CHICAGO – Clean Energy Trust Executive Vice President Erik Birkerts has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. CET’s founding CEO, Amy Francetic, will transition leadership to Birkerts at the end of the year as part of a succession plan designed by Francetic and the Board.
Francetic helped found CET and has built it from the ground up into one of the leading organizations advancing cleantech innovation in the country. After five years of successful growth in the organization, she has decided to take some time off to explore new business opportunities. She will remain with CET as a newly appointed member of the Board of Directors.
“Under Amy’s leadership CET has risen to become one of the leading cleantech accelerators in the nation and recognized as the number one regional clean energy accelerator by the US Department of Energy. Amy has been a terrific CEO, putting CET on the map and making a considerable impact on clean energy commercialization and adoption in the Midwest and across the country,” said CET Co-Chair of the Board Michael Polsky. “While we are sad to see Amy leave the helm at CET, we are looking forward to our next successful chapter building on her leadership.”
“Creating and launching CET has been tremendously gratifying and is the most impactful accomplishment of my career,” Francetic said. “I’m so proud of what the team has achieved and look forward to supporting their continued success as a member of the Board. Erik is the best person to lead the organization forward.”
Birkerts has over 25 years of operational and general management experience, including strategy development and project financing for energy efficiency and clean technology companies. Birkerts was recruited nearly three years ago, joining as CET’s Executive Vice President and the envisioned successor to Francetic. The two have operated as partners in the growth and development of CET as an organization.
