RMI Names Jon Creyts as New CEO

Creyts, 52, joined RMI in 2012 and currently serves as RMI's Chief Program and Strategy Officer, a role in which he oversees teams working to decarbonize buildings, electricity, heavy industry, and mobility both domestically and around the world through market-driven and business-led solutions.

Over the past decade, Creyts founded RMI's China office, launched the climate tech incubator Third Derivative, and spearheaded a shift to focus the institute's deep energy expertise on solving the climate crisis. 

He also helped transform the organization from a Colorado-based group of 50 employees to more than 600 today with a budget exceeding $100 million, diversifying its work and its workforce in the process.

"To solve a problem as complex as climate change, we need to find new ways of working collaboratively and globally between governments, corporations, communities, and NGO partners. The only way to successfully respond to this challenge is together," said Creyts. "I'm excited to help shape and champion RMI's role in providing the inspiration, the insights, and the practical solutions to meet this urgent moment together in the way we must."  

He takes over as the war in Ukraine is destabilizing energy markets worldwide, fueling inflation, and generating new calls for more fossil fuels, even as climate change intensifies damage from drought, storms, and flooding, from California to Puerto Rico and Pakistan.

"This is the fight of our lives and leading this incredible institution is hard work," said outgoing CEO Jules Kortenhorst, who led the organization for nearly a decade. "I am absolutely convinced that Jon's sincere care, his wickedly brilliant brain, his analytical capabilities, and his deep experience in this space — together with his passion for this mission — will make him an incredible leader."