KKR Expands Focus on Climate Investing with Key Appointments to Global Infrastructure Team

August 17, 2023

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announced that Charlie Gailliot has joined the firm as a co-head for the firm’s global climate strategy, rounding out a leadership team focused on climate-related investments as part of KKR’s infrastructure platform. Gailliot, who is based in New York, joins global climate co-head Emmanuel Lagarrigue, also based in New York, and Neil Arora, who leads the strategy in Asia and is based in Singapore.

“Since the launch of the KKR infrastructure platform 15 years ago, we have invested billions into renewable energy and climate solutions,” said Raj Agrawal, Partner, Head of Global Infrastructure. “However, transitioning to a low-carbon economy at the pace and scale needed requires trillions of dollars in investment, and we are still seeing a significant gap in climate funding. By forming a dedicated climate leadership team – leveraging Charlie, Emmanuel and Neil’s decades of expertise – we can sharpen our focus on the deployment and scaling of net-zero solutions and accelerate the transition of higher-emitting assets.”

Gailliot joins KKR after 20 years as a private markets investor at Goldman Sachs, where he most recently served as a Partner and head of the Energy Transition and the Diversified Industrials investment teams. Prior to joining KKR, Lagarrigue was an executive committee member at Schneider Electric, where he led the transformation of the company into a leader in energy management infrastructure, industrial software and sustainability services. Arora joined KKR from Macquarie where he was the head of the firm’s Green Investment Group for Asia-Pacific, with a focus on renewable energy asset development.

KKR has committed more than $40 billion to sustainability-focused investments, including $30+ billion to climate and environmental sustainability investments since 2010. Examples of the firm’s investments in the energy transition to date include multiple renewables-focused partnerships with NextEra Energy, a leading generator of energy from the wind and sun; Virescent Infrastructure, a renewable energy platform in India; and Viridor, a UK-based waste-to-energy company, among several others.

KKR first established its Global Infrastructure strategy in 2008 and has since been a leading global infrastructure investor with a team of more than 115 executives including approximately 90 investment professionals and an additional 25 dedicated value creation resources. The business is also supported by KKR’s centers of excellence, including, among others, KKR’s Sustainability Expert Advisory Council (SEAC), the KKR Global Institute, and KKR’s public affairs team of 30+ professionals globally helping with stakeholder management, sustainability, regulatory and public policy. The firm currently manages more than $54 billion in infrastructure and energy assets and has made over 75 infrastructure investments across a range of sub-sectors and geographies.

About Neil Arora

Neil Arora (Singapore) joined KKR in 2022 as a Partner on the Infrastructure team. Prior to KKR, Mr. Arora held a number of senior roles across multiple markets during his more than twenty-year career at Macquarie. Most recently, he was head of Macquarie’s Green Investment Group for Asia-Pacific leading a pan-Asia team with a focus on renewable energy asset development. Previously, Mr. Arora was head of the infrastructure and energy (IEG) group for Asia, a member of the investment committee of IEG and a member of Macquarie Capital’s global management committee. In 2011, Mr. Arora established a global energy logistics business in Singapore and completed principal transactions in the midstream energy space across Europe, Asia and Australia. He also previously headed up Macquarie Capital in the Middle East and spent four years as Head of Infrastructure for Asia in Singapore. Mr. Arora holds a BSc (Hons) in Actuarial Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

About Charlie Gailliot

Charlie Gailliot (New York) joined KKR in 2023 as a Partner and Global Co-Head of KKR Climate within the firm’s Infrastructure business. Previously, he was a Partner at Goldman Sachs, where he spent 20 years as a private markets investor in the Merchant Banking Division and subsequently the Asset Management Division. Most recently, Charlie was responsible for both the Energy Transition team and the Diversified Industrials team in New York. He was a member of the Investment Committees for Corporate Equity, Infrastructure, and Climate. He also served at various times as a member of the Sustainability Committee, the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and the Physical Commodity Review Committee. Earlier in his career, he spent two years in Goldman’s Hong Kong office working on investments across Asia. Mr. Gailliot holds a degree in Economics with a certificate in Finance from Princeton University.

About Emmanuel Lagarrigue

Emmanuel Lagarrigue (New York) joined KKR in 2022 and is a Partner and Global Co-Head of KKR Climate within the firm’s Infrastructure business. Mr. Lagarrigue has a wealth of experience in sustainability, the energy transition and the transformation of large businesses. Prior to joining KKR, he was one of the founding partners of BeyondNetZero, a General Atlantic fund, focusing on growth equity opportunities in decarbonization technologies. Previously, Mr. Lagarrigue was an executive committee member at Schneider Electric, holding the positions of Chief Strategy, Chief Sustainability and Chief Innovation Officer. He also held several P&L and general management positions in Europe, South America, Asia and the United States over 20 years at the company. Mr. Lagarrigue serves on the Board of JBT Corporation and is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Menorca Preservation, an NGO dedicated to environmental causes in the Balearic Islands.

About KKR

KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR’s insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co.