NOAA’s top scientist returns to Wall Street

By Corbin Hiar | 10/22/2024 06:11 AM EDT

Sarah Kapnick has spent much of her career bouncing between NOAA and the private sector.

Sarah Kapnick, then chief scientist at NOAA, speaks at the COP28 climate summit.

Sarah Kapnick, then chief scientist at NOAA, speaks at the COP28 climate summit. Joshua Bickel/AP

The next potential leader of NOAA is back at JPMorgan Chase, the world’s largest bank announced Monday.

Sarah Kapnick served from April 2022 until last month as the agency’s chief scientist — a high-profile post that’s been a stepping stone for previous NOAA leaders, including current Administrator Richard Spinrad.

Kapnick is now JPMorgan’s global head of climate advisory, according to an internal memo shared with POLITICO’s E&E News.

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“Sarah will oversee our thought leadership strategy and play an important role in engaging with clients on climate and sustainability topics,” Rama Variankaval, who leads the bank’s corporate advisory practice, said in the memo. “She brings extensive expertise across the intersection of commerce with climate science, ocean and weather technologies, and national security, and has a Ph.D. in Atmospheric and Oceanic sciences from UCLA.”

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