Biography from oceanenergy.org


Matthew R. Simmons -Founder, Ocean Energy Institute & OEI Board Member


Matthew Simmons is the founder and Chairman of the Board of the Ocean Energy Institute. He was past Chairman of the National Ocean Industries Association, and served as energy adviser to President George W. Bush, among others. Simmons is author of the book Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy, which examines oil reserve decline rates to help raise awareness of the unreliability of Middle East oil reserves.


Background


The Ocean Energy Institute, founded in 2007 by Matthew R. Simmons, is a think-tank and venture capital fund addressing the challenges of U.S. offshore renewable energy. OEI approaches energy R&D and investment from a systems point of view; not just generation, but usage, storage and transmission all together as an interdependent set of opportunities and the next driving force of the international economy.


Mission


OEI is working to coordinate the diverse factors that will help make ocean energy a reality: energy system architecture, offshore wind technology, environmental interests, stakeholder concerns, industrial partners, academic research, financial firepower and political factors.


Biography from simmonsco-intl.com


Matthew R. Simmons - Chairman Emeritus of Simmons & Company International


Matthew R. Simmons graduated cum laude from the University of Utah and received a Masters degree with distinction in Business Administration from Harvard Business School. He then served on the faculty as a research associate for two years. In 1974, he founded Simmons & Company International. Simmons serves on the Board of Deans Advisors of Harvard Business School and is past President of the Harvard Business School Alumni Association. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Houston Technology Center and the Center for Houston’s Future. Simmons serves on The University of Texas’ M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Foundation Board of Visitors (Houston) and is a Trustee of the Bermuda Institute for Ocean Sciences. He is a member of the National Petroleum Council, Council on Foreign Relations and The Atlantic Council of the United States. In addition, he is past Chairman of the National Ocean Industry Association. Mr. Simmons is a Trustee of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Farnsworth Art Museum in Maine.