Jay Knott

Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer

Work

As Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer Jay oversees EDF’s global operations, buttressing its research, programs, and advocacy to save the planet. Jay ensures that EDF’s operations allow our scientists, lawyers, economists and staff worldwide to be more effective and have maximum impact.

Background

Jay Knott is someone who “used to be a lot of things.” He began his own catering company, played semi-professional basketball in Peru and was nationally ranked in the top 10 obstacle racers within his age group.

Most recently, Jay spent almost 10 years as the Executive Vice President, Chief Business Officer, to Abt Associates, a policy, research, and international development for-profit firm. Before that, Jay spent much of his career with the U.S. Agency for International Development, where he served in South America, Africa, and the Middle East.

Jay attended Yale as an undergraduate, where he majored in Political Economy and African Studies, and later went to law school at the University of Pennsylvania.