The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Board of Directors announced that Mahesh Ramanujam will be stepping down as president and CEO of USGBC, Green Business Certification, Inc. (GBCI) and Arc Skoru, effective Nov. 1, 2021. This announcement comes as a part of the organization’s review of its structure, go-to-market strategy and leadership to optimize the organizations’ support of the green building community, expand the green building marketplace, increase access to sustainable, healthy and resilient places, and ensure organizational excellence.

“Mahesh Ramanujam has a deep dedication to the green building movement and has worked tirelessly to advance the goals of sustainability and health in the past decade,” said Dr. Aaron Bernstein, Interim Director – Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and USGBC board chair, “The USGBC board thanks him for his leadership and knows that he will bring his immense energies and talents to bear upon actions that will make our world better for all.”

The board has appointed Peter Templeton, the current President and CEO of Cradle-to-Cradle Products Innovation Institute, to serve as USGBC’s interim president and CEO, while it conducts a formal CEO search. Templeton previously served as the first President of GBCI from 2009-2012 and as Senior Vice President of USGBC.

“We are at a critical inflection point in the global climate crisis and the green building movement,” said Templeton. “The urgency and importance of USGBC’s work to prepare and enable resilient, sustainable cities, communities and buildings around the world cannot be overstated. I look forward to working alongside the USGBC team and community to transform USGBC’s strong legacy of leadership into the platform of partnership, collaboration and innovation we need to advance a prosperous and equitable future.” 

Since its inception, USGBC has led the global effort to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life. This strategic review will ensure the organization is well positioned to scale its work in the post-pandemic world that has made unprecedented public and private sector commitments to advancing health, decarbonization and ESG goals through green building.

“The vision that Mahesh has brought to the organization has not just fueled greater awareness of the LEED brand, it has raised the global understanding of why the components of certification are so critical to the efforts to lower carbon throughout the built environment. It is that vision that Mahesh will carry forward in the next phase of his career,” said Don Anderson, GBCI Board Chair and Operating Partner and Chief Sustainability Officer at Blackstone.”

“USGBC and the global green building community have accomplished a great deal in the organization’s nearly three-decades long history. As we emerge from the challenges posed by the pandemic, USGBC must continue to build on the important progress the organization has made and double down on its dual efforts to both prepare cities, communities, and buildings around the world for a post-pandemic future and mitigate their contributions to climate change. I wish USGBC staff and the community continued success and look forward to partnering with them,” added Ramanujam.