Will Polen

As USEA’s Senior Director for Europe and Eurasia (E&E), Mr. Polen possesses 20 years of experience directing cooperative programs with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. Trade and Development Agency, U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE), and U.S. Department of State supporting market transformation, energy trade and investment and technology transfer in the E&E region. 

In his capacity as Senior Director for E&E, he manages two major USAID funded regional transmission planning projects that have leveraged several hundred million dollars in transmission network investment:  Southeast Europe Cooperation Initiative Transmission Planning Project and the Black Sea Regional Transmission Planning Project. 

He is also responsible for implementing USEA’s Utility Partnership Program for E&E, which has supported more than 20 twinning arrangements between U.S. electric power and natural gas utilities and their counterparts in E&E, including Ukraine, Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Albania, and Kosovo, focused on utility commercialization, privatization and electricity market transformation.

Mr. Polen is a frequent traveler to the E&E region and possesses an extensive network of contacts with electric utilities and regulatory authorities in E&E.  He has established USEA project offices in Moscow, Kiev, Yerevan, Tbilisi, and Astana.  He currently manages a staff of four professionals in USEA’s Washington, DC headquarters.

Mr. Polen graduated from the University of Delaware in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and from The American University in 1988 with a Master of Arts in International Development. 

Conferences