Robert Birdsey, C'99, and Steve Ridge

     

The global energy sector is undergoing a profound shift as rising demand, climate change, and geopolitical pressures transform the market. These challenges present opportunities for financing energy infrastructure and investing in energy transitions to renewables such as solar, wind, carbon capture, hydrogen, and renewable natural gas.

Two experts in energy finance, Robert Birdsey, C’99, co-founder of Greenfront Energy Partners, and Steve Ridge, CFO of Dominion Energy, will discuss energy market trends in the Southern United States. Birdsey and Ridge are the Babson Center’s Bryan Viewpoints Speakers for the 2025 Easter semester and will speak to the Sewanee community during a panel discussion, “From Green Finance to Innovative Investment Models: Enabling Energy Transition,” at 4:30 p.m., Wed., March 19, in the Torian Room, duPont Library. All are welcome to attend.

As Chief Financial Officer of Dominion Energy, Ridge leads one of the nation’s largest energy providers. Since 2014, Ridge has held leadership roles at Dominion Energy in mergers and acquisitions, investor relations, corporate strategy, financial management, and operations.  Previously, Ridge was a member of the Energy Investment Banking Group at J.P. Morgan in New York City, working with public and private clients in the power and utility sectors on strategic and financing activities. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree in international economics and finance from Brandeis University. 

Describing his friend and collaborator, Birdsey said, “What sets Steve apart is his unwavering commitment to his core values. He has remained true to them throughout his career, all while handling the pressures of leadership with remarkable composure.”

Birdsey is the managing director at GreenFront Energy Partners, an investment banking advisory firm that focuses exclusively on energy transition. Greenfront advises clients on M&A, capital raising, and corporate sustainability transactions. Before co-founding the firm, Birdsey worked in energy investment banking at Truist and J.P. Morgan in New York City. 

At Sewanee, Birdsey earned a B.A. in both philosophy and Spanish.  Following his work in NYC, he earned an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.  During his Sewanee days, Birdsey was active in Greek life where he forged meaningful connections, and he received a Tanya Grant to study in Costa Rica, an experience that broadened his global perspective. Reflecting on his liberal arts education, Birdsey said, “Philosophy, in particular, has equipped me with invaluable skills: the ability to write clearly, distill complex situations, and analyze multiple perspectives. These abilities have been especially useful in negotiating transactions,” he said. 

Join two energy finance professionals to hear insights into the financial strategies driving the future of energy and learn career strategies in the energy and broader finance sectors.

This visit is cosponsored by the Department of Economics, the Department of Finance, Career Readiness and Student Success, and the Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences. The Bryan Viewpoints Speaker Series is made possible by a generous gift from Peggy and J.F. Bryan IV, C’65.