate (signed by 174 companies), and lead contributor to policy documents issued by World Economic Forum, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and UN Foundation. * Founder and Board Co-Chair of the Global Water Challenge (GWC), a multi-partner initiative for innovative water and sanitation initiatives. * Associate Director of corporate membership organization of 20+ companies developing new tools and strategies to enhance corporate innovation practices. * Ph.D. in Learning Sciences, focusing on learning and organizational change in technical communities (completed at Xerox PARC), funded by MIT and National Science Foundation. * Trained as a cultural anthropologist, with extensive research experience in India and Nepal.

preserving the health, vitality, and richness of people and planet... and making my kids laugh.

Oceans are central to the earth's ecosystems, societies, and economies, but are often overlooked in discussions about the world's most urgent challenges. In the 21st century, the impacts of climate change, over-fishing, and pollution pose great threats to ocean health, with serious consequences for everyone. However, a new vision of ocean stewardship is emerging, where healthy oceans can provide promising opportunities to feed growing global populations, sequester carbon, discover new medicines, reduce poverty and inequality, and create sustainable livelihoods. Oceans, covering 70% of the earth's surface, may be the source of our future prosperity and ecosystem health, hiding in plain sight.

anthropology, blue economy, climate change, energy transition, entrepreneurship, risk assessment, supply chain, sustainability strategy, sustainable agriculture, water access, watershed protection

I gave my first TED talk in 2008 on water sustainability, with Robin Williams and Cameron Diaz in the audience. They liked the talk, and invited me to join them for lunch to discuss the topic in more depth.

basketball. I have played since I could walk, joined teams in several countries, and was the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the NBA (Nepal Basketball Association) in 1994.