Lee Addams

is a seasoned leader across agriculture and energy with deep experience guiding corporate and financial clients through strategy, innovation, and M&A —His career spans strategy advisory as well as executive roles in both public and private companies.  He was recently a Partner at Ernst & Young - Parthenon, based out of Omaha, Nebraska, and a leader of the Agriculture/Agribusiness practice.   Currently based in Utah, he is the founder of Open Trail Ventures (advisory, early-stage investment, and active executive roles), and a co-founder of Water Wise Solar, focused on the deployment of floating solar technology.  Previously, Lee was CEO of Crop Metrics, LLC, an agricultural technology company with a productivity and sustainability focus, which he led to a successful acquisition in 2020. He has also served as Senior Vice President of Strategy for Valmont Industries (NYSE: VMI), a global manufacturer of irrigation and infrastructure systems, and was part of the founding leadership group of McKinsey & Company's Sustainability and Resource Productivity Practice, co-authoring a key report on the water sector (“Charting our Water Future”).  Lee began his career at the Earth Institute at Columbia University, with additional experience at Exxon Exploration Company. He holds a PhD in Geological and Environmental Science (Hydrology) from Stanford University and a BSc in Applied Physics from Brigham Young University.