The energy industry is constantly evolving. The shift from wood to fossil fuels, the rise of electricity and changes in power generation technologies have all reshaped the world as we know it.
The changes aren’t stopping - with renewables on the rise and new technologies like AI that can improve energy efficiency, the energy landscape is almost certain to continue shifting.
From Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla to the energy influencers of today, visionary individuals will continue to lead the industry through new periods of change.
Energy Digital has ranked 10 of the top energy influencers.
10. Mike Wirth
Company: Chevron
Occupation: Chairman and CEO
Location: California, USA
Mike joined Chevron in 1982 as a design engineer and has held a variety of positions at Chevron including Executive Vice President of Downstream and Chemicals and Executive Vice President of Midstream and Development. He took on his role as Chairman of the Board and CEO in 2018.
He serves on the board of directors of the American Petroleum Institute, Catalyst and the National Football Foundation and is a member of many international councils.
Mike says: “I am proud to lead a company filled with problem-solvers – engineers, scientists, analysts, business partners, operators, mechanics, neighbours and environmentalists who work diligently every day to develop the energy that improves lives.
"Together, we’re committed to leading in the future of energy by delivering results the right way.”
9. Mads Nipper
Company: Ørsted
Occupation: Group President and CEO
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Mads took the helm at Ørsted in 2021 and has led the company through a vital time in the green energy transition. He has overseen an expansion of the company’s sustainability stewardship through ensuring it builds green energy to benefit nature, climate and people.
Before joining Ørsted, Mads was Group President and CEO at Grundfos Group and Chief Marketing Officer and member of the Management Board at LEGO Group.
At the close of COP29, Mads said: “This journey is not ours alone; it’s a collaborative effort with partners worldwide, united in our mission to accelerate renewable adoption and secure a sustainable future for all.
“Together, let's harness the power of the wind and drive the global energy transition forward!"
8. Henrik Andersen
Company: Vestas
Occupation: President and CEO
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Henrik took on his role as President and CEO at Vestas in 2019 after holding the position of President and CEO at Hempel from 2016. He holds a Masters degree in Law from the University of Aarhus and a Graduate Diploma in International Business from the Aarhus School of Business.
“Done right, our energy systems can create local green jobs, bolster national security and in the long run, lead to reliable energy supply and low energy prices,” explains Henrik.
“Getting there, however, depends on the choices we make today.”
7. Scott Strazik
Company: GE Vernova
Occupation: CEO
Location: Massachusetts, USA
Scott joined General Electric in 2000 on a Financial Management Programme and worked his way up to becoming Chief Financial Officer of GE Aviation. He became CEO of GE’s Power Services business in 2017 and CEO of GE Power in 2018.
Scott took on the role as CEO of GE Vernova from the merger and spin-off of GE’s energy businesses that was completed in 2024.
“Under my leadership, GE Vernova is working alongside customers to electrify and decarbonise the electric power sector while delivering reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity to the world,” Scott says.
6. Wael Sawan
Company: Shell
Occupation: CEO
Location: London, UK
Wael has worked at Shell since 1997 when he started as an engineer at Petroleum Development Oman. He became Managing Director and Chairman of Shell Qatar in the mid-00s before driving transformation as Executive Vice President of Deep Water in 2015. He was appointed as CEO in 2023.
He holds a MEng from McGill University in Canada and an MCA from Harvard Business School.
“We are offering compelling returns for shareholders and building a track record of delivery, as we aim to be the investment case and partner of choice through the energy transition” Wael said on the announcement of Shell's 2024 Q3 results.
5. Christian Bruch
Company: Siemens Energy
Occupation: President and CEO
Location: Berlin, Germany
Christian became President and CEO of both Siemens Energy and Siemens Energy Management in 2020 alongside the roles of Chief Sustainability Officer and Export Control. He was previously Executive Vice President and CEO of Linde Engineering.
He began his career as a Project Manager for research at the Swiss Institute of Technology Zurich in 1997 and joined Linde in 2004.
“It is a great honour for me to work for the Siemens Energy team as CEO,” Christian said when the Supervisory Board extended his contract in 2024.
“My goal remains to continuously increase the profitability and value of Siemens Energy. First and foremost, this means consistently implementing our priorities: profitable growth, restructuring the wind business and further strengthening our balance sheet.”
4. Alessandro Blasi
Company: International Energy Agency
Occupation: Special Advisor to the Executive Director
Location: Paris, France
Alessandro took on the role of Special Advisor to the International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director in 2018 after joining the IEA as a Senior Analyst in the World Energy Outlook team in 2009. Before joining the organisation, he worked as an Operating Director at Italy’s World Energy Council and supported the Italian Office of the Prime Minister.
As Special Advisor, Alessandro is a member of the IEA’s extended senior management team and provides strategic support to the Executive Director.
“Electricity demand is growing 6 times times faster than global energy use. The electricity mix is changing dramatically,” Alessandro shares in a LinkedIn post.
“The changes taking place in the ‘world of electrons’ are remarkable, affecting both sides of the equation.”
3. Fatih Birol
Company: International Energy Agency
Occupation: Executive Director
Location: Paris, France
Dr Fatih Birol has served as Executive Director of the IEA since 2015 and is Chairman of the World Economic Forum Energy Advisory Board. He joined the IEA as a junior analyst in 1995 and progressed to the role of Chief Economist before becoming Executive Director.
Fatih earned his MSc and PhD in Energy Economics from the Technical University of Vienna. He was awarded a Doctorate of Science honoris causa by Imperial College London in 2013.
He explains: “Since I took office in 2015, we've worked to open the doors of the IEA to the emerging world, ensure energy security during the energy transitions, lead the global energy sector’s fight against climate change and address energy poverty.”
His work at the IEA includes “opening doors” to major emerging economies that now make up a significant part of global energy demand and broadening the agency’s energy security mandate to include natural gas and electricity beyond just oil.
2. Patrick Pouyanné
Company: TotalEnergies
Occupation: Chairman and CEO
Location: Paris, France
Patrick began his career at TotalEnergies in 1997 after holding various administrative positions in the French Ministry of Industry including Environment and Industry Technical Adviser to Prime Minister Édouard Balladur.
He became CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee in 2014 and was appointed as Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2015.
“We’ve evolved from an oil company, to an oil and gas company, and now, at our centenary, we’re accelerating in electricity and low-carbon energies,” Patrick said at the company’s centenary in 2024.
“In just a decade, TotalEnergies is well on its way to becoming a world-class player in renewables — an extremely rapid strategic move in the industrial world.”
1. Jean-Pascal Tricoire
Company: Schneider Electric
Occupation: Chairman
Location: Paris, France
Jean-Pascal joined Merlin Gerin in 1986 as a Project Manager. The company was acquired by Schneider Electric in 1992 when he was a Building Automation Business Manager. Jean-Pascal went on to hold a number of roles at Schneider Electric including Commercial Director China, Executive Vice President Asia Pacific, MEA and South America and Chief Operating Officer in 2003.
In 2006 Jean-Pascal took on the role of CEO and also became Chairman in 2013. He stepped down as CEO in 2023. In this time, the company grew from revenue of US$14.1bn to US$37bn and more than 60,000 employees joined Schneider Electric. He remains the company’s Chairman.
Jean-Pascal is a director of the worldwide board of the United Nations Global Compact, a United Nations #HeForShe Corporate IMPACT champion and a member of the International Business Council of the World Economic Forum as well as the Asia Business Council.
At the IEA’s 8th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency, he said: “Optimising how we consume energy is the priority of how we tackle the climate-and-energy crisis. We have all the ingredients. What we don’t have is time: We simply can’t let more time go by before we deploy the power of electrification and digital energy-efficiency technologies to the fullest.”
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