The History of Ken Mehlman of Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co & the Environmental Defense Fund
Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co (KKR) was founded by Henry Kravis and George Roberts in the mid-seventies with help from the First Chicago Corporation. But recently they have assembled a unique enterprise which centers not alone on how lucrative an enterprise is, but likewise on how ecologically aware each of the firms in their portfolio currently are.
When Henry Kravis from KKR and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) got together a year ago green issues in the business community became a hot topic. Issues like toxic chemicals and lavish water consumption feature high on their list of priorities.
To implement these goals, they apply eco-efficiency which uses concepts like increasing the durability of products, reducing the waste of resources, and using clean energy. Although the project was a tremendous success, no-one understood how fantastic the effects were until Ken Mehlman, the person in charge of the Green Portfolio Project, looked at the first year’s profits.
Ken Mehlman who practiced environmental law for Akin Gump Stauss Hauer & Feld, has served as legislative director to Texas 21st Congressional District Representative Lamar S. Smith, was appointed to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council in 2007, is a trustee of the Strong American Schools Foundation and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and presently serves as a member of the board of directors at the National Endowment for Democracy, the executive leadership cabinet of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Foundation, and the Council on Foreign Relations Climate Change Task Force, found that practicing eco-efficiency was not just lessening impact on the planet, but it was also saving a tremendous range of companies a considerable sum of money. Currently, KKR and Ken Mehlman have virtually every associated company actively engaged in the program. Still, with a current business portfolio worth eighty six billion dollars, you may be certain that this wasn’t a simple achievement. The Green Portfolio project is expanding to encompass new ventures. The Climate Corps Program founded by the Environmental Defense Fund is an example of this, it raises awareness of eco-efficient principles to MBA interns.
KKR and Ken Mehlman have made the effort to create analytic tools and other applicable systems which have the ability to manage resources. This type of information is crucial as companies can evaluate all of their daily operations and find out where any issues can be resolved while at the same time allowing them to view their environmental impact. Today’s business community has been changed forever by the efforts of these groups. So, in conclusion, these systems have made environmentally friendly business practice not only viable, but commercially desirable, and their revolutionary ideas are setting a new standard in the business world of today.
