SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bloom Energy (NYSE: BE) today announced the appointment of Carl Guardino to the newly created role of executive vice president, government affairs and policy, effective August 3, 2020.
Guardino, the longtime President and CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG), a prominent public policy trade association that represents more than 350 of Silicon Valley’s most respected companies, has championed public policy at the local, state and federal level for more than three decades. Guardino will lead government relations and policy strategy at Bloom, with a focus on engaging policymakers on the importance of building local resilience in a post-COVID world.
“On behalf of the Board and the entire leadership team, I welcome Carl to Bloom Energy,” said KR Sridhar, founder, chairman, and CEO of Bloom Energy. “Carl’s extensive track-record solving complex problems and building consensus across a diverse set of stakeholders will bolster Bloom’s next phase of growth and innovation. As the energy sector continues to transform, Bloom has an opportunity to advance new technology and business models that will enhance the health and livelihoods of the communities we serve.”
Known throughout the Bay Area as a highly successful consensus builder, Guardino has championed a number of successful ballot measures, especially in the areas of transportation, housing, and education.
Guardino was the architect behind landmark policy campaigns, such as Measure A in 2000, Measure B in 2008 and Measure B in 2016 that brought BART to Silicon Valley, and, most recently, Regional Measure 3 in 2018, to fund 35 key transportation improvements throughout the nine-county Bay Area.
As a housing advocate, he co-created Housing Trust Silicon Valley, which has helped 30,000 people afford homes in high-cost Silicon Valley by raising more than $250 million in voluntary contributions. He also co-managed Proposition 46, the statewide housing bond in 2002; co-chaired Proposition 1-C, the November 2006 statewide housing bond; and, most recently, co-led Propositions 1 and 2 on the November 2018 ballot, generating $6 billion for affordable housing.
“Carl’s community development work on issues like mass transportation and affordable housing will serve as foundational experience in Bloom’s push to reimagine the future policies, financing, and operating models that will sustainably power all communities,” said Sridhar. “Carl has been out in front for years, advancing approaches to environmental, social, and governance issues at the regional level, and we look forward to his leadership on these same issues in a new context and at a national and global level.”
Early in his career, Guardino worked for former Assemblymember Rusty Areias, before serving as vice president of the trade association, formerly known as Santa Clara County Manufacturing Group, in 1991 — founded by David Packard in 1978. Guardino was appointed as CEO of the renamed Silicon Valley Leadership Group in January 1997.
Guardino was born and raised in San Jose, the location of Bloom’s headquarters, and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from San Jose State University. He is a member of Junior Achievement’s “Silicon Valley Business Hall of Fame,” the recipient of the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from City Year, and was the second recipient of the “American Public Transit Association’s Business Executive of the Year.”
Carl is married to Leslee Guardino. In their spare time, they compete in marathons, triathlons, and duathlons. They have three children together.
“Bloom’s mission ‘to make clean, reliable energy affordable to everyone in the world’ is not only inspiring, it is essential. In a post-COVID world, resilient communities sit at the intersection of social, economic, and environmental security,” said Guardino. “From India to Indio, California, Bloom is focused on building sustainable communities that can improve the lives and livelihoods of everyone on our planet.”
About Bloom Energy
Bloom Energy’s mission is to make clean, reliable energy affordable for everyone in the world. The company’s product, the Bloom Energy Server, delivers highly reliable and resilient, always-on electric power that is clean, cost-effective, and ideal for microgrid applications. Bloom’s customers include many Fortune 100 companies and leaders in manufacturing, data centers, healthcare, retail, higher education, utilities, and other industries. For more information, visit www.bloomenergy.com
