Practitioner perspectives,
not theory.
25 years at the sharp end of enterprise technology, sustainability, and AI. Available for keynotes, panels, podcasts, and media interviews.
Watch the work
Selected video appearances spanning enterprise sustainability, Energy as a Service, and data centre innovation.
Cisco Energy Efficient Data Center
Full walkthrough of Cisco's first LEED Gold certified purpose-built data centre in Allen, TX — covering sustainable design, mechanical systems, and operational outcomes.
AWS re:Invent 2022 — IoT for Sustainability
How Amazon uses AWS IoT services across its physical locations to scale sustainability efforts and remove blockers to data-driven decision-making at global scale.
What I speak about
Every talk draws on real deployments, real data, and real failures. No theory, no vendor pitch.
AI Transformation at Scale
How to drive genuine AI adoption across engineering organisations. Lessons from achieving 84% adoption across 221 engineers at SafetyCulture, and why Claude won over Copilot, Cursor, and Windsurf.
Sustainability as a Data Problem
Why 90% of companies cannot accurately measure their emissions, why the regulatory window is closing, and how AI changes the cost structure of closing the measurement gap.
Energy as a Service (EaaS) at Enterprise Scale
The architecture, strategy, and business model for delivering energy management as a managed service across a global enterprise. From co-creating Cisco EnergyWise to $47M in verified savings.
Technology Leadership at Global Scale
Building and scaling engineering organisations across Cisco, AWS, Hitachi, and SafetyCulture. Managing $200M P&Ls, $1.6B in new business, and programs spanning 70+ countries.
Where I have spoken
AIRAH National Conference — Melbourne, Australia
Keynote on data-driven sustainability in commercial buildings and the emerging role of AI in enterprise energy management.
Amazon Web Services re:Invent
How Amazon uses AWS IoT services in its physical locations to scale sustainability efforts and remove blockers that impede data-driven decision-making.
Watch on YouTube →Hitachi Lumada for Mining — Silicon Valley Leadership Forum
Digital twin development and computer vision for mining operations optimisation. Innovations from this work sparked further advances beyond the original Hitachi program.
Hitachi Enterprise Cloud
Introducing Hitachi Cloud Services, delivering cloud options and on-ramps providing flexibility, mobility, and a pay-as-you-grow cost structure.
View event →Cisco Energy Efficient Data Center
Case study on Cisco’s first LEED Gold certified, purpose-built data centre in Allen, TX. Full walkthrough of groundbreaking sustainable data centre technologies and Energy as a Service deployment.
Watch on YouTube →GigaOm Green:Net Conference — San Francisco
Panel discussion on IT as an enabler of improved monitoring, measurement, and management of environmental and utilisation data in enterprise operations.
Awards & honours
Claude for Climate Series
Author of a seven-part practitioner series on using Claude to make corporate sustainability data visible and actionable at enterprise scale.
Read the series →451 Research Firestarter Award
Awarded to Hitachi in recognition of innovative advancements to its Lumada IoT portfolio.
Hitachi Chairman’s Award
Recognises exceptional innovations within the Hitachi Group that significantly advance the company’s Social Innovation Business.
AEE International Energy Award
Association of Energy Engineers International Award for innovation in energy management. World Energy Engineering Congress, Washington D.C.
View announcement →Greenpeace Cool IT Challenge Winner
Two consecutive years recognised for leadership in corporate IT sustainability and measurable emissions reductions through Cisco EnergyWise.
View coverage →Wiley / IEEE Press Author
IP-Enabled Energy Management published by John Wiley & Sons and IEEE Press. 50,000+ copies sold globally.
View on Amazon →iMasons Sustainability Committee Chair
Chair of the Sustainability Committee at the Infrastructure Masons global digital infrastructure professional organisation.
View iMasons →ISO Standards Contributor
Contributor to international standards development in energy management and enterprise deployment frameworks.
Papers, case studies & articles
Selected publications spanning Energy as a Service, data centres, sustainability strategy, and AI.
Claude for Climate: 7-Episode Practitioner Series
An ongoing series using Claude to make corporate sustainability data visible and actionable. Covers measurement failures, data processing, supplier engagement, and regulatory compliance.
Read the series →Amazon Science: AI, Sustainability and Data Centers
Certified external speaker and regular blogger for Amazon Science on AI, sustainability, data centres, and commercial real estate.
View Amazon Science →The Sustainable Hospital
How hospitals, as mission-critical facilities, share operational characteristics with data centres. Focuses on health, safety, and interior environment quality alongside an AIRAH keynote.
Read article →IP-Enabled Energy Management: Energy as a Service
Practitioner’s guide to establishing EaaS using IP networks to monitor and manage power-consuming devices at enterprise scale. Wiley / IEEE Press, 50,000+ copies.
View on Amazon →Cisco on Cisco: Implementing Energy as a Service
Detailed case study on how Cisco implemented EaaS in lab operations, achieving greater than 30% reduction in electrical costs globally.
Request copy →Future Facilities: 30% Energy Savings Through Optimisation
Cisco-Future Facilities joint case study showing measured 30% savings through mechanical system modifications using Virtual Facility modelling tools.
Request copy →Mission Critical Magazine: Exhaust Recirculation in Data Centres
Mechanical system optimisation in data centres and the implications of higher-density IT infrastructure on capacity management in mission-critical environments.
Request copy →Uptime Institute: The Disrupted Data Center
Cloud, Cost, Capacity, Carbon — the realities of implementing Energy as a Service in a data centre operation at enterprise scale.
Request copy →Media appearances
Selected broadcast, print, and online interviews on enterprise sustainability, Energy as a Service, data centres, and AI.
Building Cisco EnergyWise
Video interview with Rich Miller on the architecture, deployment, and business case for Cisco EnergyWise — one of the first enterprise-scale EaaS platforms.
View interview →The Cisco Efficiency Assurance Program
Interview with Michael Morris on the commercial framework built around Cisco EnergyWise for enterprise energy management as a service.
Energy Efficiency and Direct Cost Savings in Enterprise IT
Interview with Robert L. Mitchell on how energy efficiency delivers more direct cost savings than other Green IT technologies, and how to measure and report the impact.
VM Provisioning and Cloud Impact on Data Centre Capacity
Discussion for data centre facilities managers on the impacts of VM provisioning and cloud architectures on mechanical, electrical, and spatial capacity planning.
IT Innovation and Federal Data Center Energy Efficiency
Washington DC radio discussion of emerging US Federal Government plans to improve energy efficiency in data centres and the role of GHG regulatory frameworks.
Cisco Smart Grid Topologies and EnergyWise
Article on using Cisco Smart Grid network topologies in conjunction with Cisco EnergyWise for enterprise energy measurement and management.
The practitioner’s handbook
This award-winning book documents how we built and deployed a global Energy as a Service (EaaS) platform using an IP network as the control plane. By deploying this technology, Cisco saved more than $40M USD with GHG savings equivalent to grounding five million international flights or planting over 100 million trees.
The technology described has evolved, but the business and sustainability strategies are as relevant today as ever. Available on Amazon, with the first three chapters free on Google Books.
“If you are burnt out on reading greenwashed marketing from every vendor under the sun and just want an honest and solid method for understanding the problem, designing a solution and being able to honestly report your before and after results, then this is the book for you.”
Amazon reviewer“This is the first benchmarking book for energy worth its weight that I have read. Most of the green fluff out there today is loaded down with market so vendors can push their wares on your network.”
Amazon reviewer“As a benchmarking book for energy efficiency it has a practical bent and useful information you can put into practice. It’s not just about the business. It’s also about commitment to the planet. Rob pays attention to both.”
Amazon reviewerHeadshots
Professional headshots available for press and media use. Click to download full resolution.
For press and event organisers
Select the appropriate bio length for your publication or event program.
Rob Aldrich is a technology and sustainability executive with 25 years of experience at the intersection of enterprise technology, AI, and sustainability. He is the co-creator of Cisco EnergyWise, former Global Sustainable Buildings Lead at Amazon Web Services, and former interim Chief AI Officer at SafetyCulture, where he drove 84% AI tool adoption across 221 engineers with Claude selected as the primary tool over Copilot, Cursor, and Windsurf. He is the author of IP-Enabled Energy Management (Wiley/IEEE Press) and writes the Claude for Climate series on making corporate sustainability data visible and actionable at global scale. He holds a degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of Rhode Island.
Rob Aldrich is a technology and sustainability executive with 25 years of hands-on experience building and leading enterprise technology programs at global scale.
As co-creator of Cisco EnergyWise, he delivered one of the first enterprise-scale Energy as a Service (EaaS) platforms, saving Cisco more than $40M USD and achieving GHG reductions equivalent to grounding five million international flights. He led Amazon Web Services’ Global Sustainable Buildings practice, delivering programs including the Climate Pledge Arena and Amazon’s net-zero operations program across hundreds of facilities worldwide.
As former interim Chief AI Officer at SafetyCulture, he drove 84% AI tool adoption across 221 engineers in under nine months, with Claude selected as the primary tool over Copilot, Cursor, and Windsurf. He is the author of IP-Enabled Energy Management (Wiley/IEEE Press, 50,000+ copies sold), winner of the 2015 AEE International Energy Award, two-time Greenpeace Cool IT Challenge winner, and Chair of the iMasons Sustainability Committee. He holds a degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of Rhode Island.
Rob Aldrich is a technology and sustainability executive with 25 years of hands-on experience building and leading enterprise technology programs at global scale. His career spans operational technology, data centres, networking, EaaS, cloud, and AI, always with sustainability outcomes as the guiding objective.
Rob began his career in data centre power and cooling system design with APC (a Schneider Electric company), placing him at the forefront of the first large-scale convergence projects between digital and analog systems — a field later described as IoT.
In 2004 Rob joined Cisco Systems, where he established Cisco’s first validated design program, co-created Cisco EnergyWise, led the internal deployment across the Cisco estate, led the acquisitions of Richards Zeta and JouleX, and authored the industry’s first practitioner guide to deploying Energy as a Service at enterprise scale. By deploying this technology, Cisco saved more than $40M USD with GHG savings equivalent to grounding five million international flights or planting over 100 million trees.
At Hitachi, Rob delivered Hitachi Enterprise Cloud (HEC) and served as Hitachi’s lead IoT architect globally, earning both the 451 Research Firestarter Award and the Hitachi Chairman’s Award for innovation in the Lumada IoT portfolio.
Rob then joined Amazon Web Services as Global Lead for the Sustainable Buildings practice, delivering Amazon’s net-zero operations programs and signature projects including the Climate Pledge Arena across hundreds of facilities in multiple countries.
As former interim Chief AI Officer at SafetyCulture, Rob drove 84% AI tool adoption across 221 engineers in under nine months, with Claude selected as the primary tool over Copilot, Cursor, and Windsurf. He is the author of IP-Enabled Energy Management (Wiley/IEEE Press, 50,000+ copies sold), winner of the 2015 AEE International Energy Award, two-time Greenpeace Cool IT Challenge winner, Chair of the iMasons Sustainability Committee, and ISO standards contributor. He holds a degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of Rhode Island.
Book me for your next event
Available for keynotes, panel discussions, podcast interviews, and media appearances on AI, sustainability, and enterprise technology.
Get in touch