Harry Verhaar is Senior Director Energy & Climate Change at Philips Lighting, heading the global Energy Efficiency program (also called 'Green Switch').

He has in the past four years been the architect of the lighting strategy on energy and climate change, which has resulted in a pro-active industry position on phasing out of old lighting technologies for street-lighting; office & industry lighting and residential lighting. This program has over the last two years obtained significant global media exposure, and has recently been included in the EU Heads of State declaration on March 9th 2007. The Philips call to phase-out incandescent lighting has generated global support (by the European Commission; the International Energy Agency, and a growing number of countries and states, i.e. Australia, California, EU27, S-Africa, etc.).

Previously Harry Verhaar was responsible for the marketing activities of the professional lamps activities in Europe. Prior to that he has lived for five years in São Paulo Brazil, of which the last two as commercial manager of the professional lighting activities in Latin America. Before that he has held various positions in product marketing management and product and technology development for Philips Lighting in Turnhout, Belgium, and Eindhoven, The Netherlands.