Bob Place ’75

Managing Partner, Clean Energy Venture Group

Bob Place ’75 is a senior business executive and entrepreneur in the electric power industry currently focused on renewable energy and clean tech opportunities with a particular emphasis on early-stage investment and mentoring.

His entrepreneurial skills have been demonstrated with over 27 years of successful development and construction of new power plants, acquisition of operating companies, and the startup of many companies in the power and climate arenas. He has developed, built, financed, and/or operated many kinds of utility-scale generation, including wind, solar, biomass, coal, and gas-fired plants. He has joint ventured with over 15 different utility, private equity, and equipment manufacturers in new business opportunities with over $7 billion in new capital investments. His awards include Euromoney Project of the Year (2007) and EPA Clean Water Innovations (2001 and 2008).  

Bob Place alongside his wife Erna Place ’76 helped to establish Van Wickle Ventures and is a member of its Investment Committee. He graduated from Brown University and Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago.