Dr. Venera N. Anderson
Strategy Advisor, Sustainability & Climate | Author
The Harvard Business Review Advisory Council
As a global strategy advisor on sustainability and climate issues, Dr. Venera Anderson creates and implements innovative solutions that address the world’s most pressing issues, such as climate change, economic development, and humanitarian challenges. With knowledge of multiple cultures and languages and a worldwide network obtained from extensive living and working experience throughout three continents (North America, Europe, and Asia), Dr. Anderson brings a broad frame of reference and seasoned global experience throughout all three areas of ESG. As an impact partner, Dr. Anderson also possesses deep expertise through her diverse educational background, leadership roles in private and civic sectors, and international stakeholder engagement.
Dr. Anderson began her investment banking career on Wall Street at Salomon Smith Barney’s Financial Institutions group. Later, she coordinated and led global structured notes sales management, product, and process training at Bank of America’s International Private Bank. Subsequently, at Goldman Sachs’s Equity Capital Markets, Dr. Anderson worked closely with public and private companies, governments, and financial sponsors to originate, structure, and execute equity and equity-linked financings. At Credit Suisse’s Global Power and Renewables group, Dr. Anderson focused on various financings with the main emphasis on renewable energy (biodiesel, solar, hydro, wind).
Following her tenure on Wall Street, as an independent global advisor on sustainability and climate, Dr. Anderson focuses on international projects in clean energy and tech sectors. In addition to her extensive professional background, Dr. Anderson is a sought-after thought leader, frequently publishing about climate change issues on global digital platforms. Dr. Anderson is also an internationally-recognized poverty expert. She is the author of “The Fight against Poverty in the BRICS countries: Historical, Socio-Economic, and Political Aspects” (August 2020). Dr. Anderson has also co-authored five books, 25 articles, and 21 conference papers in Eurasia on poverty in transformational economies (2003-2020).
Dr. Anderson is passionate about humanitarian causes. Dr. Anderson was selected to serve two terms as a Chairman of the Advisory Board and Station Chairman at the American Red Cross in Japan. She advised and assisted regional program managers of the American Red Cross in providing humanitarian services to more than 100,000 U.S. service members/civilians and led more than 1,000 volunteers in various US-Japanese humanitarian initiatives. In 2015, Dr. Anderson achieved national recognition by receiving USA President’s Volunteer Service Award for her dedication to the mission of the American Red Cross.
Dr. Anderson is a member of the Rotary Club of Alexandria, where she serves on two committees. As a member of Rotary International’s ESRAG (Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group), she was a part of the international planning committee for COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference (2021). In 2022, Dr. Anderson was recognized as Rotary International’s Paul Harris Fellow.
Dr. Anderson holds an MBA from Harvard Business School; a Ph.D. in Economics from a Eurasian University; a B.A. in Economics, summa cum laude (valedictorian) from Meredith College, and a Certificate in Japanese Studies from the University of Maryland-Global Campus. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Energy Policy and Climate from Johns Hopkins University.