South Pole appoints McKinsey Partner Dara Olufon as Co-Head of Global Climate Advisory

Press Release – 18 Feb 2025 – 18 February, 2025, London — South Pole, the leading carbon asset developer and climate consultancy, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dara Olufon as Co-Head of its Global Climate Advisory arm, effective March 2025. Dara joins South Pole from McKinsey, where he served as Partner in the UK office, where he was a leader within the Global Energy and Materials practice.

With over 15 years of experience in sustainability, decarbonisation, and large-scale business transformation, Dara has a strong track record of advising executive teams and financial investors on energy transition strategies, including clean hydrogen, biofuels, carbon capture, e-mobility, and renewables. His expertise will play a key role in strengthening South Pole’s leadership in delivering cutting-edge climate solutions.

Dara’s appointment to co-lead the firm’s climate advisory alongside Franziska Sinner further reinforces South Pole’s commitment to expanding its global advisory capabilities, deepening sector-specific expertise, and driving market-leading impact. It follows a series of strategic leadership investments made in 2024 to position the company for its next phase of growth. Recent senior appointments include Board Chair Dame Inga Beale, CEO Daniel Klier, CFO Nadia Kaddouri, and CRO Leila Kamdem.

“I am thrilled to welcome Dara to our executive team. His proven ability in driving business transformations and leading energy transition strategies will be instrumental in advancing South Pole’s mission of true climate impact for all. Dara’s experience will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our industry-leading capabilities, scale innovative climate solutions, and deliver measurable climate impact for clients across sectors,” said Daniel Klier, CEO of South Pole.

“What drew me to South Pole was the chance to take my passion for accelerating the energy transition to the next level, creating real impact at scale within a focused, mission-driven environment. South Pole’s ambitious vision, coupled with a team of exceptionally talented individuals, makes this a unique opportunity that I am honoured to take on as Co-Head of the Global Climate Advisory practice. More than anything, I’m committed to helping our clients navigate their own transformations – not just in theory, but through meaningful, actionable change,” said Dara Olufon, Co-Head of Global Climate Advisory at South Pole.

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Notes to Editors

About Dara Olufon

Dara Olufon is a seasoned executive with over 15 years of experience in sustainability, decarbonisation, and large-scale business transformation. Prior to joining South Pole, he served as a Partner at McKinsey & Company in the UK, where he was a leader in the Global Energy and Materials practice. His expertise spans several key areas including energy transition strategies for hard-to-abate industries, clean hydrogen, biofuels, carbon capture, e-mobility, and renewables, as well as strategic counsel to global financial investors on climate-focused investments. His work has helped drive large-scale, impactful change within industries seeking to evolve and reduce their environmental footprint. Dara holds a strong track record in delivering high-level strategic insights and facilitating the transition to a more sustainable, low-carbon future. He holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cambridge.

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About South Pole

South Pole is the world’s leading carbon asset developer and climate consultancy.

Since 2006, South Pole has been a trusted partner and advisor to governments, public sector organisations, and leading businesses on their decarbonisation journeys. South Pole serves over 1,000 clients across the world, and its global team of experts has helped many Fortune 500 businesses implement comprehensive strategies that help build resilience and turn climate action into long-term business opportunities.

In line with its mission to deliver true climate impact for all, South Pole has used the power of markets to help channel climate finance to over 850 projects in more than 50 countries across the globe. To date, these projects have helped reduce over 200 million metric tonnes of CO2 emissions, accelerated low-carbon transformations across several sectors, and provided measurable benefits to communities vulnerable to climate change.

The business is supported by world-class investors, including Temasek’s GenZero, Lightrock, Corisol, and Salesforce Ventures.

South Pole is a social enterprise recognised by the World Economic Forum’s Schwab Foundation, and committed to becoming a B Corp globally across all of its local entities.