Karim Hill – Private Equity and Finance

Karim Hill is a highly accomplished banker with varied economic interests across the financial, energy, and technology markets. As a Financial Services industry veteran, Karim has served in management and executive roles for leading financial institutions including Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Capital One, and RBS Citizens, where he was one of the lead Banking executives in the Northeast.

Karim is an active private equity investor, with expertise structuring large and complex financial deals. Karim participates on several corporate boards, and also leads the Smaller Business Association of New England. Karim is an active advisor to the Sendent executive team, on all matters of finance and financial strategy.

Karim received his Master’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Florida International University, and his B.A. from Ohio University.

David O’Connor – Energy Regulation and Compliance

David O’Connor is the Senior Vice President for Energy at ML Strategies, LLC,a subsidiary of the law firm of Mintz Levin. In that role, he helps energy and technology companies expand their markets and accelerate their growth by influencing the scope and content of emerging legislation, regulations and public policies. His clients include companies that develop wind, solar, biomass and hydroelectric power plants, install transmission, demand response and smart grid technologies, and provide on-site generating capabilities through the use of fuel cells and combined heat and power plants.

Prior to joining ML Strategies, David served as the Commissioner of Energy Resources for Massachusetts for twelve years, serving under five Governors from 1995 through 2007. During this time he was one of the leaders of the state’s historic restructuring of its electric industry. This included the enactment of regulatory and legislative reforms that introduced competition among power generators and provided consumers for the first time with the opportunity to choose their power supplier. He also oversaw the design of energy efficiency programs delivered by the state’s electric and natural gas utilities. He developed the first-ever, state-level renewable portfolio standard to provide consumers with low carbon power supplies through a tradable credit system. He also represented Massachusetts in the negotiations that led to the historic agreement among eleven states to create the first binding regulatory framework to limit carbon emissions from power plants (known as RGGI).

Prior to his appointment as Commissioner, he had a distinguished career serving as a mediator of energy and environmental disputes and as a leader in the field of dispute resolution.

David received his Masters of Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and his B.A. from Middlebury College.