Olivia Percy

Olivia Percy, Harvard University’s sustainability leader at the helm of planning, development, and strategy for Harvard University Housing and Real Estate, is dedicated to effecting market transformation beyond the campus boundaries. In her role, she is actively seeking paths to augment real estate value while considering climate, health, and equity. Olivia’s groundbreaking vision fuels industry-leading standards and lays the foundation for scalable frameworks in asset management through her commitment to innovation and continuous improvement.

Integral in creating standards and initiatives at Harvard, Olivia collaborates with a wide range of stakeholders, from faculty and research organizations to startups and utility partners. Since joining the Office for Sustainability in 2011, she has been a driving force in university-wide plans, goals, policy writing, and steering committees. Among her impactful contributions are two landmark passive house historic renovations, portfolio-scaled water retrofitting, co-creator of Eversource’s Bright Opportunities Program, and the inception of Harvard University Housing’s Sustainable Community and Leadership Program and Harvard Real Estate’s Sustainable Workplace Initiative.

Prior to her tenure at Harvard, Olivia launched her career in sustainability in 2007. She worked as a senior consultant in the commercial real estate market of New York City, initiating and overseeing sustainability efforts. She holds a Master of Public Policy from Tufts University with a focus on sustainable development and environmental justice, a dual degree in Political Science and Communication from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and post-graduate certificates from New York University Schack Institute of Real Estate in Construction Project Management and Suffolk University in Sustainable Real Estate. Olivia is a LEED AP ND, WELL AP, and holds the ILFI Living Future Accreditation.