Heising to Become New Chair of Environmental Defense Fund

(New York, NY – February 4, 2020) Mark Heising, the founder and a managing director of Medley Partners, an investment firm based in San Francisco, has been named Chairman-elect of the Board of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Heising, an EDF Board member since 2011, will take office in January 2021, succeeding Carl Ferenbach, co-founder of Berkshire Partners, who has served as Board Chair since 2009.

Heising founded Medley Partners, a private market investment firm, in 2004. Previously he was the founder of VLSI Cores, which designed and licensed cryptographic integrated circuits. He holds six U.S. patents in cryptography, compression and data communications. He serves on the Board of Directors for Renaissance Technologies, Sion Power and the Heising-Simons Foundation, and as a trustee for the Institute for Advanced Study. Heising and his wife, Liz Simons, signed the Giving Pledge in 2016, publicly committing the majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes. Mark earned a B.S. in Physics and a M.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from the University of California at Berkeley.

“I am excited to take on this new role at EDF,” said Heising. “The people of EDF are highly skilled and deeply passionate about addressing the most urgent environmental issues facing communities around the world. EDF uses strong science and economic insights to forge lasting solutions to these challenges. I am honored to be able to play a part in this essential work.”

“EDF’s ambitious, pragmatic approach is what first attracted me to the organization, and it continues to guide us today,” said Ferenbach. “I look forward to working with Mark and EDF President Fred Krupp during this period of transition as EDF keeps aiming high and achieving great things.”

“Mark Heising is a widely recognized leader in technology, business and environmental philanthropy,” said Krupp. “He has already made a tremendous contribution to EDF during his decade as a trustee, and we’re very fortunate to have him as our new Chair. The organization will be in good and capable hands as we pass the reins.”

Krupp also saluted current Board Chair Ferenbach, saying, “Under Carl’s leadership and in response to urgent environmental challenges EDF has evolved from a U.S.-based organization to a global one, now working in 26 countries around the world. Our staff and operating budget have doubled as well, to more than 750 employees and $200 million annually. All of this is a testament to Carl’s vision and leadership, and we’re grateful to him for it.”