About - Oil Change International

ABOUT US

Oil Change International is a research, communications, and advocacy organization focused on exposing the true costs of fossil fuels and facilitating the ongoing transition to clean energy.

OUR STORY

Oil Change International (OCI) is a research, communications, and advocacy organization focused on exposing the true costs of fossil fuels and facilitating the ongoing transition to clean energy. Rooted in community solidarity and principled policy analysis, we work within larger movements to build a fossil free future.

Founded in 2005, Oil Change International now has a talented, experienced, and dedicated international team of twenty, backed by hundreds of thousands of supporters. We are data driven and people powered.

OUR STAFF

Elizabeth Bast

Executive Director

ebast@priceofoil.org

Elizabeth Bast is the Executive Director of Oil Change International. She has over 20 years of experience working at the intersection of environmental and social justice issues, pressuring governments and financial institutions to protect the climate, the environment, and communities.

Prior to being named Executive Director, Elizabeth was Oil Change International’s Managing Director for 10 years, where she led OCI’s international public finance work before taking on a larger organizational management role. Throughout her career, Elizabeth has been dedicated to promoting environmental and climate justice, particularly for communities in the global South. Elizabeth’s research and advocacy efforts have focused on international climate and energy policy issues, including phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, the need for access to clean energy and funding for adaptation to climate change, and energy policy and practices at international financial institutions. Prior to joining Oil Change in 2010, Elizabeth served as International Program Director at Friends of the Earth U.S., where she led the organization’s international climate campaign, and she also served on the Friends of the Earth International Executive Committee. Elizabeth has worked at Worldwatch Institute and the Environmental Policy Center, and holds a Master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an undergraduate degree from Stanford University.

Charlie Furellis

Technology & Data Manager

charlie@priceofoil.org

Charlie is the Technology and Data Manager at Oil Change International where he leads our efforts to build and maintain the tools to bring about a just transition to a clean energy system that leaves no one behind.

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Romain Ioualalen

Global Policy Campaign Manager

romain@priceofoil.org

@rlalen

Romain Ioualalen is the Global Policy Campaign Manager at Oil Change International where he works to build the political conditions for a just and equitable phase out of the fossil fuel industry globally.

Previously, Romain worked on climate diplomacy and long-term strategies at the European Climate Foundation and was in charge of coordinating the work of the Carbon Neutrality Coalition. Prior to that, he worked on EU climate policy woth in the European Parliament and the European Climate Foundation. He holds a M.Sc. in Environment and Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a Master of Public Affairs from Sciences Po Paris. He lives in Paris.

Vickal Khadka

Operations Manager

vickal@priceofoil.org

Vickal Khadka is the Operations Manager at Oil Change International, where he supports the organization’s administrative, financial, and fundraising needs and ensures the smooth functioning of OCI’s Washington, DC office.

Vickal has more than 16 years of experience in managing a range of administrative, human resource, and financial management services. Prior to joining OCI, Vickal worked with the Australian Embassy and different non-government organizations in Nepal. Vickal lives in Germantown, MD, and loves trekking and playing soccer.

Aneesa Khan

Senior Communications Officer

aneesa@priceofoil.org

@aneesa_khan95

Aneesa Khan is the Senior Communications Officer at Oil Change International and she supports content creation as well as the development of innovative products and tools to support the dissemination of those materials.

With a passion for environmental law and creative storytelling, Aneesa joined the climate justice movement by organizing for climate reparations at the UN climate talks where she worked to make sure the voices of vulnerable black, brown, indigenous, and Global South youth were heard loud and clear over those of polluting industries. She comes to OCI with multiple years of experience as a youth activist and as an organizer with Friends of the Earth International, The Wilderness Society, and most recently, SustainUS – a youth-led climate justice organization where she served as the Executive Director. She specializes in telling stories of environmental inequity and injustice through graphic design. Aneesa holds a BA in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic and an MSc in Environmental Policy and Regulation from The London School of Economics and Political Science.

Silje Ask Lundberg

Senior Campaigner

silje@priceofoil.org

@SiljeLundberg

Silje Ask Lundberg is a Senior Campaigner at Oil Change International where she leads the work on a just and managed decline of North Sea oil and gas production.

Silje has worked on supply-side policy for over a decade, following the Norwegian debate and policies closely. Through various grassroots initiatives and organizations, she’s worked closely with local communities threaten by oil and gas exploration and built public resistance against the Norwegian oil and gas industry. She was president of Friends of the Earth Norway from 2016 – 2021. Silje lives in Oslo.

Matt Maiorana

Communications Director

matt@priceofoil.org

@mattmaiorana

Matt Maiorana is Oil Change International’s Communications Director, where he manages the organization’s communication efforts and infrastructure.

Prior to working with Oil Change, Matt worked for the Climate Action Network – International, Avaaz.org, and Greenpeace USA on a wide range of climate and energy issues. Matt has also been a strong advocate in the youth climate movement, working with the Energy Action Coalition, Sierra Student Coalition, and SustainUS where he served in leadership positions for 9 years. During this time he helped organize the first Power Shift in 2007 and was one of the founding members of YOUNGO, the official youth constituency at the UNFCCC.

Thuli Makama

Africa Program Director

thuli@priceofoil.org

Thuli Brilliance Makama is Oil Change International’s Africa Program Director, providing strategic direction and campaign support for the organization’s work in Africa. Thuli works closely with civil society organizations and other stakeholders in the Africa region to shift energy finance towards clean energy access and to expose the impacts of fossil fuel projects.

As a public interest environmental lawyer, Thuli has decades of experience advocating for public participation in environmental and economic development decisions. In 2010, she was awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize also known as the Green Nobel. Prior to founding the Environmental Law Center, Thuli was Executive Director of the environmental justice organization Yonge Nawe/ Friends of the Earth Swaziland. She currently serves on the Boards of Greenpeace International and Environment Technology Concentration (ETC).

Claire O’Manique

Public Finance Analyst

claire@priceofoil.org

Claire O’Manique is the Public Finance Analyst at Oil Change International, where she works to shift public finance away from fossil fuels and to a just clean energy transition.

Previously, Claire worked as a policy analyst on climate adaptation and infrastructure for the Canadian federal government, and on youth climate education. She holds an M.A in environmental studies from the University of Victoria, where her research focused on degrowth, Green New Deals and social movement theory in Canada. During her time as a student, she organized for fossil fuel divestment, and has remained involved in grassroots climate justice organizing in Vancouver, Canada where she currently lives.

Alex Ortiz

Communications Officer

alex.ortiz@priceofoil.org

@ClimateOfAlex

Alex Ortiz is a Communications Officer at Oil Change International, where he supports the Communications Team and is working to accelerate the youth climate movement in its just transition to a world free of fossil fuels.

Prior to joining Oil Change, Alex organized students on his university’s fossil fuel divestment campaign as well as with Maryland PIRG on their successful campaign to ban fracking. He has also worked with 350Vermont, developing a four-day climate curriculum program, elevating local residents’ voices and enabling communication with key stakeholders to create collaborative change in their communities. Alex holds a B.A. in Government and Politics with additional studies in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences from the University of Maryland.

Lopa Pal

Development Director

lopa@priceofoil.org

As Oil Change International’s Development Director, Lopa Pal leads the organization’s fundraising efforts across the organization.

Lopa has been bringing her relationship-building skills to progressive organizations for two decades. Prior to joining OCI, she was the Development Manager at Breast Cancer Action, a health justice non-profit. No stranger to climate issues, she also spent ten years raising funds for the San Francisco Bay Area organization, Greenbelt Alliance. Lopa believes in the power of grassroots, mission based fundraising that is based on building strong relationships and is pleased to bring those values and skills to OCI.

Collin Rees

U.S. Program Manager

collin@priceofoil.org

@collinrees

Collin Rees is the U.S. Program Manager at Oil Change International working to stop the expansion of the fossil fuel industry, support grassroots resistance against dirty infrastructure, end public support for oil, gas, and coal, and wind down fossil fuel production with a just and equitable transition.

He has campaigned on climate and racial justice, labor issues, and new economic models for over a decade, spanning local to international levels. Prior to joining Oil Change, Collin worked to build the power of the student fossil fuel divestment movement at 350.org, and trained youth to run campaigns with the Energy Action Coalition (now the Power Shift Network). He campaigned at the international climate negotiations with youth advocacy group SustainUS and is now a Board member, and previously worked at the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Collin studied Mechanical & Materials Science Engineering at Harvard University, and lives in Portland, ME.

Nicole Rodel

Communications Campaigner

nicole@priceofoil.org

Andrew Rowell

Contributing Editor, Priceofoil.org

andy@priceofoil.org

@andy_rowell

When not blogging for Oil Change, Andy is a freelance writer and journalist specializing in environmental issues. He has written about the oil industry and climate change for twenty years and his books include: ‘The Next Gulf’ and ‘Green Backlash’.

Andy is based in southwestern England. Andy is also a director of the non-profit company Public Interest Investigations, which runs SpinWatch.

Hikmat Soeriatanuwijaya

Senior Partnership and Outreach Officer

hikmat@priceofoil.org

Hikmat Soeriatanuwijaya is the Senior Partnership and Outreach Officer for the Asia Program at Oil Change International.

Prior to joining Oil Change International, Hikmat worked for Greenpeace for 14 years in various capacities at Greenpeace Indonesia, Greenpeace Southeast Asia, and Greenpeace International. In addition, he co-founded Arise! Indonesia, a social change communication agency, and Trend Asia, an independent civil society organization that accelerates energy transformation and promotes sustainable development throughout Asia.

Lorne Stockman

Research Co-Director

lorne@priceofoil.org

@LorneStockman

Lorne Stockman is the Research Co-Director at Oil Change International, where he researches and analyzes developments in the North American oil industry.

He has worked on oil campaigns as campaigner, campaign coordinator, researcher, and author for over fifteen years. Prior to joining Oil Change International on staff, he worked as a consultant with Greenpeace UK, Platform, and Oil Change as researcher and author of numerous reports and briefings studying investor risk in tar sands and other marginal oil sources. He has extensive research and campaign experience, including analysis and publications on climate change and energy, political economy of oil, transitions in energy markets, energy security, and financial risk; human rights, social justice, and environment & development; and political economy of development and trade issues. Lorne is the author of ‘The Next Gulf’ with Andrew Rowell and James Marriott. Lorne holds a Master’s Degree from King’s College London.

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David Tong

Global Industry Campaign Manager

david.tong@priceofoil.org

@Davidxvx

David is the Global Industry Campaign Manager at Oil Change International. His work focuses on building public support for a managed decline to wind down fossil fuel production, with a just and equitable transition.

Previously, David worked at WWF-New Zealand, where he was a key part of the campaign for the country’s Zero Carbon Act. He has also worked as a contractor for the Climate Action Network International (CAN), and in 2015 established the New Zealand CAN node. He is a former commercial litigator and community lawyer, and has an LLM (1st Hons) from the University of Auckland) specialising in human rights and climate law. He is also on the boards of Greenpeace International and the Aotearoa New Zealand Human Rights Foundation. He lives in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington, New Zealand)

Kelly Trout

Research Co-Director

kelly@priceofoil.org

@kellyatrout

Kelly Trout is the Research Co-Director at Oil Change International, focusing on pathways to rapidly and equitably phase out oil and gas production.

She leads the organisation’s analysis of energy scenarios and the implications of fossil fuel reserves and production for global climate goals. Her work spans policy steps for national and sub-national governments to phase out oil and gas production, oil and gas industry misinformation, and the fossil fuel implications of energy scenarios aligned with the 1.5°C warming limit. Prior to joining the Oil Change team, Kelly worked with the Chesapeake Climate Action Network for four years, supporting regional campaigns to ban fracking in Maryland, challenge new fossil gas pipelines in Virginia, and pass state-level clean energy and climate policies across Maryland, D.C., and Virginia. She also previously worked at Friends of the Earth U.S., where she played a key role in the group’s media and investigative work to block the Keystone XL pipeline. Kelly lives in Washington, D.C.

Bronwen Tucker

Global Public Finance Campaign Co-Manager

bronwen@priceofoil.org

@bronwentucker

Bronwen Tucker is the Global Public Finance Co-Manager at Oil Change International, focusing on shifting public finance and subsidies towards a fair and 100% renewable future.

Previously, Bronwen worked towards Indigenous rights and a just transition away from the tar sands in Alberta as a campaigner with the Council of Canadians and Greenpeace Canada. Her academic work has focused on evaluating climate and energy policies for their impacts on equity and mitigation, and on social movement theory. She got her start in advocacy as a student organizer for fossil fuel divestment, free tuition, and migrant justice in Quebec. Bronwen lives in Edmonton, Canada and holds a MSc from the University of Oxford and a B.A.&Sc. from McGill University.

Laurie van der Burg

Global Public Finance Campaign Co-Manager

laurie@priceofoil.org

@LaurievdBurg

Laurie is the Global Public Finance Co-Manager at Oil Change International. Her work focuses on ensuring a just transition through moving governments and financial institutions away from continued financing and permitting the expansion of oil and gas.

Previously, Laurie worked at Friends of the Earth Netherlands where she led a climate court case against Shell, filed on behalf of over 17000 people. Prior to that she worked with the Overseas Development Institute as a climate and energy researcher focusing on fossil fuel subsidies and energy access. She got her start in climate activism as a student working on a fossil fuel divestment campaign with Students for Sustainability Amsterdam. Laurie holds an LLM in Environmental and Climate Change Law from the University of Edinburgh and a Bsc in Liberal Arts and Sciences from Amsterdam University College. She lives in Amsterdam.

Susanne Wong

Asia Program Manager

susanne@priceofoil.org

@susanneir

Susanne Wong is the Asia Program Manager at Oil Change International. She works with an international and Japanese-led coalition to end the Japanese government’s financing of coal.

Previously, Susanne worked at International Rivers where she campaigned to pressure the Asian Development Bank to provide compensation for communities affected by dams in Laos and organized a conference to strengthen the international movement to protect rivers and human rights. Susanne also worked with The Greenlining Institute to highlight the transformational impacts of California Climate Investments on low-income communities of color and to mobilize a coalition to encourage tech companies to invest in and support local communities in Oakland.

Stephen Kretzmann

Founder

@Kretzmann

Stephen Kretzmann founded Oil Change International in 2005 in order to educate about the true impacts of fossil fuels, to conduct research, education, and organizing to hasten the transition to clean energy.

Steve has worked on environmental and social issues around the global fossil fuel industry since 1990. After eight years in Greenpeace where he was an early leader in climate campaigns, he became the environmental adviser to the late Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People in Nigeria. For the next ten years, before founding Oil Change International, he worked with communities, public and private financial institutions, corporations, and organizations around the world concerned with the environmental, social, and economic impacts of the fossil fuel industry. He has always connected support for these community-based efforts with systemic critiques of the industry for climate reasons. Mr. Kretzmann has testified before U.S. Congress, authored numerous articles and reports, and is a regular media commentator on issues of corporate accountability, climate change, the global fossil fuel industry, and environmental and human rights.

Makiko Arima

Japan Finance Campaigner

makiko@priceofoil.org

Makiko Arima is a Japan Finance Campaigner at Oil Change International, where she works with Japanese and international civil society organizations to end Japan’s public financing of fossil fuels.

Previously, she worked with the Ministry of the Environment of Japan where she oversaw bilateral environmental cooperation between Japan and partner countries across Asia. Makiko has also worked for the United Nations University’s Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability where she worked on issues ranging from biodiversity and climate change to urban development and the Sustainable Development Goals. Makiko lives in Tokyo.

Valentina Stackl

Senior Media Specialist

valentina@priceofoil.org

Valentina Stackl is the Senior Media Specialist at Oil Change International, where she works to tell impactful stories with affected communities at the center to help move the dial on the climate crisis.

As a multi-lingual and multi-cultural communications specialist and storyteller with over 12 years of experience, her focus is on shifting the imbalance of the global economy and challenging human rights and environmental justice violations with frontline communities. Before joining Oil Change International, Valentina managed the Communications Program at EarthRights International and led Greenpeace’s Democracy campaigns communications. She also served on the leadership team for the Protect the Protest task force and the board of the Rules. She lives in Washington DC.

Kristine Suh

Director of People and Culture

kristine@priceofoil.org

As the Director of People and Culture at Oil Change International, Kristine Suh leads the charge on ensuring all employees of OCI have a equitable, safe, and fun environment by focusing HR, culture, JEDI, team growth and employee engagement.

Prior to OCI, Kristine has worked at other mission driven organizations such as Sheltering Arms NY and Upswing in addition to tech startups focused on data analytics and media. Within her roles there, she created HR and recruiting departments from the ground up as well as lead HR/Operations teams. When she isn’t working on supporting teams to help them make an impact in the world, she is tending to her collection of 70+ indoor plants and outdoor vegetable garden.

Mahir Ilgaz

Regional Programs Director

mahir@priceofoil.org

Mahir Ilgaz is Oil Change International’s Regional Programs Director. Mahir has been an avid climate and energy transition proponent for nearly twenty years. He started out as an EU policy expert, specializing in energy, climate, and environmental policies.

Mahir has held many different positions over a long career in climate and energy transition advocacy, working for the last 10 years at 350.org. He has a diverse set of skills in various aspects of campaigning, organizing, communications, research design, policy analysis, grant writing and grant making. Mahir also has significant experience managing multiple regional and project teams from diverse backgrounds. His current areas of interest include just energy transition, climate finance, and international collaboration vs. competition. He enjoys teamwork and collaboration and thrives in challenging situations. Mahir lives on the Aegean coast of Turkey, together with his partner and two kids.

Mariam Kemple Hardy

Global Campaigns Director

mariam@priceofoil.org

Mariam Kemple Hardy is Oil Change International’s Global Campaigns Director, specializing in developing and leading diverse coalitions.

Prior to joining Oil Change International, she built an award-winning Campaigns Team at the UK charity Refugee Action, worked as Head of Humanitarian Campaigning at Oxfam International and led a global team supporting grassroots organisations to advocate for peace in Sudan and South Sudan when at Crisis Action. She is a Trustee of Gingerbread, the charity for single parents, and has previously been a Trustee of the Woman’s Trust, an organisation providing free counselling to women affected by domestic violence in London. Mariam holds an MA in Human Rights Law from the School of Oriental & African Studies and a BA in English Literature from Cambridge University. She lives in the UK.

Shucheeta Shrestha Tamrakar

Accounting Associate

shucheeta@priceofoil.org

Shucheeta Shrestha Tamrakar is an Accounting Associate at Oil Change International, currently based out of the Washington DC office. In this capacity, Shucheeta provides invaluable support in managing the organization’s administrative and financial activities to optimal levels of efficiency and effectiveness.

Possessing a Master’s degree in Sociology, Shucheeta brings over 10 years of experience in book-keeping, counseling and marketing, as well as administrative and management roles. Prior to joining OCI, Shucheeta served in various roles including administrative manager and senior counsellor in Nepal at one of the education consulting companies based in Australia. With a reputation for being honest, easy-going and friendly, she holds a strong belief in fostering positive teamwork, transparency and well-being where she is highly valued for her diligent work ethic and exemplary attention to detail.Outside the office, Shucheeta enjoys indulging in various hobbies such as reading books, baking, canvas painting, and, of course, shopping. She resides in Springfield, Virginia with her two beautiful kids and a very loving husband.

Tiana Robles

Operations Associate

tiana@priceofoil.org

Tiana Robles is the Operations Associate at Oil Change International and provides administrative and logistical support for the Operations team.

Prior to joining Oil Change International, she worked as both an Office Coordinator and Executive and Finance Coordinator at the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, where she handled organizational, financial, and fundraising responsibilities. She holds a B.A. in Global Affairs with a concentration in Middle East and North Africa from George Mason University.

Al Johnson-Kurts

Global Industry Communications Campaigner

al@priceofoil.org

Al Johnson-Kurts is the Global Industry Communications Campaigner at Oil Change International, where they execute traditional and digital media strategies to disrupt Big Oil and Gas narratives and counter industry disinformation.

Al has campaigned on climate, racial, gender, and economic justice for over a decade, from the neighborhood level to international spaces. Prior to joining OCI, Al served as the communications lead for the youth climate advocacy group SustainUS, the economic justice organization Rights & Democracy, the gender equity initiative Change The Story, and multiple progressive electoral campaigns. They managed the campaign that eventually led to the State of Vermont’s successful divestment from coal. Al has volunteered as a member of Central Vermont Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), on the steering committee for the VT Freedom Bail Fund / El Fondo Para La Libertad VT, and plays the saxophone in the anti-imperialist street band Brass Balagan. Al studied Economics and Environmental Science & Policy at Smith College. They live in Montpelier, VT.

Camilo Rodríguez

Research Analyst

camilo@priceofoil.org

Camilo is an analyst researcher supporting the different investigations made by Oil Change International.

He is an economist at the National University of Colombia with an MA in development studies from the Institute of Social Studies in the Netherlands. In his MA thesis, he analyzed the challenges of phasing out fossil fuels in the global south from a financial perspective. Besides, Camilo has five years of research experience in Colombia, studying different socioeconomic and environmental issues. He has worked as an economic policy advisor for a Colombian congressman and labor union proposing different policies to build a more equitable world.

María Alejandra Vesga Correa

Legal Officer

maria@priceofoil.org

María is the Legal Officer of the Global Public Finance Team at Oil Change International. She works in close collaboration with international movement partners and OCI colleagues, and leads efforts to build and steer OCI’s legal work focused on holding governments and their public finance institutions accountable to their climate commitments and legal obligations.

María has experience in stakeholder management and intergovernmental relations. She worked as a consultant of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), where she supported the implementation of development projects in post-conflict territories. Prior to that, she worked as an attorney for the Government of Colombia in public procurement and anti-corruption, where she led the implementation of transparency and OECD standards. She has proven practice drafting and reviewing legal documents, negotiating contracts, policies, laws, and regulations, and assessing International Conventions. At the international sphere, Maria worked for a Sustainable Investment Fund (ILX B.V.) reviewing the application of the EU Taxonomy and Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR). Finally, she worked with the Legal Unit of Greenpeace International in strategic climate litigation cases, having contributed with research and legal strategies to fight oil majors and challenge governments to comply with their climate commitments. María is a qualified Colombian lawyer with Master´s in International Law from Panthéon-Assas University and holds an LL.M. in International Business Law, specializing in Climate Change & Sustainability from the VU Amsterdam. She is proficient in Spanish, English, French and Portuguese.

OUR BOARD

Niranjali Amerasinghe
Executive Director, ActionAid USA

Nnimmo Bassey
Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation

Thomas Cavanagh
Executive Director, Bandaloop

Renato Redentor Constantino
Executive Director, Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC)

John Durkalski, Treasurer
Partner, Butsavage & Durkalski, P.C.

Leslie Harroun, Chair
Senior Fellow for Strategic Initiatives, Democracy Collaborative

Jonathan G. Kaufman
Executive Director, Advocates for Community Alternatives

Melissa B. Mills, Secretary
Genetic Counselor, Stanford Children’s Hospital

Analía Penchaszadeh, Vice Chair
Organizational Development Practitioner and Facilitator

Pallavi Phartiyal
Deputy Executive Director, Rainforest Action Network

Rebecca Solnit
Writer

View our annual reports: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022

View our financial audits: 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2020-2021, 2021-2022

View our 990 forms: 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2020-2021, 2021-2022