About Us

Dagný Jónsdóttir, Marketing and Communications Manager

Dagný Jónsdóttir joined Reykjavík Geothermal in late 2024, where she leads marketing and communications. Before joining RG, she was a manager of HS Orka’s Resource Park where she was responsible for business development, client and stakeholder management, PPAs and marketing and branding activities for the Resource Park. Prior to that, she held various positions within Landsvirkjun, The National Power Company of Iceland, in business development, business innovation and corporate communications. She holds a Master of Management degree from Duke University, Fuqua School of Business and BA and Master’s degree in international law from Reykjavík University.

Hjalti Páll Ingólfsson – CTO

Hjalti holds an M.Sc. degree in industrial engineering with a focus on renewable energy development and management. He has over 20 years of experience in renewable energy and energy technology development, specialising in international project management and strategy. Before joining RG, he worked as the managing director of GEORG, a geothermal research cluster.

Guðmundur Þóroddsson – Chairman of the Board of Directors

Former Chief Executive Officer Reykjavík Geothermal and now Chairman of the Board of Directors, Guðmundur has 30+ years of experience in energy & utilities and played a pivotal role in the expansion of the Icelandic geothermal industry. Guðmundur previously held positions such as CEO of Orkuveita Reykjavíkur, chairman of Iceland Drilling, and board member of Enex and Enex China. Guðmundur is among a handful of CEOs globally who has succeeded in commissioning 50-100 MW of new geothermal power annually. Guðmundur holds an M.Sc. degree in engineering and an MBA.

Gunnar Örn Gunnarsson – Project Manager, Canary Islands

Gunnar is a former Chief Operating Officer at Reykjavík Geothermal but is now managing RG’s projects in the Canary Islands. Prior to that, Gunnar held management and leadership positions in several industrial companies in Iceland as well as board memberships in many SMEs. Gunnar represented the Icelandic government in negotiations with Alco to secure its 340 tpa aluminum smelter, that is in full operation. Later he was a CEO of a Venture Capital Fund. For the past seven years Gunnar has specialized in business development in the power sector, mainly in contract negotiations and financial agreements. Gunnar holds an M.Sc. degree in engineering. 

Hjálmar Eysteinsson – Head Geophysicist

Dr. Hjalmar has worked in geothermal research for over 25 years. Alongside his work he has taught courses in the UNU geothermal training program in Iceland. His main research activities are in resistivity surveying and interpretation of geothermal fields as well as designing software for the interpretation of resistivity methods. He has organized and managed resistivity surveys in Iceland, eastern Africa and the Canary Islands. He worked on gravity data, especially microgravity for geothermal reservoir monitoring. Dr. Hjalmar holds a Ph.D. in geophysics from Brown University.

Loftur Reimar Gissurarson – Managing Director – Head of QHSE

Dr. Loftur Reimar Gissurarson has worked in quality management since 1990. He has implemented a number of audited and accredited management standards in companies, such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, ISO 27001, ISO 22000, ISO 15489, HACCP, CSR, Green Globe/Earth Check, BREEAM, COSO and Enterprise Risk Management COSO. Before joining Reykjavik Geothermal, he worked as Chief Quality Officer at Orkuveita Reykjavikur for 10 years where he managed with others the infrastructure of the company and re-engineering of processes. Loftur Reimar studied in Scotland where he obtained his Ph.D. in experimental psychology from the University of Edinburg.

Magnús Ásbjörnsson – Chief Executive Officer

Magnús Ásbjörnsson is a co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Reykjavik Geothermal (RG) and leads its global financing and investment activities. With 20+ years of experience in management, investments and consulting spanning five continents, he has driven RG’s largest projects, including geothermal developments in Ethiopia, overseeing the development of some of Africa’s largest IPP projects. 

In addition to serving on the board of RG, Magnus is a founding investor in other ventures, including Enerwhere, a leading emerging market off-grid solar company. He speaks five languages, holds an MBA from London Business School and Columbia Business School, and a Bachelor’s degree (First in Class) in International Relations and Economics from Schiller International University.

Margrét Þórarinsdóttir – Office Manager, Certified Accountant

Margret has worked as an office manager and accountant for Reykjavík Geothermal since 2010. Prior to that, she worked as an accountant for 11 years and for 5 years as a cashier for VÍS insurance company. She has managed and operated food and services for two of the largest salmon rivers in Iceland for 4 years, was a receptionist at Hellisheidi power plant, was a waiter at Radison SAS Hotel Iceland and as a flight attendant for Icelandair. Margret is a certified accountant with credentials from Reykjavík University. She has a diploma in tourism from Icelandic School of Travel and Tourism and a degree as a waiter from the Hotel & Restaurant School of Iceland. 

Sigurður Björnsson – Geothermal Development Specialist

Sigurður is at the final stages of his Ph.D. which concerns optimal utilization of high-temperature geothermal resources. During his studies, Sigurður was a teacher in various courses at University of Iceland and Reykjavík University, including the Iceland School of Energy. Before joining RG, he conducted various analyses and research at the Institute of Economics Studies. Sigurður holds a M.Sc. degree in economics and a B.Sc. degree in geology.

Tómas Guðmarsson – Managing Director, Head of Engineering

Tómas has been involved in the geothermal industry for over 24 years, and his experience in geothermal is both in the direct use of steam for generating electricity, as well as geothermal hot water for various purposes. For over 12 years, he managed operations of Nesjavellir and Hellisheidi geothermal power plants in Iceland for Reykjavik Energy, as well as two small hydro plants. The geothermal plants are both CHP plants (combined heat and power) rated power 423 MWe in 11 units. Through his membership of Reykjavik Energy’s New Power Generation Steering group, he has been involved in design and developing these plants from their initial stages. He holds M.Sc. in mechanical engieering.

Vilhjálmur Skúlason – Chief Financial Officer

Vilhjálmur has over 30 years expertise in business contracting, negotiations and business development. He has substantial international negotiations expertise ranging from import/export deals to complex resource contracts and sophisticated long-term power purchase agreements. He holds a J.D. in business law from Bifröst University.

Trent Philipp – Chief Development Officer

Trent was a partner of Ambata Capital, LLC, responsible for US and European initiatives and relationships, including overseeing the strategic partnerships with Carl Hahn Partners, Sustainable Development Capital Ltd., and The Coalition for Rainforest Nations. He also served as CEO of Ambata Securities, LLC, a FINRA registered broker dealer focused on clean energy and sustainable development opportunities. Prior to Ambata, Trent was head of sales for the UK and Ireland at Soleil Securities, an independent equity research and brokerage firm. He was also responsible for initiating investment banking efforts in the Alternative Energy sector. He has been actively involved in conservation and non-profit efforts, including the establishment of the Fisheries Conservation Foundation and working with Peace One Day, a non-profit NGO dedicated to the establishment and observance of the International Day of Peace and Ceasefire. Trent Philipp has a BA in political science from the University of Richmond and an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business.

Baldvin Björn Haraldsson – Board Member

Baldvin Björn Haraldsson is the Chairman of Elements by BBA//Fjeldco. He specializes in Renewable Energy and M&A. He has extensive experience in relation to renewable energy projects and review of renewable legal frameworks. He has advised on regulatory frameworks for renewable energy in jurisdictions such as Iceland, Djibouti, Comoros, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, El Salvador, Columbia, Honduras, etc. Baldvin Björn is a Supreme Court Attorney, admitted in both Iceland (1994) and France (1998), has a master’s degree from the University of Iceland School of law, a DESS from the University of Nice, and a 3ème cycle from ILERI university in Paris, France.

Lillian Kidane – General Manager, Ethiopia

Lillian Kidane is a global executive and senior public policy advisor with deep operational, financial and cultural expertise. She has held leadership positions across Fortune 500 technology firms, NGOs and global consulting agencies for over 2 decades in emerging markets. She has deep experience in strategic growth, project management, operational excellence and talent development which she has applied to engineering industries across healthcare, energy and transportation.

Through her time on General Electric’s Africa Leadership team, Lillian developed deep-rooted business acumen representing an evolution along functional management, technology development, program and partnership growth, market creation, solutions-selling and organizational development. She thrives in situations that require incubation of new commercial opportunities with uncertainty and those with business turn-around challenges that are difficult to surmount.

Lillian’s business innovation has allowed her the privilege to advise governments across Sub-Saharan Africa on policy reforms targeted at unlocking investment potential in competitive industries. Most recently, with her time at Dalberg Global Advisors, she has supposed industrial policy reform across Senegal, South Africa, and Ethiopia – to name a few.

Lillian completed her post-graduate fellowship in international healthcare management at Yale University School of Medicine (USA), holds a Masters degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (USA) and a Bachelors degree from the University of Notre Dame (USA). Lillian is of Eritrean heritage and currently lives between Addis Ababa and Paris, France with her husband and 2 sons.

Read more about Lillian at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lillian-kidane-7406151b/