Deputy Academic Director
Nationality: Swiss, American
Professional Career & Mini Bio
Dr. Mary Jean Bürer has several years of professional experience in academia, the United Nations, international NGOs, government (Swiss and Californian), and the private sector. In the United Nations, she served UNEP, UNCTAD and the IPCC (as a Scientific Officer). She serves Innosuisse as an Expert today, and she worked for the California Energy Commission on California’s climate policy early in her career. Throughout her professional career, she also conducted multi-disciplinary research and managed cutting-edge innovation projects, especially during her tenure at EPFL’s College of Management of Technology in Lausanne, and HEIG-VD (HES-SO) in Yverdon-les-Bains.
The scope of her research and innovation activities included: corporate sustainability strategy, energy transition governance, climate change policy, carbon market development, smart energy solutions, sustainable finance, ESG reporting, design thinking, strategic alliances, change management and innovation management, as well as digital innovation in the energy sector.
She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of St. Gallen (HSG) and has a Master in Engineering (Integrated Manufacturing Engineering) from UCLA. Her Bachelors degree at Claremont McKenna College was in Environment, Economics and Politics.
Mary Jean has published over twenty scientific publications (>4700 citations, h-index 10) in international journals such as the highly ranked journal Energy Policy and several important book chapters such as “Governance drivers and barriers for business model transformation in the energy sector” published by Springer in 2022. Beyond her academic accomplishments, she has been instrumental in various institutions with regard to business development, fundraising, project management, innovation management, member relations, and the management of corporate communication strategies.
