Known as a straight-shooting energy insider, John Hofmeister established and heads the not-for-profit association, Citizens for Affordable Energy, following his retirement as President of Shell Oil Company in 2008. The public policy firm promotes sound U.S. energy security solutions for the nation, including a range of affordable energy supplies, efficiency improvements, essential infrastructure, sustainable environmental policies and public education on energy issues.

A business leader who has participated in the inner workings of multiple industries for over 40 years, Hofmeister also has held executive leadership positions in General Electric, Nortel and AlliedSignal (now Honeywell International).

Hofmeister served as the Chairman of the National Urban League and Chairman of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee.  He serves as non-executive Director of Hunting plc, London; Applus+, Barcelona, and Global Geoscience, Sydney; and he was formerly Chairman of Erin Energy Corp’s board of directors in Houston. He also serves on the Advisory Board of Liberty Power of Fort Lauderdale, the nation’s largest minority-owned power company.

Hofmeister also serves on the boards of the Foreign Policy Association, Strategic Partners, LLC; and the Gas Technology Institute.  Hofmeister is a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources.  He also is a past Chairman and serves as a Director Emeritus of the Greater Houston Partnership. He is the author of Why We Hate the Oil Companies: Straight Talk from an Energy Insider (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010).

Hofmeister serves as a Wrigley Scholar in the Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University.  He is also a Lecturer at the University of Houston and Kansas State University.

Hofmeister earned Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Political Science from Kansas State University.  In May 2010 he was awarded an honorary doctorate of letters from the University of Houston and from Kansas State University in 2014.