Balu Balagopal
Senior Partner at Kearney
Balu Balagopal leads Kearney’s global energy practice. He has 30+ years of experience in unit strategy, operations, organization and large-scale transformations across the value chain in the energy (oil & gas, regulated and unregulated gas & power utilities) and chemicals sectors. A leader in Energy Transitions & Sustainability, he has been working on these issues for more than two decades. He has served in multiple capacities – trusted consulting partner, clean energy company founder & CEO, thought leader and subject matter expert in transitioning to a low carbon economy; in areas such as renewable power, alternate mobility powertrains, CCUS and fuels switching. He has developed energy transitions strategies of major oil & gas players, utilities, mining / resource companies and others. He co-founded and led a company that provides clean energy vehicles and infrastructure for the transportation sector. He co-founded the Sustainability & Alternate Energy practices at another global consulting firm; and has led decarbonization and sustainability initiatives in sectors beyond energy working with partners like the WEF and the Carbon Trust. He has worked with senior government leaders on these issues, including helping the Australian government launch the global carbon capture and sequestration institute and helping others develop energy transition programs. As a chemical engineer, he conducted original research on advanced cellulosic biofuels, and was deeply involved in environmental remediation. He currently also works with clients on strategic Digital and Operations transformations. Roles prior to Kearney included Co-founder & CEO of Nat G, a clean energy company, Senior Partner of The Boston Consulting Group, Senior Vice President of El Paso Corp. (now part of Kinder Morgan), and engineer for Dow. Balu holds an MBA from The Kellogg School at Northwestern University, graduate and undergraduate degrees in Chemical Engineering from Auburn University and the Indian Institute of Technology.
Takes part in
Renewable vs. Traditional Energy: How to Ensure the Transition to a Low-Carbon Global Economy?
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How the integration of renewable energy with traditional energy can ensure a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future
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How traditional energy might play the sustainability game. Successful case studies from the leading global utilities on implementing low-carbon solutions.
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The potential of natural gas: A foundation for renewables or a major contributor to climate change.
Nicola Kimm
Balu Balagopal
Tulsi Tanti
Frank van Mierlo
Jinlong Ma