Erik Bartsch, Aera CEO speaker.

Erik Bartsch brings over 20 years of energy industry experience to his role as president and CEO of Aera Energy.

Before joining Aera in 2020, he spent the bulk of his career at Shell, beginning as a geoscientist to help unlock new sources of energy in basins around the world. From there, he held several management positions, including leader of Canada’s in-situ steam play, general manager for the U.S. Mid-Continent shales business, and exploration manager in the Gulf of Mexico deep-water business. In 2017, Erik was appointed Shell’s vice president of safety and environment for the Integrated Gas and New Energies directorate. There he led a transformational journey on safety and operational improvements in the greenhouse-gas footprint. “I share Aera’s commitment to safety and responsible production,” he says, “and look forward to taking us to the next level in terms of safe and affordable energy supply for California.” “The next decade will be an exciting time in California, as the state’s bold climate goals gain momentum,” adds Bartsch. “I’m committed to ensuring Aera is a meaningful part of the solution.”

A native of California, Bartsch earned his degree in geology from the University of California-Santa Barbara. He completed his master’s degree in geology at the University of Colorado. Bartsch and his family relocated to Bakersfield from The Netherlands in 2020. Outside of work, he enjoys an active family life and early morning exercise.

Aera was purchased by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and IKAV , an international asset management group in 2023.  They are planning to " help  Aera balance its energy transition efforts with the need to continue meeting California’s conventional energy demands by investing in a renewable energy portfolio that will power Aera’s existing operations. "