María Mendiluce is the CEO of the We Mean Business Coalition and has 25 years of experience in sustainable development, energy and climate action.

As chief executive of the Coalition, María is working with more than 40 implementation partners to provide the north star for ambitious climate action and to guide companies though their journey to net zero. The Coalition, to date, has mobilized 18,000 companies, big and small, that have committed to reducing emissions aligned with the Paris Agreement. It has also brought the business voice to G7, G20 and UNFCCC to provide confidence to policy makers to put in place ambitious climate policies.

Maria sits on the boards of the Science Based Targets initiative, the Mission Possible Partnership and is co-founder of the SME Climate Hub. She was former Managing Director of WBCSD and held senior positions at the Economic Bureau of the Spanish Prime Minister, in the CEO’s office of Iberdrola and at the International Energy Agency.

Maria has a PhD in energy economics. She is a Commissioner on the Energy Transitions Commission, a board member of the Centre for International Environmental Studies (CIES) in the Graduate Institute in Geneva and she is part of several companies’ sustainability advisory councils. In 2023, María has been featured in TIME's inaugural list of the 100 most influential climate leaders in business.

María is Spanish, has three kids and lives in Geneva.