Dr. M. Sanjayan Tapped To Lead New York Climate Exchange
India-West News Desk
NEW YORK, NY -The New York Climate Exchange has appointed conservation scientist Dr. M. Sanjayan as its next Chief Executive Officer. Sanjayan, the former CEO of Conservation International, will lead the organization as it develops a climate research, education, and workforce training campus on Governors Island in New York Harbor.
The Exchange brings together 48 global partners led by Stony Brook University and focuses on climate research, green workforce development, and public engagement initiatives.
Sanjayan led Conservation International from 2017 to 2025, overseeing fundraising campaigns totaling $2.4 billion and expanding partnerships with companies including Apple and Microsoft. A conservation biologist and science communicator, he was named to TIME’s inaugural 100 Climate list in 2024.
“Climate change is both a crisis and an opportunity for humanity,” Sanjayan said. “I cannot think of a more powerful platform from which to accelerate solutions that the world urgently needs.”
The project has received major financial backing, including a $100 million commitment from the Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International, along with $50 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies and the UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions, said the initiative continues a long-term effort to transform Governors Island into a center for education, research, and climate innovation.
“With Sanjayan at the helm, it will have the leadership needed” to help cities address climate challenges while creating jobs, Bloomberg said.
Ahead of the campus opening, The Exchange has already hosted Climate Week NYC programming and community sustainability events across New York City. It is also preparing to launch its second cohort of Climate Tech Fellows supporting entrepreneurs focused on energy and resilience technologies.
Antha Williams, interim CEO of The Exchange and environment program lead at Bloomberg Philanthropies, said Sanjayan’s experience would help strengthen collaboration across the initiative’s academic, industry, and civic partners.
