Dr. Bridget Ayling is Capability Lead, Reservoir Strategy at Contact Energy, where she
leads the strategic management and sustainable development of New Zealand's largest
portfolio of geothermal reservoir assets. With more than 20 years of international experience
across industry, government and academia, she has worked on geothermal exploration,
reservoir management, enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), resource characterization,
and technical capacity-building projects.
Before joining Contact Energy, Bridget was Associate Professor and Director of the Great
Basin Center for Geothermal Energy at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she led major
U.S. Department of Energy and Department of State geothermal initiatives, including large-
scale programmes focused on geothermal exploration, innovation, and next-generation
technologies. Her work has spanned New Zealand, Australia, the United States, and
numerous international geothermal partnerships across Asia and South America.
Bridget serves on the Editorial Board of Geothermics and previously held leadership roles
with the International Geothermal Association, the U.S. National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering and Medicine, and New Zealand's Geothermal: The Next Generation research
programme. She is passionate about connecting science, innovation, policy and industry
capability to accelerate the deployment of the next generation of geothermal technologies
and strengthen the role of geothermal energy in a low-carbon future.