Richard is the Manager of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). In this role he oversees the teams accountable for the Engineered Innovation Initiative, the Industry Growth Forum, the Venture Capital Advisory Board, Investor Networking Initiatives, Regional and National Incubator Programs, and the NREL Commercialization Assistance Program. He also coordinates IEC's work with the Mentor-Protégé program, the Small Business Subcontracting program, and the development of the Center for Renewable Energy and Economic Development (CREED).

He draws on his 20 plus years of international experience with small, medium and large corporations across a broad range of industry sectors. He is recognized as a strategic thinker, skilled operational leader, and outstanding communicator able to influence all levels of an organization; and as a proven driver of organizational performance. He is the author of “Results Ladder” - a model for successful strategic planning and execution.

Prior to joining NREL, Richard was the CEO/President of Warralong Group, a management consulting firm focused on organizational performance with a specific emphasis on how to grow successfully. Warralong Group’s services included strategic planning and execution, growth strategies, executive talent selection, executive coaching, capital raising and operational efficiency.

His background also includes executive positions with Novations Group, a leading training and organizational development company. Before moving to the United States, Richard lived and worked in Australia where he founded and ran Arts Capital, an investment bank. Prior to this he held a variety of senior positions in financial services institutions including Rothschild and Westpac Banking Corporation. He also served as a Director and Shareholder of Virtuosity, a sales training consultancy.

He is a graduate of the University of New England (Australia), with a Bachelor of Agricultural Economics, and holds a Graduate Diploma of Business from the Phillip Institute of Technology (Australia).

About The National Renewable Energy Laboratory

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for the U.S. Department of Energy by The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

NREL's Industry Growth Forum is the premiere clean energy investment forum not only because of the caliber of investors and entrepreneurial companies it attracts, but also due to its unique format and window on the energy future. Its rich "educational content" distinguishes NREL's Growth Forums and leaves all participants – including entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and corporate investors – with a deeper understanding of the evolving energy market and what a business must do to thrive. Presenters from Forums 16-20 have raised more than $2.0 billion (as of October 2008) since their presentations.