Catlan McCurdy doesn’t just navigate complexity—she builds the frameworks that make growth possible. With years of experience guiding Bridger Photonics through pivotal stages as external counsel, she brings both deep institutional knowledge and a global perspective to her new role as Chief Legal Officer (CLO).
Now, as Bridger’s first CLO, Catlan steps into a vital position at a defining moment for the company. As Bridger expands across the Asia Pacific, LATAM, and soon into the Middle East, Africa, and Europe, she’ll lead the legal, compliance, and governance functions that ensure the company’s innovation and impact scale sustainably worldwide.
To help you get to know her better, we sat down for a Q&A where Catlan shares what drew her to Bridger full-time, how she approaches building strong legal foundations for fast-moving organizations, and why she sees collaboration as the key to global growth done right.
Q: You’ve been Bridger’s external counsel for a long time. What excites you most about stepping into this new in-house role?
So many things! Here are a few:
I'm excited to transition from being an external advisor to being fully embedded in operations as a member of the executive team. Instead of advising on strategy from the outside, I'll be in the room where it's shaped — and building legal infrastructure that makes the business run smoother and faster along the way.
I’m also excited to support Bridger’s growth. I've worked with Bridger since 2017 and seeing the company evolve from 30 people to what it is today has been incredible. I’m grateful for the role I’ve played in Bridger’s story so far, and I’m looking forward to spending more time with those who have inspired me (ahem, founder Pete Roos), as well as working closely with Bridger’s CEO Ben Little and Chief Business Officer Nate Gorence, whose leadership really prompted this move.
Also, the swag. I’m joking mostly — because it’s not the gear itself but what it represents. Witnessing individuals receive their “One-Year Flannel” at the All-Hands Meetings has been such a rewarding experience. You can feel the pride and joy individuals have for their work when they walk up to the front of the auditorium. That type of energy is intoxicating. The people of Bridger are an amazing collection of talented humans, and I am honored to be part of that collection now too.
Q: Bridger is expanding both domestically and internationally. How do you see your role in helping us navigate the legal and regulatory complexities across jurisdictions?
Both international expansion and domestic growth are central to my 2026 priorities, and each requires distinct legal frameworks tailored to the operational realities we're facing.
Internationally, I'm developing comprehensive legal frameworks for the executive team to evaluate regarding customer acquisition—jurisdiction-specific contract terms, data privacy compliance, export controls, and tax-optimized subsidiary structures for personnel deployment.
Each foreign market presents distinct challenges: import/export regulations, tax and transfer pricing implications, local content requirements, insurance standards. My approach includes building modular, scalable frameworks to enable our team to move quickly while protecting core IP and securing as much revenue as possible.
Domestically, I'm excited to support Bridger's evolving offerings, particularly our expansion into drone-based methane detection. This shift has the potential to greatly reduce both operational and legal risks, and I am looking forward to exploring some creative solutions with the rest of the executive team to make this idea a reality as soon as possible.
Q: How do you balance managing risk with enabling the company to move fast and innovate?
Effective legal counsel identifies risks, quantifies them, and helps the business decide which to accept, mitigate, or avoid. Risk management isn't eliminating all risk—it's understanding which risks are existential versus manageable. I manage that balance by staying in close contact with the executive team to understand what keeps them awake at night, and then I do my own due diligence by maintaining open contacts throughout the company. The goal is informed decision-making, not reflexive risk avoidance.
Q: How do you hope to inspire and mentor others within Bridger, especially women in tech and leadership?
My approach to leadership is heavily influenced by where I came from and how that contrasts with where I am now. I hope that Bridger team members interact with me and walk away understanding that you don't have to choose between excellence and authenticity, between professional rigor and approachability, between having high standards and treating people with respect.
I grew up in a blue-collar household. No one in my family had an office job, but I learned about the rewards of hard work from my dad who picked up every overtime shift and tenacity from my mom who balanced home, life, and work without compromising her spirit. I decided to become a lawyer based on what I had read in books, and none of my supporters ever questioned that path despite my never having even met a lawyer in real life. Then, enough people cared about me along the way to treat me like an adult, answer my cold calls, and proofread my application essays to put me in the position I am now.
Because of the time and energy others gave me, I believe to my core that being a leader means creating opportunities for others to grow.
I practice this by making time for team members at all levels, including them in complex negotiations so they learn by doing, and being transparent about decision-making so others develop their own judgment. I pay back the universe by returning every cold message I receive from students, and I remind myself that just because it worked for me doesn't mean it will work for anyone else.
Maintaining a leadership position as a working mom is not easy, and I’ve made sacrifices at various points of my life for work or family in order for the other to benefit. Not everyone wants to make the same sacrifices, and I hope that as a leader I can create spaces where opportunity is possible for whatever path a person wants to choose.
Q: What does it mean to you to be not just a legal guardian, but also a partner in Bridger’s mission and growth?
Bridger's mission has real impact, and I respect the work that Ben Little is doing to regularly remind the company that growth and mission are connected. When we structure deals to expand into new markets, we're literally enabling systems that can bend the curve on emissions reduction—we're making companies more operationally efficient and environmentally responsible. It’s a win-win.
Partnership also means having difficult conversations when necessary. Sometimes the legally prudent path conflicts with the fastest path to revenue. My job is presenting options clearly, explaining implications honestly, and then fully supporting the business decision once it's made with appropriate risk mitigation.
Success means Bridger closes the deals that matter, enters the markets that drive growth, protects the IP that secures competitive advantage, and builds the legal foundation for global scaling—all while maintaining the agility and culture that makes Bridger special.
We're thrilled to welcome Catlan McCurdy to Bridger's executive team. Read the official announcement linked here.