Billy Grayson

As ICF’s Climate Center executive director and primary climate, energy, and sustainability thought leader, Billy maximizes his 20 years of experience helping organizations succeed in their energy, sustainability, and climate change objectives.

Throughout his career, Billy has built sustainability programs for Fortune 500 companies that have helped them drive operational cost savings, identify new revenue opportunities, reduce corporate risk, and meet evolving stakeholder expectations on ESG. He has also helped inform and shape global sustainability standards and certification programs, including CDP, SASB, TCFD, LEED, GRESB, WELL, and Fitwel.

Before ICF, Billy was the chief initiatives officer (CIO) at the Urban Land Institute (ULI), a nonprofit education and research organization focusing on land use, real estate, and urban development. As CIO, he managed a department that led ULI initiatives in sustainability, infrastructure, housing, real estate economics and capital markets.

Prior to his role as CIO, Billy led the creation and growth of ULI’s Center for Sustainability where his team focused on climate risk and resilience, health and wellness, and building of energy and environmental performance. Billy’s leadership helped ULI’s global membership base take concrete steps to drive decarbonization and resilience across the built environment.

Over the past 20 years, Billy has also led multiple global energy and sustainability initiatives in real estate, distribution, and supply chain operations. This includes serving as Sustainability Director at Liberty Property Trust (a Fortune 500 real estate investment trust), Sustainability Director at WESCO (a Fortune 500 global distribution company, and vice president of social and environmental sustainability at the Electronics Industry Citizenship Coalition (a global electronics supply chain association).

As a regular keynote speaker, panelist, and moderator at several major climate and ESG events, Billy generously shares his wealth of knowledge and experience with others. In collaboration with his colleagues, he has published extensively on decarbonization, climate risk and resilience, and other corporate sustainability topics.

Billy is a native Washingtonian who is active on sustainability issues in his community where he has helped Washington, DC, implement its climate action plan as member of the DC Green Building Advisory Council member. Billy is a LEED Accredited Professional (AP), and has previously served on the Advisory Boards of the Pittsburgh Green Building Alliance, Deleware Valley Green Building Association, and national LEED Industrial and Commercial User Group Advisory Boards.