NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Jonathan Phillips joined Duke’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions in October 2017 as director of the Duke University Energy Access Project.

Phillips was the senior advisor to the president and CEO of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation during the Obama Administration. In this role, he helped manage operations of the 400-person development finance institution, scaling-up the agency’s climate finance capabilities and leading the implementation of strategic initiatives, including the agency’s $2.1 billion engagement in Power Africa. Before that, Phillips served as the deputy lead of the private sector team with Power Africa at the U.S. Agency for International Development, helping ramp-up the $300 million presidential initiative into one of the largest public-private development partnerships in the world with more than $54 billion in investment commitments.

Phillips was a business and economic development volunteer with the Peace Corps in Mongolia. He received a bachelor’s degree from the Milwaukee School of Engineering and a master’s degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.