Ken Newcombe

About

Dr. Ken Newcombe: Professional Journey and Achievements

Early Career and World Bank Contributions

Before co-founding CQC, Dr. Ken Newcombe made significant strides in both the public and private sectors. At the World Bank, he was a pioneer in the global carbon trade, launching and managing eight carbon funds with a total of one billion dollars under management. As an intrapreneur, he led the pilot phase of the Global Environment Facility, which laid the groundwork for a permanent $1 billion annual fund to support the incremental costs of aligning investment decisions with global environmental externalities. Additionally, he played a crucial role in the investment portfolio of the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol, aimed at phasing out ozone-depleting substances.

Private Sector Leadership

In the private sector, Dr. Newcombe held prominent positions, including:

• Managing Director at Goldman Sachs in the Fixed Income, Currency, and Commodities Division in New York.
• Vice-Chair and Co-manager of Carbon Markets for Climate Change Capital.

Academic Background

Dr. Newcombe holds a doctorate in the epidemiology of the energy/natural resource management health nexus from the John Curtin School of Medical Research at the Australian National University. He also received business management training from Harvard Business School.

Roles in Papua New Guinea

Before moving to the United States, Dr. Newcombe served as:

• CEO of the Papua New Guinea Power Utility.
• Founding Head of Energy Planning for Papua New Guinea.

Environmental Initiatives

Dr. Newcombe's contributions to environmental sustainability are noteworthy. He established the Forest Market Transformation Initiative, which led to the creation of the leading NGO Forest Trends and its Ecosystem Marketplace. He also played a pivotal role in the successful Global Alliance for Forest Conservation and Sustainable Use in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund.

Source: Ken Newcombe - Verra