Barry Giles
Based on his iconic status in the green building industry and his expertise as the first BREEAM assessor in the U.S., Barry was appointed CEO of BREEAM USA in May of 2016.
He first saw the potential for the BREEAM standards to apply to the US market after becoming a BREEAM International and BREEAM In-Use Assessor in 2009. Since then, Barry has taken the lead in developing the partnership between BuildingWise and BRE Group to create the BREEAM USA standard. He worked to specifically tailor the methodology for the unique conditions in the United States and continues to advocate for the application of sustainability benchmarks to all existing buildings as a BREEAM Fellow.
In the early days of his career, Barry worked in virtually every aspect of the building industry —as an engineer, general contractor, systems operator and a facilities supervisor. His breadth of experience gives him particularly astute insight into what will satisfy the many different stakeholders in a project and inspires his strong, practical approach to green building.
Barry was a LEED for Existing Buildings pioneer and a founding member of its Core Committee, and has continued to assist the USGBC in the development of the LEED EB rating system in the years since as a LEED Fellow.
Barry’s passion, innovative thinking, and candor make him a highly sought after speaker, consultant and teacher. In 2005, Monterey County recognized Barry as the “Green Person of the Year,” and in 2009, he was invited by Mayor Gavin Newsom to be on San Francisco’s Green Building Task Force, which led to the city’s requirement of energy benchmarking for all existing buildings.
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