Richard Kauffman

Richard Kauffman is the chairman of the board of Generate and chairman of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Beginning in January 2013, Richard served in the Executive Chamber of Governor Cuomo as New York State’s first energy czar and oversaw the state’s energy agencies. He stepped down from that role in January 2019 while continuing as chairman of NYSERDA; as such, he remains energy adviser to Governor Cuomo’s administration. Previously, he was CEO of Good Energies, a leading investor in renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. Richard was also managing director and chaired the Global Financing Group at Goldman Sachs. He previously served as vice chairman of Morgan Stanley’s Institutional Securities business and co-head of its Banking Department. Richard has also served as the chairman of the board of Levi Strauss and on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, including the Brookings Institution. Richard received an MA in Public and Private Management from the Yale School of Management, an MA in International Relations from Yale University, and a BA from Stanford University.