Board of directors

Michael Klein has served as a director at Oklo since May 2024.

Michael served as chairman of the board of directors for AltC Acquisition Corp from July 2021 until the closing of its business combination with Oklo in May 2024.

Michael is the founder and managing partner of M. Klein and Company. Launched in 2012, M. Klein and Company is a global advisory firm to chief executive officers, boards of directors, governments, and large institutional investors. Michael’s background in strategic advisory work was built during his more than 35 year career, including more than two decades at Citi and its predecessors, during which he initiated and executed strategic advisory transactions. He began his career as an investment banker in the M&A Advisory Group at Salomon Brothers and subsequently became Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of its successor firm, Citi Markets and Banking.

Michael is a graduate of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned his Bachelors of Science in Economics, with honors, and dual concentrations in finance and accounting.

In addition to Oklo, Michael currently serves on the board of directors of Skillsoft and Multiplan and has served on the boards of numerous public companies and private companies, as well as, not-for-profit organizations and Universities. Michael currently serves as the Chairman of the Investment Advisory Committee of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund.

Daniel B. Poneman has decades of experience in the U.S. nuclear industry across both public and private sectors. He served as Deputy Secretary of Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy from 2009 to 2014. Mr. Poneman later became President and CEO of Centrus Energy Corp. from 2015 to 2023, where he played a key role in launching the first U.S.-technology enabled domestic uranium enrichment production since 1954.

Michael Thompson has over 25 years of experience investing in and advising technology companies. Since 2017, he has served as CEO and Managing Partner of Reinvent Capital, a private investment fund focused on technology. Prior to that, he was the Founder and Managing Director of BHR-Capital, a New York-based hedge fund.

Richard W. Kinzley served in various leadership roles for 25 years at Black Hills Corporation, a multi-state investor owned electric and gas utility, most recently as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from January 2015 until his retirement in July 2023.

Mr. Kinzley previously served as Black Hills Corporation's Vice President and Corporate Controller from January 2013 until December 2014 and as its Vice President, Strategic Planning and Corporate Development from October 2008 until December 2012.

Prior to his time at Black Hills Corporate, Mr. Kinzley worked for 10 years as a certified public accountant. Mr. Kinzley holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with an emphasis on Accounting, from the University of South Dakota.

John Jansen is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant General, F/A-18 fighter pilot, carrier pilot, and TOPGUN graduate who served this great Nation for 35 years. 

His recent experience includes the Chief Executive Officer of Advanced Technology International and previous to that, the Managing Director of EMEA/APAC for Luminator Technology Group. 

John is a graduate of Indiana University's Kelley School of Business (BS Finance), Harvard Business School's General Management Program, the NATO Defence College in Rome Italy, and the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN).

Caroline  co-founded Oklo and has served as its Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Oklo Board since its inception in July 2013. 

Caroline has been a founder in multiple organizations, and she was one of the youngest recipients of the University of Oklahoma Regent's Alumni Award. Caroline is a former member of the U.S. Department of Energy Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee and was a panel member at the 9th Clean Energy Ministerial. 

Caroline received a B.A. in Economics and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma, and her S.M. in Nuclear Engineering from MIT. 

Mark Peters has been president and chief executive officer of MITRE since 2024, leading a nearly 7,000-person team across a range of mission-driven technology fields. A recognized leader in nuclear energy and national security, he has more than 25 years of experience in federally funded R&D and previously held senior leadership roles at Battelle Memorial Institute, Idaho National Laboratory, Battelle Energy Alliance, and Argonne National Laboratory. Peters is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and received the 2023 Henry DeWolf Smyth Nuclear Statesman Award.

David Park is an experienced executive with leadership across the energy and industrial sectors. Over a nearly three-decade career at Koch entities, he held roles of increasing responsibility, most recently serving as President of Koch Strategic Platforms. Park previously served as Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at Georgia-Pacific and earlier held roles including President of TrueNorth Energy and Chief Financial Officer of Koch’s Canadian exploration, production, pipeline, and energy trading business.

David A. Christian is a retired utility executive with decades of leadership in nuclear energy and power operations. He previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer at Dominion Energy and earlier led Dominion Generation Group, Dominion Nuclear, the Energy Infrastructure Group, and Dominion Virginia Power. He also has held leadership roles with the National Nuclear Accrediting Board and other industry organizations.

Derek Kan is a senior executive with experience spanning technology, startups, board governance, and federal policy. He is Vice President of Business Operations at Shopify, where he has led company-wide strategy, AI implementation, and technology cost optimization. He joined Shopify through its acquisition of Deliverr, where he was Chief Business Officer, and previously led Lyft’s Southern California market. Kan also serves as Vice Chairman of the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors and sits on the boards of Toll Brothers and Globe Life. Earlier, he held senior roles at OMB, DOT, and the U.S. Senate.