Martin Renkis is a renowned executive leader and innovator, currently serving as the Executive Director of Global Sustainable Infrastructure at Johnson Controls. With a career spanning over three decades, Renkis has consistently demonstrated a passion for driving transformative advancements in sustainability, decarbonization, electrification, digital transformation, and energy transition. His leadership has resulted in the creation of strategic partnerships and groundbreaking solutions that have delivered more than $1 billion in guaranteed annual outcomes.
In his current role, Renkis spearheads initiatives to advance global energy transition and sustainability goals. He has successfully developed a $500 million pipeline for energy transition projects and introduced pioneering solutions like the “Net Zero Data Center as a Service,” leveraging patented carbon capture technologies. Collaborating with institutions like MIT Lincoln Labs and Stanford University, Renkis has facilitated advancements in energy efficiency, microgrid applications, and innovative partnerships across the sustainability landscape. His efforts in fostering partnerships, engaging C-Suite executives, and championing event leadership at platforms like GreenBiz and Climate Week underscore his commitment to global climate action.
Previously, as Vice President of Technology at Johnson Controls, Renkis led a $550 million digital transformation of physical security product lines into a unified global “as-a-service” platform. His strategic vision included customer-driven product designs, partnerships with global tech leaders, and the alignment of diverse technology roadmaps into a cohesive smart building vision. This role demonstrated his ability to merge technological innovation with business strategy, enabling transformative outcomes across industries.
Renkis’s entrepreneurial acumen is evident from his earlier ventures. As the founder and CEO of Smartvue, he built the industry’s first IoT video cloud platform, raising $15 million in financing and securing partnerships with giants like Microsoft and Toshiba. Under his leadership, Smartvue managed a customer portfolio of over 2,000 corporations and handled video uploads at a scale twice that of YouTube at its peak. Smartvue’s innovations, supported by over 800 granted utility patent claims, earned industry accolades, including the CRN Top 50 IoT Company award and the CES Best of Show honor, leading to its acquisition by Johnson Controls.
Before Smartvue, Renkis founded Trainersoft, the first cloud-based e-learning platform. Self-funded and scaled to serve 5,000 corporate clients, including 35% of the Fortune 500, Trainersoft revolutionized employee training and earned numerous awards, including Inc. 500 recognition. Renkis’s visionary leadership culminated in the successful acquisition of Trainersoft by OutStart (IBM).
A master mentor of entrepreneurship at Vanderbilt University and ranked among the top 1% of U.S. patent inventors, Renkis combines his technical ingenuity with an unrelenting drive to shape the future of global infrastructure. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Cinema from Denison University and is a proud alumnus of The Kiski School.
With a legacy of creating sustainable, innovative, and impactful solutions, Martin Renkis continues to lead at the intersection of technology and sustainability, redefining the possibilities for a greener, more efficient world.
- Character: Martin Renkis demonstrates unwavering integrity, resilience, and a visionary mindset, driving impactful innovation and sustainability solutions.
- Knowledge: Renkis possesses deep expertise in sustainable infrastructure, cloud-based technologies, digital transformation, and energy transition, underpinned by a robust portfolio of patents and entrepreneurial success.
- Strategic: He excels in building and executing forward-thinking strategies, aligning technology innovation with business objectives to achieve transformative outcomes across industries.
- Communication: Renkis is an adept communicator who effectively engages C-suite leaders, academic institutions, and global partners to foster collaboration and drive shared goals.
