The History of Ken Mehlman of Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co & the Environmental Defense Fund
When Henry Kravis and his business partner George Roberts established Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co (KKR) in the mid-seventies with some support from the First Chicago Corporation, their specialization was in highly leveraged transactions. However, in the hope of making the businesses they buy greener, they have set up a unique project that has entirely transformed the way business concerns and environmental agencies work. Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co’s Henry Kravis and the independent Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) merged in 2008, with the goal of making environmentally friendly business practice an accepted concept. Big matters like deforestation and extravagant water consumption rank high on their agenda. Eco-efficiency (the term was originally used by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development) has shaped their mission’s framework, applying policies like reducing the intensity of materials, increasing the durability of products and fuel economy. Irrespective of the fact that the program was a colossal success, staff just did not understand how incredible the consequences were until Ken Mehlman, the head of the Green Portfolio Project and global public affairs, carried out the first annual review.
Outmatching all expectations, Ken realized that utilizing eco-efficiency not only increased environmental responsibility, but was also increasing the profitability of each company too. To date, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co and Ken Mehlman have almost every last company in their portfolio involved in eco-efficiency. Still, with a current business portfolio with an estimated worth of 86,000,000,000 dollars, you can be sure this was no easy achievement.
The original program has now expanded to encompass new initiatives. The Climate Corps Program administered by the EDF is a good illustration of this, it advances ecologically friendly business principles to MBA interns. What is more, Ken Mehlman has been in close collaboration with KKR to formulate a package of metrics that companies can employ to quantify resources. These products allow employees see how they are progressing and discover any areas that may need revision.
Henry Kravis, the KKC, and the Environmental Defense Fund have encouraged all sorts of businesses to reduce their ecological impact. Their fresh ideas have made decreasing their ecological impact easier for organizations in every industry and proved that running a profitable business need not entail the hefty price of damaging the environment.
