Andrea Loper

Ms. Loper possesses over 15 years of Program Management experience across the space enterprise. She currently manages projects at the Starfire Optical Range, the Air Force’s center of excellence for adaptive optics (AO) research and Maui unique world-class research facility, and the Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing Site. The AO research enables technology for high resolution imaging of space objects using ground-based telescopes. From 2009 – 2013, she served as the program integrator and segments lead for the U.S. DoD Enhanced Polar Protected SatComm System and returned to SATCOM in the Wideband Program Office in 2016. She joined the U.S. Government as a Presidential Management Fellow 2008 at the Space and Missile System Center in Los Angeles from a 6-year position in Germany, where she managed operations in Kuwait, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq as a support services contractor.

Andrew D'Uva

Andrew D’Uva is Strategy and Policy Adviser to the Space Data Association as well as being President of Providence Access Company, a government affairs, technology, and satellite consultancy. He has supported international commercial satellite and telecommunications businesses on the regulatory, policy, legal, operational, and business fronts for more than 25 years, with a present emphasis on policy, government services, information assurance, and cybersecurity in support of national security missions. Representative clients include key communication satellite owner-operators, trade organizations, and U.S. Federal agencies. D’Uva coordinates the activities of the SATCOM Industry Group (SIG), dedicated to improving the communications capabilities afforded in support of U.S. and allied national security missions and helped instantiate the U.S. DoD’s leading edge Commercial Integration Cell (CIC). D’Uva is U.S. industry chair of the Commercial Space Cryptographic Cybersecurity Working Group of the U.S. Space Force / National Security Agency. He was a founding executive of commercial SATCOM operator New Skies Satellites (now SES) and an attorney at Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

Angela Owen OBE

 Angela’s Army career spanned 30 years and included tours in the UK, Germany and NI during the ‘Troubles’. One of the very first mothers to re-join the Army after the rules changed in the early 90s, Angela has always cared deeply about helping women progress with a real passion for gender equity.

Bernard Edwards

Bernard Edwards is the Deputy Communications and Navigation Systems Capability Lead for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. In that role, he provides technical advice to NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate. He also serves as the Chief Communications Systems Engineer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. He supports the NASA representative to the Interagency Operations Advisory Group (IOAG) and until 2024 chaired the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) Optical Communications Working Group. He also served as the Chief Engineer for the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration Project. He received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering in 1989, a M.S. in Electrical Engineering in 1991, and a M.S. in Computer Science in 1993 all from The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.

Blake Bullock

Blake Bullock is the vice president for the Military Space Systems business unit within the Strategic Space Systems division of Northrop Grumman Space Systems, a premier provider of space and launch systems serving national security, military, and civil space customers.

Captain (N) Jose Freitas

Captain (N), José Matias de Freitas is a Navy Officer Commander graduated by the Naval Academy as a Weapons and Electronics Engineer. He served on board of various Portuguese navy war ships as a Weapon Engineer Officer (WEO) responsible for the performance and availability of the on-board weapons, sensors, Command Support Information Systems, combat, and communications systems. As Senior Engineer Officer supported the Executive Officer in resources management and information systems administration Ship Domain Administrator for IT. He was head of Weapon Systems Office for the Weapon and Electronic Systems Department at the Portuguese Navy - Technical Navy School and head of Communications and Cypher Department at Naval Communications Centre, being responsible for the transformation process in the naval communications infrastructures and implementation of main data center. After being deputy Director at Portuguese Navy IT and Communications Directorate, he was appointed as head of Planning and Programing Division, at the Portuguese MoD Directorate-General of National Defence Resources, since 2015 where he has been responsible for the coordination, monitoring and execution of Military Programming Law in the Armed Forces among other responsibilities, which includes the coordination of the implementing process of the Portuguese SST capability. Member of the EU-SST Steering Committee and PMO. He is the MoD representative at international forum, within UE, EDA, and NATO for the Space Domain (SATCOM, SST/SSA)

Captain (RN) Phil Coope

Phil joined the Royal Navy in 1993 having graduated from the University of Liverpool in Electronics and Communication Engineering. Twenty-eight years later he was delighted to accept the role of Deputy Head Space at UK Strategic Command, leading the Capability Development of Satellite Communications (SATCOM) and Position Navigation and Time. This is his second assignment in the Space Sector having previously worked as and Capability Manager for SATCOM and Programme Manager for Skynet 6.

Phil has been engaged in numerous major projects, notably delivery and acceptance of HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH Aircraft Carrier. He has also described the then future Royal Navy short-range air defence missile and radar systems, generated lifing policy for Defence ordnance, munition and explosives and contributed to the education of junior Royal Navy Officers at the Joint Services Command and Staff College.

Phil has served on T21, T22 and T23 class of Frigates and conducted UK and multinational operations in the North Atlantic, Caribbean, Mediterranean and Arabian Gulf. He also served in Hong Kong for territorial integrity and anti-smuggling operations and conducted media operations in Sarajevo, Bosnia.
 

Charlotte Gerhart

Ms. Charlotte Gerhart is the Chief, Tactical SATCOM Acquisition Delta, Military Communications and Position, Navigation, and Timing (MilComm & PNT) Directorate, Space Systems Command, Los Angeles Air Force Base (LAAFB), CA. She is responsible for the acquisition, production, and fielding of tactical satellite communications capabilities for the Nation’s warfighters.

In 1998, Ms. Gerhart joined the civil service supporting the US Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate. In this assignment she was responsible for managing the development and demonstration of space system technologies including thermal systems, structural systems, vibro-acoustic suppression, and laser communications systems.

In 2009, Ms. Gerhart moved to be the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) program as the manager of the WGS 7-10 program (also known as WGS Block II Follow-on), and later served as the Deputy Program Manager for the WGS program. From 2013 through 2018 she served as the WGS Program Manager delivering four satellites into operations, with two more in work.

In 2022, Ms. Gerhart transitioned to the newly formed MilComm & PNT Directorate and assumed leadership of the Tactical SATCOM Acquisition Delta. She has responsibility for the production and fielding of WGS 11+, the rapid acquisition and fielding of Protected Tactical SATCOM (PTS) Rapid Prototype payloads, Protected Tactical Enterprise Service (PTES) Rapid Prototype, Army & Air Force Anti-jam Modem (A3M), Air Force Wideband Enterprise Terminal (AFWET), and Enterprise Management and Control (EM&C).
 

Chris Moore

Christopher McIntosh

 Chris is CEO of Methera, an early stage satellite company that is developing a highly flexible, multifunctional satellite service that will include dynamic broadband provision and the collection of Space Doman Awareness data, information and insights for Defence, Telecom Service Providers and Emerging countries, anywhere and anytime. Previously, as CEO ViaSat UK he led the inception and growth of ViaSat’s European satellite capabilities.

Before joining ViaSat Chris was CEO of Stonewood Group, developers of government grade cyber products and services. A retired British Army Officer, he has worked within the high threat cyber and satellite communications environment for over 35 years.

Chris is focused on leading the development and introduction of game changing satellite services, to meet existing and emerging international requirements. He holds an MSc in Design of Computer Systems and an MBA. He is a member of the UKspace trade association, the National Security and Resilience Consortium, and is also a Chartered Engineer.

As CEO of Methera, Chris is focused on leading the design, development and introduction of innovative and game changing satellite services and applications globally, to meet existing and emerging national requirements.

A keen sportsman, Chris plays squash and football to a relatively high standard, but still fails to control a golf ball over any distance.

Colonel (Ret'd) Cameron Stoltz

Colonel Cam Stoltz enrolled in the Canadian Forces as a Communications and Electronics Engineering (Air) Officer. His postings include the Aerospace Maintenance Development Unit in Trenton, engineering and project support positions in Ottawa, and A6 of 1 Canadian Air Division and Canadian NORAD Region (Winnipeg). Senior staff positions at National Defence Headquarters include Director Strategic Communication Services and Director Air Support.

Colonel Stoltz has served as Commanding Officer of 8 Air Communications and Control Squadron (Trenton) and Commanding Officer of the Canadian Forces Joint Signal Regiment (Kingston). He also commanded the Operation APOLLO National Command Control and Information Systems Squadron in Camp Mirage.

In 2017, Colonel Stoltz was posted to his current position as Director Space Requirements. Colonel Stoltz holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Royal Canadian Military College of Canada, as well as a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from University of Ottawa, and is a graduate of the Canadian Forces College in Toronto.

Colonel (Ret'd) Jennifer Krolikowski

Colonel (ret) Jennifer Krolikowski most recently served as the Chief Information Officer for Space Systems Command, the acquisition arm of the United States Space Force. In her first assignment, she served as a project engineer in the Manufacturing Technology Directorate at Wright Labs. After receiving a Master’s in Aeronautical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology, Jennifer was assigned to the 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron and accumulated 50+ flying hours in the B-52. She moved to the GPS Joint Program Office where duties included Executive Officer; Branch Chief, GPS III Acquisitions; and Air Force Program Executive Office’s GPS Staff Director. Col Krolikowski taught at the National Security Space Institute and became their Deputy Director for Mission Support. At HQ Air Force Space Command, she served as Chief, Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) Requirements. After graduating Air Command and Staff College, Jen consecutively worked as the Tactical Data Network Program Element Monitor; Deputy, Command and Control Division; and Chief, Executive Action Group under the Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisitions. She commanded as Materiel Leader of an ACAT I program, Base IT Infrastructure. Upon graduating Air War College with her third Master’s degree, Col Krolikowski became Branch Chief, Integrated Air and Missile Defense Global Requirements on Joint Staff. She then promoted to Military Assistant for DASD/Space, Strategic, and Intelligence Systems, Office of the Secretary of Defense. She commanded as Senior Materiel Leader for Space C2, establishing the USSF’s premier software factory, Kobayashi Maru.
 

Colonel A.J. Ashby

Colonel A.J. Ashby is the Senior Materiel Leader for the Acquisition Delta Strategic SATCOM Division, Space Systems Command, Los Angeles Air force Base, CA. In this role, he leads 100+ military, government civilians, and contractors in the development and acquisition of our nation’s most critical strategic space capabilities. His $20B portfolio includes the Evolved Strategic SATCOM and Enhance Polar Systems recapitalization Programs.

Colonel Ashby enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1990 and received his commission after completing Air Force Officer Training School in 2001. He transferred to the U.S. Space Force in 2021. Col Ashby served in numerous acquisition and operations leadership assignments within the Department of the Air Force, Joint Staff, and National Reconnaissance Office. He is also an experienced Special Missions Unit operator with multiple global contingency and humanitarian deployments with 5,300 hours in a variety of aircraft with 133 combat missions. Prior to his current position he served as the Division Chief for Space Sensing and Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications, within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

Colonel Clifford White

COL White is a senior satellite engineer serving with the Australian Military for over 20 years and Commercial Satellite Industry. He has deployed on several operations and recently returned with the last Australian contingent in Afghanistan. COL White recently joined the newly formed Defence Space Command being selected to lead the Australian Defence Force SATCOM capabilities.

COL White is a soldier at heart and understands the war fighter. His passion is to reshape the Australia Defence Force with the most modern telecommunications systems to increases the already effective Australian war fighter. He has successfully delivered several major telecommunications projects including Joint Project 2072 2B, ahead of schedule and budget delivering a fully integrated software defined network for the tactical environment. He has also delivered Australia’s first satellite on move capability integrated with the Bushmaster PMV.

Confirmed Representative

Coraline Dalibot

 Coraline Dalibot is a Senior Spacecraft Thermal Engineer at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) Space department, which is part of the UK Research and Innovation Science and Technology Facilities Council. She is a chartered engineer working on world-class science, technology, and innovations. Her passion for space and her career journey led her to encourage students and support colleagues within the aerospace sector as a STEM ambassador and mentor. She joined the Women In Aerospace Europe in 2020 and is now a UK group’s committee member taking part in initiatives to raise awareness about Space careers.

CWO5 Rilin Desamours

CWO5 Rilin “Phil” Desamours, a native of Nyack, New York, graduated from Miami Edison Senior high school, June 2001. Enlisted July 2001, and was assigned a primary Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) of Field Radio Operator. Subsequently attained multiple follow-on MOS, Multi-Channel Radio Operator, SATCOM, Advanced Extremely High Frequency Systems Operator and Forward Observer. He was appointed to Warrant Officer February 2011, and commissioned in August 2012. He is a graduate of Marine Corps Expeditionary Warfare School and Command and Staff College. He possesses a bachelor’s degree in Information Systems Management from UMUC, an MBA from New England and Master of Science degree in Systems Engineering Management from the Naval Post Graduate School Monterey CA.

His service in the operating forces includes: Field Radio Operator, Wideband SATCOM Operator, Forward Observer within several echelons within both II MEF and I MEF. Deployed to OIF I & II with the II MEF Ground Commend Element (GCE). Multiple MEU deployments with I MEF. Platoon Commander, Tactical Communications Planning and Engineering Officer, Operations Officer, Space Operations Planner within multiple levels of III MEF, in the Pacific. His service outside the operating forces includes Reequipments Manager with Combat Development and Integration (CD&I), HQMC, and Project Officer with Marine Corps Systems Command.

CWO5 personal decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy, and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (with two gold stars), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

Daniel Gizinski

Daniel Gizinski was named CSO & President, Comtech Satellite Network Technologies, Inc. in August of 2024. Previously, Daniel was the Chief Strategy Officer (2022-2024) and also served as President of Comtech Satellite Network Technologies, Inc. in 2022. He held various senior management positions at Comtech, including and Vice President of Product and Strategy for Comtech Systems Inc. Prior to joining Comtech in 2019, Daniel held program management and leadership roles at General Electric, Sierra Nevada Corporation, and L3Harris Technologies. Daniel holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Virginia and a Master’s degree from Duke University.

David Dean

I am a Chief Systems Engineer with over 37 years of experience in the Defence and Security Environment, which has included MOD PE, DERA and QinetiQ.

I joined Dstl in 2004 and I have been an Operational Analyst, systems engineer and consultant. I was the Theme Advisor for Combat Identification and currently work in the Cyber and Information Systems Division as the Principal Advisor for MilSatCom within the Dstl Space Programme.

My current role includes leading national and international research activities, and providing support to the UK Skynet 6 programme and Space Command.

My main areas of interest include Space Hybrid Networks, future MilSatCom bearers, secure waveforms and space platform protection, and space industrial policy.

I was born in Romford, Essex; have degrees in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Systems Engineering and am a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology.

Deanna Ryals

Ms. Deanna L. Ryals is the Director, International Affairs, Space Systems Command, Los Angeles AFB, CA. In this role, she is responsible for driving innovative partnerships with Allies, InterAgencies, and Industry to build a joint robust and resilient military space enterprise that is “Allied by Design”. Ms. Ryals is the USSF lead in developing and executing space FMS and shapes the use of armaments cooperation to set the conditions for an allied inclusive space architecture in accordance with Department and Service strategic guidance.

Ms. Ryals entered federal government service in 1988, and for more than 25 years, she supported the DoD in both civil service and industry in financial management and acquisition. In 2000, Ms. Ryals moved to the Secretary of the Air Force staff in the Space Acquisition Directorate and managed a MILSATCOM terminal portfolio worth $10B, then took over as the single SAF/AQS focal point for international activities. In 2012, Ms. Ryals moved to the Air Force Program Executive Officer for Space Launch (AFPEO/SL) as the PM for Acquisition Strategy development and secured DoD Acquisition Executive approval of a new acquisition strategy for future DoD NSS launches that introduced a competitive environment for all certified U.S. launch service providers. Ms. Ryals rejoined MILSATCOM in January 2013 with her transition to Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC). After being named SMC’s Chief Partnership Officer in 2018, Ms. Ryals ascended to her current role as Director, Int’l Affairs with the stand up of Space Systems Command in August of 2021.

Douglas Loverro

Mr. Douglas Loverro is a highly regarded national space thinker and leader who currently serves as President, Loverro Consulting, LLC. He has served in a variety of very senior government positions including at NASA where he led Human Exploration, in the DoD where he lead space policy, and in multiple DoD and NRO space program leadership roles over a more than 40-year career.

Dr Aurelie Trur-Mirahmetolu

Dr. Trur is an independent global space policy expert with two decades of involvement with
the international space community. Originally from France, Dr. Trur spent the better part of the last
decade between Türkiye, France and Japan. Developing global experiences, she graduated with a
Ph.D. from the Tokyo-based National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), writing her
dissertation on space sustainability and debris governance. Her research interests combine
diplomacy, policy and governance of space activities, international cooperation, global governance,
security, and sustainability issues affecting the future of humankind.

Recently invited to head a new space diplomacy project at the Foreign Policy Institute of
Ankara DPE (Dis Politika Enstitüsü), Dr. Trur provides strategic advice for space policy, cooperation,
education and outreach projects globally including lately in Türkiye, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific
regions, besides contributing to editorial board and peer review roles for academic journals covering
space and international affairs. She publishes and peer reviews articles in Acta Astronautica,
Astropolitics, Eurasian World, Space Policy, The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, and Nature
(Astronomy) and is an editorial board member of Astropolitics and the Advanced Space Law Journal.

Involved in international affairs in various capacities across several continents, Dr. Trur
covered space diplomacy and strategy issues as a researcher starting twenty years ago in France
with her diplomatic and international studies’ master at École des Hautes Études Internationales
(HEI Paris) and her master in space studies at the International Space University (ISU Strasbourg).
She combined international academic and private sector experiences providing policy consultancy
and project management to a leading operator of satellite telecommunications, SES, at their
Brussels office following policy research internships with George Washington University’s Space
Policy Institute and with the United States Navy Department of Contemporary History.

Dr. Trur has been a member of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL) since 2016 and
of multiple space associations, committees, and boards, the latest being the International
Astronautical Federation IAF ACCESS MECA Subcommittee supporting emerging space nations. She
participates in United Nations-led space diplomacy initiatives and experts’ workshops, the latest
being the World Space Forum hosted at the United Nations’ Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
in Vienna, Austria, in preparation of the 2024 Summit of the Future.

Dr Brendan Mulvaney

Dr. Brendan Mulvaney is currently the Director of the China Aerospace Studies Institute at National Defense University. He was a Marine for a quarter of a century, where he flew more than 2000 hours as an AH-1W Cobra pilot, and was an Olmsted Scholar in Shanghai, China.

He enlisted in 1991 and was commissioned in 1993 after graduating from UC San Diego. He earned his Master’s in Leadership from the University of San Diego in 2002, and was selected as one of three Marine Olmsted Scholars for 2003. He studied at Fudan University in Shanghai, China from 2003-2005 where he earned his Ph.D. in International Relations.

He served several tours in California, Iraq, Japan, and the Western Pacific. He served as the first Director of the Commandant’s Red Team, and supervised the implementation of Red Teaming in the Marine Corps. In 2013 he transferred to the U.S. Naval Academy, where he was the Associate Chair for the Languages and Cultures Department, and taught Mandarin Chinese, Chinese culture, and cross-cultural literacy.

Dr Chiara Palla

 Dr Chiara Palla has been working as Project Manager at MDA Space UK since February 2020. She currently manages multiple projects focusing on the design and development of space sensors for exploration and on-orbit servicing missions, and space-based communication technology, including the Radiofrequency distribution network for HLCS, which will be onboard the Lunar Gateway. Her day-to-day job involves interactions with diverse teams, international space agencies, commercial customers and suppliers to ensure the programs are timely delivered.

Dr Joanna Hart

Joanna thrives on bringing people together to address complex challenges and deliver change. The Space Partnership equally represents industry, academia and government, enabling shared priorities to identified and collective action agreed so that the ambition contained within the National Space Strategy. Director is delivered. Joanna started in the role in March 2023 after nine years working across the space and innovation ecosystems, first at the Satellite Applications Catapult and then at the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC, part of UK Research and Innovation).

As the Harwell Space Cluster Development Manager, Joanna worked with stakeholders to grow the Cluster from 80 organisations to over 100 today that collectively employ over 1,400 people (up from 800 in December 2017). As STFC’s Skills Factory Director, Joanna led the development of STFC’s Skills Factory proposal to address national technical skills shortages, resulting in a doubling of the STFC apprenticeship scheme.

With a first career in investment banking at UBS and Credit Suisse, a PhD in particle physics, Joanna has a strong financial and scientific background.

Dr John Huth

 Dr. John Huth is the Chief of the Office of Space and Counterspace. He leads DIA’s activities on collection, characterization, and analysis of foreign space and counterspace capabilities,

Dr Kate Ferguson

Dr Kate Ferguson is the Associate Director Strategic Projects at the Australian National University Institute for Space (ANU InSpace) where she builds linkages between the space and research communities to develop the next space missions using space technology to solve society's challenges back on Earth. As part of this role, she has managed the industry engagement and translation of the ANU optical communications program including the ANU Quantum Optical Ground Station, opened in late 2023. She was awarded her PhD in 2016 from the Australian National University during which she developed quantum communication hardware, specialising in quantum memories and entangled light sources for long range quantum networking.

Dr Leah-Nani Alconcel

Dr Alconcel has almost 20 years of experience working as an engineer and manager on planetary exploration missions throughout the solar system including the Cassini mission to Saturn, JUICE mission to the Jovian system, and the Cluster multi-spacecraft mission investigating the Earth’s magnetosphere. She has worked on the full life cycle of space missions, from concept and design through to build, launch, operations and end-of-life.

Dr Mamatha Maheshwarappa

 Dr Mamatha Maheshwarappa is the Head of Research & Development within Office of the Chief Engineer (OCE) at the UK Space Agency. Previously, as a Payload Systems Lead, she provided technical leadership on various UK Space Agency programmes and projects, by offering technical oversight/assurance. At RAL Space, she was the technical lead on SPEQTRE (Space Photon Entanglement Quantum Technology Readiness Experiment) satellite project. Mamatha has worked on transceivers for ExoMars and Lunar Polar Sample Return projects while at QinetiQ. She has a PhD in Software Defined Radios for Multi-Satellite Communications from the University of Surrey, UK. Mamatha is the co-chair of the Women in Aerospace-Europe (WIA-E) UK Regional Network representing UK Space Agency.  

Dr Martin Strohmeier

Martin Strohmeier is a Senior Scientific Project Manager at the Cyber-Defence Campus in Switzerland and a Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford. Before coming to Oxford for his PhD, he received his MSc from TU Kaiserslautern, Germany and worked as a researcher at Lancaster University’s InfoLab21 and Lufthansa. He is interested in wireless security, critical infrastructures and adversarial machine learning. Martin is also a co-founder and board member of the OpenSky Network.
 

Dr Rajeev Gopal

Dr. Rajeev Gopal, vice president at Hughes, leads the company’s advanced engineering programs, developing innovative solutions for resilient and protected communications in defense applications. Dr. Gopal’s work spans 5G, Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geostationary Orbit (GEO) High-Throughput Satellite (HTS) technologies, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), cloud, and cybersecurity innovations.

Dr Sharon Lemac-Vincere

Dr Sharon Lemac-Vincere is an interdisciplinary academic at the University of Strathclyde and visiting academic at the international Space University, Strasbourg. Sharon has also set-up and sold her own business and as such she brings real life experience to her work.
Sharon works at the intersection of space entrepreneurship and cyber security. She conducts research in this field. More recently she launched an executive space cyber security course at the University of Strathclyde in partnership with the International Space University. Sharon also hosts a podcast: Space: No Rocket Required and she has designed the first Space Tartan called ‘Vincere Ad Astra’.
 

Dr Ulpia-Elena Botezatu

Dr. Ulpia-Elena Botezatu is the Chair of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) and currently serves as a Space Policy Officer at the Romanian Space Agency (ROSA). With extensive expertise in space security, Dr. Botezatu represents her agency as a delegate to prominent organizations such as the European Space Agency (ESA), the Europena Commission, the EU Space Surveillance and Tracking (EUSST) Partnership, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and NATO's Science and Technology Organization (STO), focusing on pivotal issues related to space security and the peaceful use of outer space. With a Doctorate in Engineering Sciences and a Master's degree in Urban Management, she has made substantial contributions to space situational awareness and the security of critical space infrastructure. Dr. Botezatu is not only an author of numerous academic articles but is also preparing a book on the confluence of space and urban environments. Her work is instrumental in fostering international collaboration towards the enhancement of space security and the promotion of peace in outer space. Currently, she is pursuing a degree in international law with a focus on space law, aiming to further contribute to the development of legal frameworks that support the sustainable and peaceful exploration of outer space.

Dr Vincent Lenders

Vincent Lenders is Director of the Cyber-Defence Campus at the Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport. He has been working in the field of cybersecurity since 20 years, mostly focusing on research and penetration testing. He has published over eighty papers in the field of aerospace cybersecurity and is the co-founder of the OpenSky Network. He holds a Master’s degree and a PhD in Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies from ETH Zurich.

Esteban Menargues

Esteban Menargues (born in 1986, in Alicant, Spain) joined SWISSto12 in 2015 to develop RF components and Antennas using Additive Manufacturing. He currently leads the development of products for Space Satcom, Ground Satcom or Surveillance applications.

Gael Derven

Gael Derven is responsible for satcom product line management at Thales SIX, in charge of satcom ground segment, terminals and protected modems. Gael has 30 years’ experience within defense, telecom and space industries with extensive international experience across Europe, North America and Asia.

Gus Anderson

Gus Anderson has a diverse work experience spanning several industries and roles. Gus is currently serving as the Vice President of Strategic Business Development at SES Space & Defense since December 2022. Prior to this, they worked at Leonardo DRS for 12 years, holding positions such as Director of Business Development, Director of International Programs, and Program Manager. Gus also gained experience in business development at Apptis in 2008 and served as a Field Office Commander at the Defense Information Systems Agency from 2005 to 2008. Before that, they held the role of Regional Signal Group Commander at NATO Communications Information Services Agency from 2002 to 2005. Gus started their career in 1992 as an Executive and Operations Officer at the 58th Signal Battalion and subsequently held positions at Army ROTC as a Professor and at the Office of the Secretary of Defense as a Speechwriter. Gus served as a Commander at the 509th Signal Battalion from 1998 to 2000, where they successfully established communication networks between US and Eastern European forces and directed telecommunications planning for international peacekeeping and stability operations.

Gus Anderson has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Notre Dame, which they obtained from 1975 to 1979. From 1986 to 1988, they pursued a Master of Arts degree in Philosophy at the University of Connecticut. In 1991 to 1992, Gus attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, focusing on Military and Strategic Leadership. Gus also completed the Signal Officer Advanced Course in Telecommunications Management in both 1984 and 1979.

In terms of additional certifications, Gus obtained the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute in September 2010.

Heinrich Krispler

Helen Weedon

Helen Weedon is Managing Director of the Satcoms Innovation Group (SIG) which is dedicated to promoting innovation within the satellite industry. Helen has been involved with SIG since 2011, previously supporting the group with marketing, PR, and admin activities. Helen has over 20 years’ experience within the satellite and broadcast industries. She is the founder of Radical Moves, a specialist PR and Marketing agency. Helen is fluent in French and German, with a good knowledge of Welsh and a basic knowledge of Dutch and Spanish. Helen regularly addresses the industry on the challenges faced by the satellite industry and the innovative approaches needed to resolve them.

Jacob Smith

 Jacob is a Director of SpaceCareers.uk, a non-profit organisation supporting students and professionals throughout their careers in the space sector. He is also the founder of SpaceProjects.uk and a former Chair of UKSEDS. Jacob works for the Space Partnership as Space Partnership Lead, following roles at ESA Academy at SSTL.

Jared Reece

 Jared Reece is Chief, Commercial Satellite Communications (COMSATCOM) Solutions Program Office, assigned to the Space Systems Command, United States Space Force, Washington, D.C. He is responsible for delivering COMSATCOM capabilities to support the joint warfighter, federal agencies, and international partners. 

The COMSATCOM Solutions Program Office acquires COMSATCOM capability for any customer, anywhere in the world, and includes the Proliferated Low Earth Orbit (PLEO) Indefinity Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract awarded in 2023 with a current ceiling of $13B. 

Jean-Francois Morizur

Before founding Cailabs in 2013, Jean- François was Senior Associate  at  the Boston Consulting Group in their Paris office. Jean-François holds two doctorate degrees  in  quantum  optics  from  the Sorbonne University and the Australian National University and is a graduate of the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris. He was selected in 2016 among Forbes 30 under 30  Science  &  Healthcare. 

During his thesis at the Kastler Brossel laboratory in Paris,  he  co-invented Multi-Plane  Light  Conversion  (“MPLC”), the technology behind Cailabs’ products. 

Jennifer Connell

Mrs. Jennifer Connell is an SATCOM and Information Technology Cyber Subject Matter Expert for Next Generation Networks Priority Services Sub-Division. In her role, she helps lead the nationwide team effort to deliver priority capabilities in telecommunications commercial and government networks in support of Public Safety, Critical Infrastructure, and the National Security / Emergency Preparedness (NS/EP) community.

Jeremy Wimble

 Jeremy is the programme manager at techUK responsible for the defence programme which works to help the UK's defence technology sector align itself with the Ministry of Defence, in particular Defence Digital.

Jessie Hamill-Stewart

Jessie Hamill-Stewart is a Cyber Security (TIPS-at-Scale) CDT (PhD) candidate at University of Bath and University of Bristol. She investigates the cyber resilience of space infrastructure through multidisciplinary research, which combines technical analysis of cyber attacks and more qualitative approaches such as document analysis and interviews.

Jim Hooper

Joan Johnson-Freese

Dr. Joan Johnson-Freese is a University Professor Emeritus and former Chair of the National Security Affairs Department at the Naval War College, as well as serving as the Charles Bolden Chair on Science, Space & Technology. She has also been part of the Government Department faculty of Harvard Extension School and Harvard Summer School since 2004, and a Senior Fellow with Women in International Security. She is the author of Women v Women: The Case for Cooperation (2022), Women, Peace & Security: An Introduction (2nd edition, December 2023) and her new book Leadership in War & Peace: Masculine & Feminine is forthcoming in 2025. She is also the author of 7 books and dozens of articles on space security, testified on space security before Congress on multiple occasions, a faculty member of the International Space University and held positions on multiple space-related boards and advisory councils. 

John Irving

John Irving is the European Space Agency Security Engineering Manager in the Director General's Security Office. In this role, he supports security efforts to enhance the agency's overall security posture and resilience.

John initially focused on UK Tactical Datalinks. Later, both in the industry and at ESA, he made significant contributions to Europe's Global Navigation Satellite System, Galileo. He was entrusted with critical security elements and systems engineering throughout the entire system development lifecycle.

Since 2020, John has been at the forefront, spearheading the team in a collaborative effort with industry to develop the ESA Space & Security Cyber Centre of Excellence (SCCoE) and the Cyber-Security Operations Centre (CSOC). His contributions also extend to establishing the new ECSS European space system security standard.
 

Joshua Broom

Joshua Broom is the Head of Space at the UK Department for Business & Trade (DBT). He leads the Department’s space engagement with UK companies looking to export to global markets, and international companies wishing to invest and locate in the UK space sector, as well as investors looking to invest into UK companies and capabilities. He also coordinates the Department’s contributions to cross-government space policy and governance working with the Department for Science, Innovation, & Technology (DSIT), the UK Space Agency, Ministry of Defence (MOD), Foreign, Commonwealth, & Development Office (FCDO), and Cabinet Office.

Josh has worked in the UK Government on space since he joined the Civil Service in 2017. He has held four different roles in the Department for the Environment, Food, & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the UK Space Agency, and Department for International Trade – now DBT. He has tackled many complex issues such as negotiating with the European Union on UK participation in EU space programmes, mobilising space-based assets and expertise for emergency responses to international crises in Australia and elsewhere, establishing precedent-setting agreements and partnerships with strategic space-faring allies, and landing companies from abroad across the UK space ecosystem.

Prior to his career in the Civil Service, Josh studied at Loughborough University and Cranfield University to secure bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering and environmental science respectively. He is a self-professed space ‘geek’, keen traveller, and rugby enthusiast.
 

Juliana Suess

Juliana is the Research Fellow on Space Security as part of the Military Sciences team at RUSI and is the host of the podcast War in Space. She was previously Project Officer and Research Analyst at RUSI International. Her research interests include global space governance, sustainability, counterspace capabilities and space warfare.

Juliana holds an MA in Conflict, Security and Development from King’s College London and a BA in Politics and International Relations from the University of Reading. Prior to joining RUSI, she was an intern for the Development, Concept and Doctrine Centre, the independent think tank of the Ministry of Defence. There she researched varied topic areas, including geo-strategic, security and stabilisation topics, as well as future and contemporary trends in warfare.

Junayd Miah

 Dr Junayd Miah is a widely recognised UK space subject matter expert, having led the development and delivery of several critical space and ground segment capabilities for the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD). This includes leading the development of a £145 million, game-changing space programme for space-based Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), demonstrating the UK government operating satellites for the first time in over 17 years, and helping deliver two satellite missions for R&D purposes, CIRCE and Prometheus-2 respectively. He currently serves as Science Adviser for UK Space Command to direct investment towards beneficial technologies for future space operations.

Katherine Courtney

 Katherine is a non-executive director, strategic advisor, and former CEO of the UK Space Agency. She chairs the Global Network on Sustainability in Space – which brings together scientists, industry leaders and policy makers in partnership to tackle the rising challenges of space debris and congestion.

Kimberly Morris

Kimberly Morris is the Deputy for Space Operations at Naval Network Warfare Command. In this role, she has supervision of Navy SATCOM Operations. She supervises the asset allocation and mission planning of the Navy’s Commercial Broadband Satellite Program. She is currently leading an initiative to demonstrate resilient SATCOM through proactive management and control techniques by using pre-allocated MILSATCOM compatible commercial capabilities as maneuver space.

Kimberly retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2014 after 20 years as a Communications Officer. During her career, she held several SATCOM centric billets including leading one of the first Joint Force wideband SATCOM “Enabler” detachments from amphibious shipping and after 9-11 as a Communication Company Commander in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Her last assignment was team lead for the Expeditionary SATCOM acquisitions program at MARCORSYSCOM

After retirement, she served as a program analyst in support of OPNAV N2N6 responsible for the Navy’s Commercial SATCOM and Wideband programs before accepting her current position at Navy Network Warfare Command.

She is the recipient of the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service award, the Meritorious Service Medal with three stars, the Joint Commendation Medal, the Navy/ Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and the Navy/ Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

 

Laetitia Cesari

Laetitia Cesari is a Doctoral Researcher at the University of Luxembourg and is currently a visiting researcher at UNSW Canberra Space. She is also an external consultant for the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). She specialises in Space Law and Policy, and has authored papers, articles and books focusing on security and safety aspects, including cybersecurity, space data, verification and monitoring, and space situational awareness.

Laryssa Patten

Ms Laryssa Patten is the Head of the Space Technology Adoption and Resilience (STAR) team at the NATO Communications and Information Agency. Laryssa has spent her career in the space field on civilian, government and military space programs. This includes working at the Canadian Space Agency on RADARSAT operations and International Space Station operations where she trained astronauts and cosmonauts to operate robotics in space. She also supported the European Commission on European Space Policy Development and Galileo Applications. For the last 10 years, Laryssa has been part of NATO, responsible for both Space and the Alliance Global Hawk activities within the Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance service center and the Chief Technology Office at NCI Agency.  

Leah DeLancey

As the Special Assistant and Lead Action Officer to the Executive Assistant Director for Emergency Communications at the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Ms. Delancey leads the Emergency Communications Division (ECD) strategic planning to execute internal and external actions and special projects. Ms. Delancey is also the ECD International Action Officer and responsible for executing actions that 

Lieutenant Colonel (Ret'd) Abde Bellahnid

Lieutenant Colonel Luis Santiago

Lieutenant Colonel Phil Alvarez

Lt Col Phillip N. Alvarez is the commander of the 1st Air and Space Communications Operations Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany where he commands 149 total force personnel across six career fields delivering, operating, and defending nine diverse C5ISR network platforms used by over 3,400 users and intelligence analysts at 19 locations in the United States Air Forces in Europe, Air Forces Africa, and United States Air Forces Central Command-Forward theaters of operations. He leads the management and sustainment of the command’s $90M Air Force Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System (JWICS) net-centric enterprise, the operation and mobilization of the Air Force’s only deployable JWICS communications suite, the only approved black network, and two global command and control systems.

Lt Col Alvarez is a prior-enlisted Airmen and achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant before earning a Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC) scholarship. Lt Col Alvarez received his commission from the University of South Florida ROTC program, earning Distinguished Graduate honors. He is a cyberspace operations officer and has held positions at the Squadron, Group, Wing, Numbered Air Force, Combatant Command, Joint and NATO levels. Lt Col Alvarez most recently served as Deputy Division Chief, Warfighting Capabilities and Integration Division for United States Air Forces in Europe and Africa. In this capacity, he led 191 personnel and managed a $260 million budget, directing command, control, communications, cyber defense, development, modernization, nuclear command and control program management, and operational analysis to provide reliable, resilient and interoperable technology for 9 Wings, 6 Main Operating Bases, and 92 Geographically Separated Units across 2 Combatant Commands.
 

Linda Ngozwana

 Linda Ngozwana, born and raised in South Africa, is a Systems Engineer at MDA UK Space and Robotics with experience in developing sensors used in spacecraft. Prior to this, Linda completed her Masters in Astronautics and Aerospace Engineering at Cranfield University, with research experience in applying Model Based Systems Engineering to complex satellite manoeuvres and its impact on satellite design.

Lorenzo Arona

Lorenzo is Standard Member Director, Space Data Association and a Senior Manager in the Spacecraft Operations department of Avanti Communications, where he leads the team responsible for Flight Dynamics and Space Traffic Coordination, and he is the company delegate for Space Safety & Sustainability matters.

Lorenzo has more than 15 years of experience in satellite operations, first at the European Space Agency, where he worked on interplanetary probes like Rosetta and Venus Express, then at Avanti Communications. There, he set up the company Spacecraft Operations Centre, then turned it from a cost centre into a revenue-generating department by implementing spacecraft operations as a service.
Lorenzo participates in several industry-led working groups focused on space safety and sustainability, and is a UK Space Agency (UKSA) delegate at the European Cooperation for Space Standardization (ECSS).

Major General Sami Nurmi

Major General Sami Nurmis Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategy of the Finnish Defence Forces as of 1 April 2024.

Previously, he has served as Head of Unit, Ministry of Defence, Head of Defence Courses at the National Defence Uni-versity, Director of Communications for the Finnish Defence Forces and assistant to the Chief of the EU Military Staff in Brussels.

Major General Steven 'Bucky' Butow

Steve “Bucky” Butow is the Director of the Space Portfolio at the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). He joined the team in 2015 as a plank owner when DIU was known as the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx) and helped establish the organization’s operating locations in Silicon Valley; Boston, Massachusetts; and Austin, Texas.

In his reserve capacity, Butow is a Major General serving as the Commander of the California Air National Guard where he leads 4,900 Airmen assigned to five wings and a headquarters staff. Prior to this assignment, he was a Special Assistant to the Director, Air National Guard.

Butow is a former Commander of the 129th Rescue Wing at Moffett Federal Airfield, CA, where his responsibilities included organizing, training, equipping, and maintaining 970 combat-ready forces and $1 Billion dollars of special mission aircraft and equipment supporting the U.S. Air Force's combat rescue and personnel recovery missions. He has previously served as the Deputy Director of the Joint Search and Rescue Center for U.S. Central Command in 2005, and as Chief of Personnel Recovery for U.S. Air Forces Central in 2007 supporting Operations IRAQI and ENDURING FREEDOM. Prior to joining DIU, Butow was the Vice Chief of the Joint Staff, California Military Department with responsibilities including cybersecurity, incident awareness and innovation. He has more than 3,500 flying hours in T-37, T-38, C-130, HC-130 and MC-130P aircraft.

As a researcher with the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute, Butow worked on instrument concepts for Mars surface soil analysis at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA. He later served as co-principal investigator for a series of airborne science missions for which he was recognized for outstanding achievement and contributions to the Space Science Division in 1999 and received an Ames Honor Award as a member of an Astrobiology Mission Project Team in 2000.

Butow graduated from San Jose State University with a B.A. in Physics & Astronomy and earned a M.S. in Management with specialization in Air and Space Strategic Studies from the University of Maryland. He has also completed executive courses at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and was a member of the National Leadership Preparedness Initiative (NPLI) Cohort 16.

Major Sean Miller

Major Semra Turkalp

Major Semra Turkalp joined the Defence Space Security Center at the Royal Netherlands Air Force in March 2020. As Senior Legal Counsel Space, she provides legal support to the civilian and military space experts and operators of the Defence Space Security Center, and to the high level policymakers and the Military Staff within the Ministry of Defence. In addition, as a Subject Matter Expert she takes part in various international consultations and conducts negotiations on behalf of the Minister of the Netherlands space related projects, agreements and cooperation with allied nations, NATO and/or the EU.

Major Turkalp obtained her law degree, with a specialization in Space Law at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. Prior to joining the Royal Netherlands Air Force, she served at the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service involving cases of international crimes at the Appeals Court of the Hague and the Supreme Court of the Netherlands.

Mark Kitz

 As the Program Executive Officer for Command, Control, Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T), Mr. Mark C. Kitz guides a workforce of more than 1,600 personnel who acquire, field and support the communications networks, radios, satellite systems and other hardware and software Soldiers require for information dominance on the battlefield. Mr. Kitz took command of PEO C3T in June 2023.

Martin Coleman

Martin Rowse

 Martin is currently the Campaign Director for Airbus Defence and Space in the UK. In this role, Martin is responsible for bringing the world-class solutions that Airbus offer to meet the requirements of the UK MOD. This includes working alongside specialist companies within the UK to develop future capability and solutions, with the aspiration of developing a long-standing business as a partner to the government and industry. 

Michael Usowski

 Mr. Michael A. Usowski was appointed as the Senior Defense Intelligence Analyst for Space & Counterspace (SCS) in August 2022. In this role, he is the analytic authority for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) on space and counterspace issues. He leads the planning, directing, and management of space and counterspace intelligence analysis and production across the Defense Intelligence All-Source Analysis Enterprise (DIAAE). He develops and implements strategies and analytic capabilities to support combatant command, policymaker, and defense acquisition community intelligence requirements. Mr. Usowski joined the DIA in 2007 and has served the agency in numerous roles since then. He holds a B.S in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Michelle Hanlon

Michelle L.D. Hanlon is the Executive of the Air and Space Law Program at the University of Mississippi School of Law and its Center for Air and Space Law. She is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Space Law, the world’s oldest law journal dedicated to the legal problems arising out of human activities in outer space and its sister publication, the Journal of Drone Law and Policy. Michelle is a Co-Founder and President of For All Moonkind, Inc., a nonprofit corporation that is the only organization in the world focused on protecting human cultural heritage in outer space. In this capacity, she was instrumental in the development of the recently enacted One Small Step Act in the United States. For All Moonkind has been recognized by the United Nations as a Permanent Observer to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and recently launched its Institute on Space Law and Ethics.

Michelle received her B.A. in Political Science from Yale College and her J.D. magna cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center. She earned her LLM in Air and Space Law from McGill University. Prior to focusing on aviation and space law, Michelle was engaged in a private business law practice.

Mike Assid

 Mike Assid is the Director of the Satellite Communications (SATCOM) Integrated Operations Division (SIOD), responsible for synchronizing, integrating and coordinating global Enterprise SATCOM operations in support of Commander, U.S. Space Command priorities. The SIOD provides real-time, cross-spectrum SATCOM situational awareness to inform senior leader decisions, leads space electromagnetic interference (EMI), electronic attack (EA) and anomaly resolution, and supports communications restoral for Joint and Allied warfighters worldwide.

Mike Dean

Mr. Mike Dean became a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES) in 2024. He currently serves as Director, Command, Control, and Communications Infrastructure (C3I) office of the Department of Defense Chief Information Officer (DoD CIO). In this position, he leads the governance, oversight and policy development of DoD tactical communications, tactical data links, combat identification systems, public safety communications, satellite communications, positioning, navigation and timing, and mobility/5G systems.

Name Withheld for Security Reasons

A senior representative from the UK National Cyber Security Centre will join us to provide the keynote of the Cybersecurity for Space & SATCOM Focus Day. Name withheld for security reasons.

Naomi Kurahara

Naomi Kurahara is the Co-Founder and CEO of Infostellar, a newspace communications technology company based in Tokyo that manages a satellite antenna sharing platform called StellarStation. Using this platform, users can share their unused antenna time and access antennas worldwide for their satellite operations.

Nimmi Patel

Nimmi Patel is the Head of Skills, Talent and Diversity at techUK. She works on all things skills, education, and future of work policy, focusing on upskilling and retraining. Nimmi is also an Advisory Board member of Digital Futures at Work Research Centre (digit). The Centre research aims to increase understanding of how digital technologies are changing work and the implications for employers, workers, job seekers and governments. She is a member of Chatham House's Common Futures Conversations.

Ori Naor

Mr. Ori Naor is Vice President, Global Defense Sales, for Gilat Satellite Networks. 

Patricia Cooper

 Patricia Cooper is a leading expert on satellite communications, regulation and space policy, and is the founder of the space consultancy, Constellation Advisory, LLC, where she advises smart space and satellite ventures and international projects.

Peter Trussell

 Peter Trussell is a Civil Servant working at the UK Space Agency as the Future Workforce Lead, partnering with experts in industry, academia, and across government to provide a skilled workforce for the growing UK space sector.

Philippe Bertrand

Philippe Bertrand was elected by the European Union Member States as the Chairman of the Security Accreditation Board (SAB) of the EU Space Programme in May 2022. The SAB is the security accreditation authority for all of the EU Space Programme’s components where Member States take decisions in a strictly independent manner.

Prior to that, Mr. Bertrand worked as a European affairs coordinator at the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) in France. Philippe Bertrand has a vast experience in space-related activities and more specifically in satellite navigation. He has held several managerial positions in the public sector, namely in the French Armed Forces, the office of the French Prime Minister and the European Commission.

Pinar Yasar Orten

Mrs. Pinar Yasar Orten is a SATCOM professional who leads the efforts related to SATCOM technology roadmaps and bringing those technologies to NATO as Head of SATCOM Technology in NATO Communications and Information Agency Chief Technology Office (CTO).
She is part of CTO-STAR (Space Technology Adoption and Resilience) team, where the team deals with all space domain technology related matters in NCIA.

Having almost 2 decades of experience in the domain, Pinar joined the NCI Agency after working in defence industry over a decade.

Her experience spans from design, development and acquisition of Electronic Warfare and SATCOM Systems for space, land, maritime and air domains as well as managing diverse engineering teams. Providing latest SATCOM technology to the Alliance, Pinar applies sound engineering principles using both traditional and innovative methods.

She has her B.Sc. degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering as well as M.Sc. in the same domain with a focus on electromagnetics and novel RF materials, which is one of the disruptive technologies and has published papers in this domain. She is alumni of NATO-wide Executive Development Program.
 

Prof Joanne Wheeler

 Joanne is a leading expert in the field of satellite and space law, policy, regulation and spectrum issues and commercial contracts, having worked at Ofcom, the European Space Agency and for over 20 years in private legal practice in this area. She was awarded an MBE for services to the UK space industry in 2017. She is ranked Tier 1 in legal directories.

Joanne won the Financial Times European Legal Innovator of the Year award in 2014. She is the co-founder and Chair of the Satellite Finance Network (www.satellitefinancenetwork.org). She is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, the Royal Aeronautical Society, Deputy Chair of the National Space Centre and chair of the National Space Academy steering board. She Co-Chairs the UK Government’s Spaceflight Safety and Regulatory Council and was appointed as an honorary Professor by the University of Leicester in 2022.

Raniah Admed

Richard Budd

Richard is responsible for Space Digital business in UK, US and Asia Pacific, primarily ensuring the evolution of the space and ground networks & associated services business to meet growing customer demands. This includes maintaining the high quality delivery of Skynet services and the next generation Skynet 6a satellite, with a significant focus on securing a lead role for the company in the next generation of UK military space programmes.

Robert Cleave

Roy Sielaff

Roy Sielaff is currently the Vice-President Europe for SES Space & Defence. Roy is a Dutch National who served more than 20 years in the Dutch Government. Between 1993 and 2003 Roy served as a (police) officer at the Royal Marechaussee, where he had several roles at Schiphol Amsterdam Airport and various criminal investigation teams. Between 2003 and 2013 Roy was a member of the Military Intelligence and Security Agency (MIVD) where he held various senior management roles in the operational department. Roy participated in numerous international NATO and UN missions.

Samuel Visner

 Samuel Sanders Visner serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center and as a Technical Fellow at the Aerospace Corporation. Sam is also a Senior Advisor to the Cybersecurity Solarium Commission. Sam served previously as Director of the National Cybersecurity Federally Funded Research and Development Center (MITRE), sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Sam is as a member of the Board of Directors of the Oak Ridge Associated Universities and also serves as a member of the Cyber Council of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance and the Cyber Committee of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association. Sam served as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, where he taught a course on cybersecurity policy, operations, and technology, and has also established a charitable trust for the University for the continued development of curricula in the study of information technology in international security. Sam is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Atlantic Council and is a former member of the Intelligence Community Studies Board. Sam is also a member of the Army Science Board. Sam served previously as Senior Vice President at ICF (Cybersecurity and Resilience), Vice President at CSC (General Manager, CSC Global Cybersecurity), Senior Vice President at SAIC, and as Chief of Signals Intelligence Programs at the National Security Agency, from which he received the Agency's highest award for civilian service in recognition of work done to transform the Agency’s signals intelligence infrastructure following 9/11.  Sam holds a bachelor’s degree in International Politics from Georgetown University and a master’s degree in Telecommunications from the George Washington University.

Sarah Casenove

Senior Representative

Squadron Leader Rebecca Kirk

 Becky Kirk is a qualified and experienced Chartered Engineer with a strong background in space systems engineering. With many years of experience in the field, she has proven expertise in Systems Engineering processes and Satellite architecture.

Tales Gaspar

 Tales has a background in law and economics, with previous experience in the regulation of new technologies and infrastructure. In the UK and Europe, he offered consultancy on intellectual property rights of cellular and IoT technologies and on the regulatory procedures at the ITU as a Global Fellow at the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI). Tales has an LL.M in Law and Business by the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV) and an MSc in Regulation at the London School of Economics, with a specialization in Government and Law.

Trond Hermansen

Trond Hermansen is a SATCOM specialist within operational use of military SATCOM. He is now working as a special advisor in SATCOM to the Norwegian Armed Forces Cyberdefence. He is a former naval operational officer and has specialized in operational use of military SATCOM. He is presently engaged as operational project officer for the Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission project and the HEO-2 project that both will deliver 2 communication satellites in a high elliptical orbit in 2023 and 2026 respectvely.

Tulay Aydin

Tülay is a Research Associate specializing in Cyber Security in New Space at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich. An accomplished aerospace engineer, she brings extensive experience in the defense industry to her role, adeptly managing cutting-edge technology projects. Her passion for space technology and the space economy drives her commitment to advancing security measures and innovations in this dynamic field.

Vanessa Viney

Vanessa is UK and US Innovations Manager at Airbus Defence and Space, based at the company’s UK HQ in Stevenage. With over 26 years’ experience in the aerospace sector and a MEng in Aerospace Systems Engineering, Vanessa has worked on Mission Systems design for Earth Observation satellites, Project Management, Bid Management and Product Management.

Today, she is responsible for a portfolio of Innovation projects and is experienced in Innovation methods and tools – she is a ThinkWrong facilitator, motivator and ecosystem connector. Vanessa is also involved in outreach activities – such as the UK Youth Rocketry Competition – and is a ‘Women in Defence’ mentor as well as an active member of the internal Equality and Gender Diversity Working Group.

Vice Admiral Dr Thomas Daum

Vice-Admiral Dr Thomas Daum joined the Bundeswehr as an officer candidate in 1981. After studying computer science at the Bundeswehr University in Munich and completing his naval officer education, he received first command assignments on seagoing units. From 1996 onwards, he took part in the two-year admiral staff officers’ training at the Bundeswehr Command and Staff College in Hamburg.

His career as a senior officer was characterised by assignments at command headquarters and at the Federal Ministry of Defence, where he served in the areas of CIS support/C4ISR as well as concepts and capability analysis. He was also given command assignments at home and abroad, especially as commander of a fast patrol boat squadron, also on NATO operations.

He served as Head of the Information Technology Directorate at the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) from 2012 to 2015 and as Chief of Staff and Deputy General Manager as well as Chief Operating Officer of the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) in Brussels, Belgium, from 2015 to 2019.

After becoming Chief of Staff at the German Cyber and Information Domain Service Headquarters on 1 April 2019, Dr Daum was appointed as Chief of the Cyber and Information Domain Service on 25 September 2020.
 

Victoria Cope

Victoria joined Defence Digital in May 2023 as Commercial Director with responsibility for functional leadership of the directorate and commercial leadership of digital across the defence enterprise.

The enterprise focus includes digital category management, commercial optimisation & market innovation.

Prior to joining Defence Digital Victoria was the Commercial & Category Director for the UK Health Security Agency within the Government Commercial Function. Where she established and led the Commercial and Business Development functions.

Victoria has over 20 years’ experience in the Defence & Security sector, leading corporate procurement, commercial and finance functions within FTSE100/250 organisations including BAE Systems, QinetiQ, Airbus, Unilever and the UK Health Security Agency.

Victoria’s achievements were recognised by World Commerce and Contracting in the Inspiring Women list 2023. The Times & Sunday Times in 2019 as the winner of We Are the City Top 100 Women 2019 – Defence. Victoria was also awarded the Marshall of Cambridge Medal by the Duke of Edinburgh for her contribution to the industry.

Victoria is a chartered Aeronautical Engineer by background and holds an Executive MBA from Henley Business School. Victoria is a Fellow and Global Advisory Board Member of World Commerce & Contracting, a Non-Executive Council Member of The Air League Trust and a Non- Executive Director and Chair of Audit, Risk & Assurance Committee of the Inspiring Leadership Foundation
 

Wing Commander Daniela Nowalski

 Wing Commander Daniela Nowalski joined the RAF in 1999. Her posts have primarily been at the forefront of the UK’s air movements & transport operations and included operational tours of Iraq and Afghanistan. She has served in the Joint Force Logistics HQ during Op HERRICK drawdown and in the UK’s Permanent Joint HQ supporting emergent UK operations in the broader Middle East. She commanded Logistics Squadron at RAF Waddington, supporting and enabling the RAF’s ISTAR Force.  She has served as the Aide de Camp to Commander British Forces Cyprus and as the Military Assistant to the Assistant Chief of Defence Staff. Following a year planning and executing the world-wide baton relay to commemorate RAF100 in 2018, she then served as Executive Officer on 85 (Expeditionary Logistics) Wing at RAF Wittering, the home of the RAF’s high readiness deployable logistics capability. 

Daniela assumed the role of Deputy Commandant of the Tedder Academy of Leadership in 2021, a role that shapes and influences leadership training and education across the RAF Whole Force.  As coaching & mentoring desk-lead for the RAF she sets the conditions for mentoring to be adopted as best practice and as part of an individual’s continued pursuit of excellence in leadership.   

Wing Commander David Black

At UK Space Command I lead the MODs Satellite Management Team, managing strategic capability risks and working on satellite constellation strategies and spectrum related issues with ITU, Ofcom, UK Govt departments, International Partners and the global Space Industry in support of the MODs current and future Space missions in all orbits.