Geneva, London, Washington DC — The Mission Possible Partnership has announced new leadership appointments effective April 1, as the go-to organisation for decarbonisation of hard-to-abate industry and mobility sectors embarks on a new phase of growth.
Jessica Uhl, previously Vice Chair, will join Chad Holliday as Executive Co-Chair, strengthening MPP’s executive capacity as an independent and trusted adviser to leading corporates, policymakers and other stakeholders. Jessica and Chad will jointly oversee MPP’s pivot from vision-setting to supporting the next wave of deep decarbonisation projects.
Jessica has served as MPP Vice Chair since October 2022. A board director at Goldman Sachs, she serves as strategic advisor to Breakthrough Energy; a member of the executive advisory board of the Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy; and a board member of RMI, one of MPP’s four founding partners. Formerly the chief financial officer of Shell, Jessica has been recognised by Forbes and Fortune as one of the Most Powerful Women in the World.
Chad Holliday said: “On behalf of the board, we’re grateful to Jessica for her commitment and contribution to enhance our organisational capacity and ways of working. We have defined clear, operationally relevant pathways for action in this decade. Jessica and I will work closely to oversee the execution of our industrial decarbonisation programmes at scale, in the US and globally”.
Jessica Uhl said: “It is a great privilege to work with Chad and the team as we take this next step in bringing MPP’s decarbonisation roadmaps to life – taking real action to enable or accelerate the projects needed today to achieve net zero. MPP’s unique understanding of what is needed, along with its unique coalition of industry and NGO partners, provides a critical platform for acting at pace and scale”.
Faustine Delasalle appointed Executive Director of MPP Global
Faustine Delasalle, previously MPP Director of Systems Change and a founding director of the partnership from inception, is appointed Executive Director of MPP Global. She will lead MPP’s efforts to create a supportive market environment for zero-carbon investments and support leading companies in making a first wave of zero-carbon projects reach final investment decisions. She will in particular expand the portfolio of first projects that MPP actively supports beyond the two US hubs where MPP has been operating since 2022.
A seasoned coalition builder and thought leader, Faustine has led distinctive collaborative analysis on the energy transition and has played a central role in the creation of a shared vision for decarbonisation in hard-to-abate sectors across the industry and mobility ecosystem. She was the Director of the Energy Transitions Commission for six years and authored the 2018 ETC report ‘Mission Possible’ which inspired the creation of MPP.
Chad Holliday said: “Leading the development of net zero sector transition strategies endorsed by more than 200 industrial companies, Faustine has been instrumental in positioning MPP as a highly collaborative organisation. On behalf of the MPP Board, I thank Faustine for her rigour and thought leadership in establishing MPP as a trusted, independent partner for industry and policymakers.”
Faustine Delasalle said: “It has been a great privilege to support MPP since its inception, working with industry leaders to define high-ambition, science-based decarbonisation pathways. We are at an exciting juncture, with growing consensus on the way forward and a pipeline of flagship near-zero carbon projects. Our focus now is to see those projects come to fruition in this decisive decade, while expanding the project pipeline at pace.”
Independence and partnership
MPP was incorporated in the United States as an independent, not-for-profit organisation in 2022. The new leadership appointments build on this evolutionary step, marking a new phase in the execution of MPP’s sector strategies to support rapid commercial deployment of First Projects within 1.5 degrees-aligned sectoral carbon budgets.
From April 1, 2023, MPP will become operationally independent of its four founding partners: Energy Transitions Commission, RMI, We Mean Business Coalition and the World Economic Forum. Founding partners will continue to be represented on the MPP Board, and to play an integral role in supporting First Projects as MPP continues to engage a diverse network of stakeholders.
Paul Swinand, previously MPP operations lead, is appointed Treasurer to the MPP Board. Melia Manter, MPP communications manager, is appointed Secretary to the Board. The intention of the Board is to appoint a new CEO before the year-end.
Chad Holliday said: “With the full support of our Board, we have strengthened MPP’s foundation as an independent not-for-profit, while we embark on further fundraising to implement our decarbonisation and green industrialisation programmes across developed and developing economies. We look forward to ongoing close collaboration with our four founding partners.”
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The Mission Possible Partnership is an alliance of leading companies and climate action organisations working to decarbonise seven hard-to-abate industries: Aluminium, Aviation, Chemicals, Concrete, Shipping, Steel and Trucking. Our 2030 Milestones are real-economy targets for action in this decade to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, developed from sector transition strategies endorsed by more than 200 industrial companies. MPP was founded to foster radical collaboration between stakeholders in industry, finance, policy, and markets by four partners: Energy Transitions Commission, RMI, We Mean Business Coalition and the World Economic Forum.