Sudhakar Kesavan

Career

Sudhakar Kesavan is the chairman and chief executive officer (since 1999) of ICF International (headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia) and its wholly owned subsidiary, ICF Consulting Group (divested from Kaiser in 1999). Kesavan began his career as an associate at ICF. He now guides more than 4,500 employees worldwide in delivering technology solutions and consulting services in the areas of energy, environment and infrastructure, health, social programs, human services, homeland security and defense. Since he took on his leadership roles in 1997, he has led ICF through a leveraged buyout, an initial public offering and consistent growth.

Kesavan is a Board Member Emeritus of the Rainforest Alliance, a non-profit environmental organization, and is the Vice Chairman of the Northern Virginia Technology Council. He is also a supporter of IIMPACT, a non-profit that focuses on primary education for girls from economically depressed areas of India.

Kesavan was a member of the United Nations Environment Program Montreal Protocol Technology and Economic Assessment Panel. His leadership helped ICF International become the first professional services firm in the world to go carbon neutral as one of the first firms to participate in the Climate Neutral Network.

Under Kesavan’s guidance, ICF International grew to become one of the world's largest consulting firms that specializes in climate change, energy, environment, transportation and health issues.

Education

Kesavan earned his master’s degree from the Technology and Policy Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology after earning his postgraduate diploma in management from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and his bachelor of technology degree (emphasis in chemical engineering) from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur.

Honors

Among the more recent honors Kesavan has received for his professional contributions are the “Executive of the Year” award and the ““Distinguished Alumnus Award.”

In November, 2009 Kesavan was named “Executive of the Year” in the 7th Annual Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards. The award distinguished him among executives with companies having an annual revenue greater than $300 million and was presented by the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce’s Greater Washington GovCon Council, the Professional Services Council, and Washington Technology magazine, recognized Kesavan for “exceptional innovation, dedication, and commitment to excellence.”

Kesavan was also honored with the “Distinguished Alumnus Award” (DAA) in 2010, the highest honor bestowed by IIT, Kanpur to its alumni. IIT awarded Kesavan for his outstanding professional achievements in the area of environment and global warming.

In 2009, the Washingtonian included Kesavan in their list of “Tech Titans” and one of the “100 leaders of Washington’s Tech World.” The criteria included a proven track record in the tech world, vision and influence.