David has had a successful career in the private and public sector and is now CEO of The New Zealand Story, an ambitious government-funded organisation marketing New Zealand to the world.
He also acts as a consultant and is a director on several boards, including as Chair of The Icehouse.  David is an ex-comedian, TV and radio actor, semi-finalist for New Zealander of the Year, cancer survivor and a published author of the books No.8 Re-wired, No.8 Recharged, A Mild Touch of the Cancer, and Silver Linings.
David founded SOS Business, a hugely successful not-for-profit initiative to help cafes and other small businesses during covid-19.

Hayden Mackenzie is the Head of Energy Investment at Invest NZ – New Zealand’s new FDI agency. Hayden focuses on the attraction and acceleration of investment into renewable energy and industrial projects in New Zealand.

Hayden supports New Zealand businesses in their investment preparation, ensuring they are investment ready and ready to meet with investors. He works closely with investors and developers from across the world to smooth their entry to New Zealand.

In his career prior to joining NZTE, Hayden worked as an exploration geologist in New Zealand, Indonesia, and Canada before transitioning into ESG consulting and venture capital.  Hayden holds a BSc in Geology and MSc in Engineering Geology (geothermal) from the University of Canterbury, Master of Legal Studies from the University of Auckland, and an MBA from the University of British Columbia.

Rachael McGuckian is currently a member of the NZTE South East and East Asia (SEEA) Lead Team, as International Market Manager. This region covers 9 key markets of India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.

In this role she provides connectivity between the NZTE teams in the SEEA region, and our NZ based teams and exporters, linking exporter needs to in market strategy and activation. As well as managing New Zealand based stakeholder relationships relevant to the region. Generally being the New Zealand anchor for the regional team; the SEEA ‘chief navigator’.
 
She has a diverse range of experiences from across NZTE, including two international postings as Trade Commissioner (Milan, Hong Kong) and has many years export customer experience across a range of sectors. Before NZTE, Rachael worked in the private sector in leadership roles, leading teams of clinical specialists in the health technology sector and production environments.

Alan Stewart is the CEO of MB Century, a world-class energy services provider specialising in the renewable energy sector. With a career spanning over two decades, Alan’s journey began in London’s financial sector, leading international talent acquisition for investment banks. He later transitioned into business leadership, bringing strategic oversight and operational excellence to the organisations he served. Since joining MB Century in 2019, Alan has overseen key business functions, including people, risk management, quality assurance, IT, finance, and administration. Appointed CEO in December 2024, he continues to drive innovation, operational excellence, and client partnerships in the energy sector.

Chantelle joined Transpower in July 2022. Prior to joining Transpower, Chantelle was Executive General Manager of Corporate Affairs at Essential Energy, the distribution network operator for regional and rural in New South Wales. An economist by training with twenty years of international energy and electricity experience across all parts of the sector, Chantelle was the Executive General Manager Strategy and Economics at the Australia Energy Market Commission prior to joining Essential Energy. She holds a B.Ec (Hons) from the University of Sydney, an MSc (Economics) from University College London and an LLM in Business Law from Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Toronto.

Chantelle also currently has the honour of serving on the Boards of the Electricity Engineers Association in New Zealand and the Association of Power Exchanges, an international group of market and system operators.

Mr. Yamin is responsible for leading Ormat’s sales and business development efforts in New Zealand and the Philippines. Prior to joining Ormat, held a number of executive roles spanning technical, sales, and business development functions, demonstrating a strong and versatile leadership background.

Mr. Yamin holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Ben-Gurion University and a Master of Science in Management from Polytechnic University of New York.

Tim is Chair of his consultancy group, Groser & Associates, which specialises in advice on trade and climate change-related matters. Among his other responsibilities he was recently appointed as the  Chair of the Government Advisory Group on Supercritical Geothermal Energy.​

After joining the NZ Treasury as a junior economist in 1973, Tim became deeply involved in Australia/NZ economic relationships which then evolved into the CER Agreement. In the early 1980s, Tim served in the Prime Minister’s Department as the Foreign Affairs adviser to Prime Ministers Muldoon and David Lange 

In 1986, Tim was then appointed NZ Chief Trade Negotiator with responsibility for the last successful multilateral Trade Negotiating Round, the Uruguay Round. 

He served as Ambassador to Indonesia 1994-97 (Tim’s first involvement with the Geothermal Industry (the Wayang Windu 600 MW plant built by NZ). 

In 2002 Tim was appointed Ambassador to the WTO and chaired the Agriculture Negotiating Group.  He served as NZ Trade Minister, NZ Climate Change Minister (International) and Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs 2008-15. From 2016-19 Tim was Ambassador to the United States.​

Tim was recently appointed Chair of the Advisory Group on Supercritical Geothermal Energy.

Andy is the Director of Business and Innovation and Co-founder of Upflow, a geothermal science, research and innovation company that builds expert teams to provide intelligent solutions to global industry.
The nexus between science, business and community is where her expertise sits. She has a deep understanding of the drivers relating to the business of science, and a proven ability to turn scientific ideas into economic and societal gains.
In her previous role as Business Development Manager at GNS Science (NZ) Andy
was responsible for leading and coordinating sub-surface geothermal geoscience
contracts worldwide for over 10 years.
Awarded the role of Geothermal Business Development Lead for New Zealand (2017-
2020), Andy was tasked with driving commercial investment in geothermal industrial
direct use projects. The desired outcome was the development of large projects with significant positive impacts on local economies, communities, and the environment.
Andy has experience in leading strategic planning and tactical thinking across several industries including governance roles that required strategic investment decision making. This includes chairing the commercial arm of a Māori organisation with a significant geothermal asset base (~$800m).

Farrell Siega is the Geoscience Manager at Mercury NZ, based in Rotorua, New Zealand.  With a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from the Philippines and a Post-graduate Diploma in Hydrology from Austria, Farrell  also has completed a Master of Business Administration degree and is a Certified Associate in Project Management in New Zealand.

Farrell is passionate about the development and management of renewable energy, with 25+ years experience working in the geothermal industry.  His expertise is in the area of geochemistry, geothermal resource development and management, and consent compliance reporting. 

Ian Richardson has worked in the electricity industry for over 20 years, working in both technical and leadership roles in Australia and New Zealand. Ian has worked in the geothermal industry for the last 12 years and is currently the Head of Geothermal Innovation for Contact Energy. Ian is currently focussed on greenhouse gas mitigation for Contact’s geothermal power plants including NCG reinjection and ca.

Dr Katie McLean is a Senior Reservoir Engineer working for Contact Energy at Wairakei near Taupo. She is an engineer and geologist by training, with a PhD in geothermal well testing from the University of Auckland. She has co-authored a textbook on geothermal well testing with Professor Sadiq Zarrouk, and published papers on a range of reservoir engineering topics, most recent focused on geothermal carbon emissions. She is the past president of the New Zealand Geothermal Association, and co-founded the NZGA Emissions Working Group.

As a Strategic Project Manager at Mercury, Sam leads key initiatives focused on geothermal emissions reduction, helping drive progress toward Mercury’s Climate Action Plan goals. With four years at Mercury, Sam brings experience in managing complex, sustainability-focused projects at the intersection of energy and innovation. Sam is excited to host the discussion on, “New Zealand’s Geothermal Carbon Emissions: Technical Examples of Mitigations and Emerging Opportunities,” and looks forward to spotlighting the latest insights and solutions in this space.

Ahmad Yuniarto (AY) brings the depth and breadth of 30+ years professional exposures in energy business in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Australia and Indonesia in many senior management roles in various business functions,
CEO and Chairman for Schlumberger Indonesia, CEO for PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy Tbk., non-executive board members in national and international companies.

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He is currently serving as Strategic Advisor/Facilitator Indonesia-Aotearoa New Zealand Geothermal Energy Program, Senior Advisor for Global Energy Practices, Boston Consulting Group, Board of Trustees in Universitas Gadjah Mada,
Board of Advisors for Magister Engineering in Geothermal Institut Teknologi Bandung, Board of Patrons for Save the Children Indonesia, and Anambas Foundation, and Investment Committee member in Tripatra Engineering.

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Ahmad Yuniarto is the Founding Chairman of Biru Peduli foundation since 2006, working to support capability development and resilience of rural poor. He is also an executive coach specializing in unlocking personal and organizational performance.

Ahmad Yuniarto graduated with Distinction from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. He earned his electrical engineer degree from Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia.

Alex Wei is the Deputy Director of "Single Service Window for Taiwan Geothermal Power".  In this position, responsibilities include promoting the development of Taiwan's geothermal energy industry, assisting geothermal-related enterprises by providing convenient services and support, and strengthening international collaboration. It is anticipated that this office will play a significant role by integrating resources from various sectors.

Aya Inagaki is the Head of Operations at Halcyon Power Limited, a joint venture between the Tuaropaki Trust and Japan’s leading construction firm, Obayashi Corporation. Since 2019, Halcyon has been at the forefront of green hydrogen production using geothermal energy at Mokai, powering New Zealand’s first hydrogen-fuelled vehicles and generators. In 2024, Halcyon launched its first green hydrogen export to Fiji under a joint carbon credit mechanism supported by the Japanese government. Aya also serves as an elected director on the Board of the New Zealand Hydrogen Council. She holds an MBA from McGill University and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Clare Baxter has played a key role in Seequent’s growth from a small New Zealand company 14 years ago to a global leader in subsurface software, with a strong focus on the geothermal sector.  Holding a BSc in geology from the University of Canterbury and a Master of Energy in Reservoir Modelling from University of Auckland, Clare has held a range of business development and user enablement roles in APAC and Europe and supports geothermal companies build out their subsurface modelling workflows. This has taken her around the globe working closely with geothermal organisations worldwide.

Based in Christchurch, Clare is passionate about enabling integration across geoscience and reservoir modelling disciplines and supporting the digital transformation underway in many geothermal organisations.

Dan is a qualified Automotive Technician with 19 years of experience spanning New Zealand and the U.K., encompassing diverse roles within the automotive and supply chain industries. For the past ten years, he's been a driving force in the tertiary sector, progressing from a tutor to his current position as Head of Partnerships and Pathways at Toi Ohomai. Dan is passionate about fostering close ties with industry partners, believing that collaborative efforts are key to shaping relevant and impactful educational and career pathways.

​Dorian was appointed to the role of Chief Renewable Growth Officer at Contact Energy in
January 2025.  He joined Contact in December 2018 as Contact’s Chief Financial Officer.
Dorian is also a director of Contact’s subsidiary Western Energy.
Dorian is experienced in business transformations having led successful turnarounds of
businesses in both the UK and South Africa.  He has successfully delivered a number of
acquisitions including ones in the Australian and New Zealand energy sector. 
He has governance experience, having served on the Board of Afrox, a publicly listed
company, and the largest industrial gases business in Africa, as well as being a previous
Board member of Liquigas, a New Zealand LPG infrastructure business.

Prof. Eniya Listiani Dewi graduated from Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan, earning her
Doctorate (PhD) in Applied Chemistry in 2003. She also holds a Master’s degree in Applied
Chemistry (2000) and a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Chemistry (1998). Prior to her current
role as Director General of New, Renewable Energy, and Energy Conservation at the
Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, she served as Research Professor, Energy
Organisation and Manufacture of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) from 2021 to 2024. She was also the Deputy of Energy Information Technology and Material at the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) from 2018 to 2021,
and Deputy of Agroindustry and Biotechnology Technology at BPPT from 2015 to 2018.
Her contributions have been recognised through prestigious honors, including the BJ
Habibie Technology Award and the GE Inspiring Woman in STEM Award.

As Energy Innovation Manager- Sustainable Molecules at Ara Ake, New Zealand’s National Energy Innovation Centre, Evelien has over 15 years’ experience technical and energy transition roles within New Zealand's energy corporations. Holding an MSc in Earth Science (Past Climate Change), Evelien brings deep technical knowledge of how the Aotearoa energy system works, how it could work - and how we might transition.

Gigih Udi Atmo is currently serving as the Director of Geothermal at the Directorate General of New Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of the Republic of Indonesia.

Prior to his appointment as Director of Geothermal in 2024, Gigih held several key leadership roles within the Directorate General, including serving as Director of Energy Conservation since 2020. Before joining government service, he worked as an Energy Modeller at the Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre from 2017 to 2020.

Gigih holds a Ph.D. in Infrastructure Engineering and a Master’s degree in Engineering Project Management from the University of Melbourne, Australia, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Greg Ussher is a senior geothermal advisor at Jacobs with over 40 years of experience in geothermal exploration, geophysics, and reservoir assessment.  He has led multi-disciplinary teams globally and played a key role in advancing magnetotelluric
methods for geothermal exploration.
Greg has worked across a wide range of geothermal systems in the Pacific, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. He also lectures in applied geothermal geophysics and contributes to international geothermal standards through the UNFC classification system.

Holger Zipfel is the Managing Director of MTL NZ, with over 25 years’ of experience in complex infrastructure sectors. He leads a passionate team of geothermal engineers with diverse expertise in process, mechanical, civil & structural, and EC&I engineering, along with project and contract management.

Holger’s geothermal journey began in 1996 with his final thesis at Contact Energy’s Wairakei site. Internationally, he contributed to major international projects, including the EPC Balance of Plant delivery for Energy from Waste facilities in Europe.

A Chartered Professional Engineer with Engineering NZ and APEC, Holger also serves on the board of WING NZ.

Ms Hsiu-Fen Tsai is the Director of Petroleum and Gas Development and Management Division, Energy Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan. She has a Masters Degree in Geosciences from the National Taiwan University. 

Jonathan Young is Head of Industry and Government Engagement at Ara Ake, New Zealand’s future energy development centre. In this role he has worked at the intersection of innovation, regulation, and industry implementation. He has been a member of the Ara Ake team since June 2021.
From 2008 to 2020 Jonathan served as the Member of Parliament for the New Plymouth electorate. Through his parliamentary role as Energy & Resources spokesperson for the National Party, he travelled throughout New Zealand visiting industrial energy users as well as generators and network companies, creating an awareness of New Zealand’s integrated energy system. He also travelled overseas gaining insight into other countries energy systems, recognising the global opportunities of New Zealand’s renewable energy system, especially geothermal.

Oliver Howitt leads EECA's Regional Energy Transition Accelerator programme. This programme has developed a picture of New Zealand's fossil fuelled process heat, and the opportunity for transitioning to renewable fuels.

Olivia is the Chief Executive of Tupu Angitu, the commercial arm of the Lake Taupō Forest Trust, and a director of Amplify.  She has over 20 years of experience in  property development, management and strategy across the property and infrastructure sectors.  At Tupu Angitu, Olivia is focused on diversifying the Trust’s commercial assets beyond forestry, collaborating with partners to drive economic growth in sectors that enable Māori entities to grow their investment portfolios in line with their core values and intergenerational aspirations.

Nataly Castillo Ruiz is a dedicated geothermal professional with 10 years of experience in the industry. She has been actively connecting the geothermal community through volunteer work with several organizations and currently serves as a board member of the New Zealand Geothermal Association. Nataly is passionate about advancing New Zealand's geothermal ecosystem and innovation. She believes that expanding New Zealand's expertise in Aotearoa and sharing it globally is a key contributor to capacity building and leadership.

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In her day-to-day role, Nataly is a Reservoir Modelling Engineer at Contact Energy in the Geothermal Development team. Her experience ranges from exploration and sustainable operations of geothermal fields to project development of key new geothermal projects for New Zealand, including the recent successful Final Investment Decisions for Te Huka 3 and Te Mihi S2A stations. Her technical background spans geoscience data integration, reservoir engineering, field utilization sustainability, and reservoir modelling. Nataly has also worked in international fields in Iceland and Colombia, contributing to understanding  geothermal resource utilization in both high and low enthalpy fields.

Rosalind Archer is Dean(Academic) of Griffith Sciences at Griffith University (Queensland) where she leads staff whose academic interests range from architecture to zoology.  She served as the Director of the University of Auckland Geothermal Institute before moving to Australia in late 2021.

In addition to her University roles she has a diverse range of governance experience including as non-executive director of Echelon Resources and Whitebark Energy.  Rosalind is on the board of the Australian Geothermal Association.

Rosalind is currently a technical advisor (focusing on the capability development workstream for the Indonesia–Aotearoa New Zealand Geothermal Energy Programme (PINZ) funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.  PINZ is supporting Indonesia’s energy transition and sustainable economic development through targeted geothermal technical assistance.

Samantha is a geologist specialised in geomatics. With GNS Science since 2009, her technical role is focussed on integrating multi-disciplinary data to create geoscience models that support the sustainable development of geothermal resources in New Zealand and internationally.  She leads the Geothermal Geology and Modelling Team at GNS.

Samantha has a strong governance experience being the Secretary of the New Zealand Geothermal Association since 2020, the Treasurer of the Asia-Western Pacific Regional Branch (AWPRB) of the IGA since 2018 (now Asia Pacific Geothermal Association) and an Executive Secretary of the International Energy Agency Geothermal (IEA Geothermal) since 2023.

Through these roles, Samantha is well connected with our international colleagues and activities in Asia-Pacific, Europe and the United States.

Stew become Mercury’s Chief Executive in September 2024. He joined Mercury in 2021 as the Executive General Manager, Generation, and was responsible for the management, operation and maintenance of our electricity generation assets.

Before joining Mercury, Stew was the Chief Executive at New Zealand Aluminium Smelters Ltd and has over 25 years’ experience working for industrial energy customers in mining, minerals processing and manufacturing in Australia, New Zealand and Africa.

Stew has a Chemical Engineering degree from Auckland University and an MBA from Melbourne University. With a proven track record of success in leading large, complex businesses, is well placed to ensure Mercury capitalises and builds on our strong platform for growth.

Victor Vito is a double world cup winning All Black, with an impressive career spanning 18 years of professional rugby. Proudly Samoan and New Zealand born, Victor was educated at Scots College in Wellington and went on to graduate from Victoria University. His passion for geothermal energy was ignited on a trip to Samoa in 2023 to visit his ailing father. Recognising Samoa's energy struggles and the natural landmarks signalling geothermal potential, his dream was born. A father of three, his culture has informed a deep appreciation for the natural environment and the role we all play in securing energy independence for future generations. 

Vince Hawksworth is a mining engineer originally from the UK. He is a Waikato University MBA graduate and has over 30 years experience in the Australasian energy sector. He is the former Chief Executive of Mercury NZ, Trustpower and Hydro Tasmania. He is currently working with the Datagrid team to develop a data centre in Southland that will put New Zealand on the map with hyperscale AI players. Vince is also a director of Powerco.