We are very pleased to announce the appointment of Oliver Rapf as the new Executive Director of The Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE). Oliver, who was formerly Head of Climate Business Engagement at WWF, will join the team as of June 2011.

Before joining BPIE, Oliver Rapf worked for the global conservation organisation WWF in various roles. Most recently he was Head of the Climate Business Engagement unit of WWF International, managing strategy and partnership development with the private sector. Leading an international team, he advised multinational companies on climate change and energy issues

Oliver’s experience in buildings efficiency goes back to the late 1990s when he was a project leader for several deep renovation projects on behalf of WWF in cooperation with housing companies across Germany. Prominently, he also held the position of deputy Head of WWF’s European Climate Change and Energy Policy Unit. He has participated in UNFCCC negotiations and has been the leader of the German NGO coalition at several international climate change negotiations

Oliver has been active as a jury member of environmental business awards and regularly serves on private sector environmental advisory boards. In his early career he worked on regional sustainability strategies and spatial planning

Rod Janssen, currently the interim Executive Director of BPIE, will remain with BPIE in the function of Senior Advisor.