Aviv Dekel, Chief Executive Officer of Co-Energy, a company that designs and develops technological solutions for waste-to-value projects, has proudly committed herself to the work of tackling climate change. Prior to her current role at Co-Energy, she was a lawyer practicing public international law and served on multiple UN committees. In 2018, she became VP Business Development & Marketing at Co-Energy and was appointed CEO in 2023. In 2024, she completed the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Executive Education program Climate Change and Energy: Policymaking for the Long Term, where she was able to spend a week on the HKS campus strengthening the skills needed to thrive in a constantly changing industry.
Despite being accomplished in her field, Aviv came to HKS seeking out fresh perspectives to the ever-looming issue of climate change in hopes of being able to approach her organization’s obstacles from new angles. “The main challenge I wanted to overcome was the tunnel vision one sometimes has when tackling an issue from just one perspective,” she said. “In my case of working in the climate-tech ecosystem, it’s very easy to adopt an industry-lead conception, and neglect other points of view, such as those of the policymakers, civil society, etc. I wanted HKS to challenge me to step outside my comfort zone and expand my understanding of different stakeholders’ perspectives.”
One of the biggest benefits of attending an executive education program is that there is no lag time to implementing the new skills and tools gained in day-to-day work, something Aviv experienced firsthand. “I attended Climate Change and Energy and was able to immediately incorporate lessons from the program into our marketing and business development strategies,” she said. “To name just few examples: in the program we were taught about the importance of adaptation measures along with mitigation measures, and so I developed a set of documents that demonstrate how to incorporate our technology in adaptation initiatives which are of particular interest to the developing world which is most affected by climate change. We are also implementing a tool to measure our own scope three emissions, which I specifically learned at HKS.”
In addition to bringing more value to her organization and their strategic frameworks, the program also had immediate effects on her own professional development. “Although it hasn’t been that long since I attended the program, I can already see its direct results in my professional life. My skills for conducting thorough research and minding different details I wasn’t considering before has upgraded every document, presentation, or speech I give,” Aviv said. “The perspective I bring to the table when I am meeting with public officials is much more well-rounded, and this generates greater willingness with the other party to adopt a constructive approach and find mutual grounds to execute projects.”
Aviv sees the advantages of an HKS Executive Education program as threefold: the high quality of the curriculum, the world-class faculty, and the caliber of the fellow participants. “HKS Executive Education has a unique approach of providing its participants with both in-depth research of theories and schools of thought, as well as with a set of practical skills that will help translate what you’ve learned into actions in your own organization,” she said. “The faculty are extraordinary and the experience they bring provide so much added value. Lastly, your program peers are amongst the top professionals in their fields, and the introductions you make at HKS open opportunities for collaboration and promotion of shared goals.”
As Aviv looks ahead, she has big plans for Co-Energy. “My next career goal is to successfully transition Co-Energy from a local pioneer to be an international market leader in the field of waste-to-value,” she said. “Every country has its own take on climate change, its level of energetic development and its own set of priorities and natural opportunities and constrains.”
As she sets forth to accomplish these goals for her organization, she’s grateful to have her learnings from Climate Change and Energy to support her vision. “The global perspective I gained at HKS along with the profound understanding of how to analyze a country’s climate-change strategy is a valuable asset in framing our go-to-market strategies and how we approach each case.”