Matija Rencelj is the Research Manager at the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI). His work focuses on inter-institutional relations, and European and global policy developments, with studies undertaken on topics ranging from orbital carrying capacity to the history of commercial space. He previously worked with the European Space Agency, the European Commission, in the aviation and commodities sectors, and started his career as a lawyer at a corporate law firm. He holds an LL.M. in Air & Space Law from McGill University and a Law Degree from the University of Ljubljana. At ESPI, he first served as Research Fellow for two years, before taking on the responsibility to oversee the Institute’s research output, manage day-to-day operations, and translate the Institute’s work to real-world impact.

Josef Aschbacher, of Austrian nationality, is a geophysicist by education. He joined ESA in 1990. Throughout his career he held various positions in different locations. He also worked for the European Union. In 2016 he became ESA’s Director of Earth Observation, and in 2021 he took office as ESA’s Director General.

Experienced Head Of Unit with a demonstrated history of working in the government administration industry. Skilled in Government, European Integration, European Studies, Environmental Awareness, and International Relations. Strong business development professional graduated from IMD Business School.

Isabelle Mauro is Director General of the Global Satellite Operators Association (GSOA) that represents the interests of 29 global and regional satellite operators. She reports directly to their Chief Executives.

Under Isabelle’s leadership, GSOA and its member CEOs lead the effort to showcase the benefits of satellite communications for a more inclusive and secure society – vital to bridging the world’s digital divide, achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and realizing the 5G ecosystem.

Isabelle has 25 years experience in the Telecoms and Technology sector, starting at the GSMA, where she was responsible for government and international Affairs. In 2015 she moved to New York to join the World Economic Forum as Head of  Information, Communications and Technology Industries, managing the portfolio for 60+ Tech companies globally and leading initiatives on inclusive and sustainable digital transformation.

Isabelle is passionate about inclusion and sustainability. She is Chair of the High-Level Advisory Board of the DigitalGoesGreen Foundation. She also sits on the Advisory Board of Women in Tech and is a member of the UNESCO Advisory Group for the Declaration on Connectivity for Education.

Isabelle holds an MSc in European Politics and Policy from the London School of Economics. She is fluent in French, English, Italian and Spanish.

Hermann Ludwig Moeller is the Director of European Space Policy Institute since September 2022. Prior to joining ESPI, he held leading positions at ESA in the creation of EU Copernicus and in the preparation of the EU Secure Connectivity initiative as Head of Telecommunications Strategy, Programme and Transformation Office and as Head of Copernicus Space Segment Office. In these functions, Mr. Moeller has been operating with high level leadership in a complex multi-stakeholder policy environment in public-private partnerships with industry, at EU level, with EUMETSAT and with national space agencies and delegations. Prior to that he held the ESA Douglas Marsh Fellow at NASA and contributed to the creation of the European Internet backbone. He acquired early professional experience at the European Patent Office and with Siemens.

Bio to follow.

Christophe Grudler is a French Member of the European Parliament (MEP),member of the Renew Europe group.

Historian and journalist by training, his political commitment started at an early stage of his career. He is particularly involved at the local level in his hometown, Belfort, where he has been elected as a local representative several times.

Within the European Parliament, he is Vice-Coordinator of the ITRE Committee (Industry, research and energy) for the Renew Europe group. He is also a member of the Foreign Affairs (AFET) and Security and Defence (SEDE) committees. Furthermore, he is Vice President of the Sky & Space Intergroup of the European Parliament.

MEP Grudler is particularly involved on energy and industry related topics, as well as on space and defence policies. He has been appointed as rapporteur for the European Parliament on the Initiative report on Energy System Integration and recently on the future European secure connectivity. He is also shadow rapporteur for his group on the European Industrial Strategy, the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) and on the European Space Programme.

Currently Head of Telecoms and Space for Amazon’s EU Public Policy team, Jordi Casanova has over a decade of experience in competition and regulatory economics across a wide range of fields. Before joining Amazon in 2023, he was a senior economist at the EFTA Surveillance Authority, following on from roles focusing on telecoms and competition at the European Commission, Ofcom and the Spanish Market and Competition Authority. Jordi holds degrees in economics from the University of Valencia and Université Libre de Bruxelles, as well as an LLM from the College of Europe in Bruges. In addition to his interest in all things competition, regulation and policy, Jordi enjoys identifying promising startups to invest in and took his interest in viticulture to the next level as a co-owner of a start-up winery in his native Valencia.

Wide Experience in THE TELCO AND AUDIO-VISUAL MARKET in EUROPE AN LATINAMERICA.

Leading Operational, Technical and Commercial teams in different companies inside TELEFONICA. The last six years working in the Global Areas of TELEFONICA and till February 2020. Javier was part of the Operations and Customer Experience at GCTIO as Operations Director of Global Platforms (IoT, MVNE, etc..) and Video Services (IPTV, CATV, DTH, OTT), and from that date he lead the Shutdown of the Direct To Home (DTH) service and analysing new possible products and services.

Javier has always worked in Markets in Competition and depending on the Position, he has been responsible of P&L, business development, Channel strategy and sales strategy.

Javier considers himself a client-oriented person and has strong team building capabilities. He has excellent negotiation abilities, vision for development of new businesses and strategic analytical skills. He has a robust record of success in achieving complex objectives and timelines while building an exceptional team of professionals.

Areas of experience

– Open new business lines

– Management of complete business lines and companies

– Development of strategic plans

– Create and manage teams

– Negociations

– Human resources management

Dr. Ivan Janes is an accomplished executive with over two decades of leadership experience at the intersection of strategy, systems and innovation in the European Space, Defence, Aviation and Energy sectors. Currently serving as Chief Systems & Products Officer, he oversees mission-critical capabilities spanning, among others, ground infrastructure, cybersecurity, satellite communications and simulation services.

With a Ph.D. in Computer Science and extensive experience spanning systems engineering and executive commercial leadership, Dr. Janes brings a uniquely strategic perspective, translating technical depth into business value, operational excellence and high-impact solutions that meet real customer needs. He is a regular contributor to executive forums focused on digital resilience, emerging space markets and the future of European industrial collaboration.

Torsten Kriening is Publisher and CEO of SpaceWatch.Global, an independent platform for space activities in a geopolitical context.

He is a business executive with academic and professional experience in space management, satellite communications, and broadcast technology. He has an electrical and telecommunications engineering background and studied information technology and computer science at the Technical College Berlin. Torsten began his career as software developer, before moving into sales management and business development, working at companies including 3Com, Lucent Digital Video, SES Astra, Bertelsmann and PTScientists.

A proud Berliner with a global outlook, Torsten expanded his horizons even further by attending the International Space University (ISU) and earning an Executive MBA. His ISU thesis analysed the capacity-building visions and opportunities of countries in the Gulf region, and he brings experience developing strong and lasting business relationships with Middle Eastern countries. With the global Space Café® talk series and the Space Café® Podcast he created widely recognized space outreach formats.

Girish Chandran serves as Corporate Chief Technical Officer and President, Global Space Networks at Viasat, Inc. In this role he oversees the evolution of Viasat’s global network, which is responsible for connecting millions of personal and mobile devices per year—on the ground, in the air, and at sea. He also leads the company’s central engineering group.

He has extensive experience in building products and networks on multiple continents and leading change in engineering organizations. Girish and his team focus on how next-generation communications infrastructure, especially software-based technologies, will continue to be an integral part of the digital ecosystem connecting people, places and things.

Girish has held a number of engineering roles at Viasat since joining the company in October 2007, from Principal Engineer and Chief Technology Officer — Commercial Networks to his current position, which he assumed in January 2025.

Prior to joining Viasat, Girish held several senior level engineering roles at various companies including Vice President of Engineering at Newtec America Inc., a satellite communications equipment provider, and Vice President of Systems Engineering at Tiernan Communications Inc. (acquired by Radyne Comstream Inc.), a provider of video compression and transmission solutions.

Girish earned a Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, San Diego, and a Master’s of Science degree in Electrical Communication Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science.

Experienced Head Of Unit with a demonstrated history of working in the government administration industry. Skilled in Government, European Integration, European Studies, Environmental Awareness, and International Relations. Strong business development professional graduated from IMD Business School.

Charlotte Mathieu is the Head of the Industrial Policy and Space Economy Division at the European Space Agency (ESA).

She holds a Master’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Ecole Centrale Paris, France, and the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Sweden, as well as a degree in Economic Analysis and Policy. After a first experience in the launcher industry, she joined ESA and its technical centre, ESTEC, in the Netherlands.  She spent then two years at the Massachussetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, where she obtained a Master’s Degree in Technology and Policy and worked on an innovative satellite project for the Defence Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA). In 2007 she joined the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) in Austria, where she led several studies and publications. In 2009 she joined ESA’s Headquarters in Paris, where she has worked in the Director General’s Policy Office, in the Director General’s Office for Relations with the European Union, in the Directorate of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications and now in the Directorate of Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness.

Jaume Sanpera, Sateliot’s CEO, is a seasoned executive with nearly 30 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. A prominent figure in Spanish technological entrepreneurship, he has founded multiple successful companies, including Eurona, the first telecom satellite operator in Europe listed on the stock market in 2010, and Ambientum, a leader in Spain’s environmental sector. His ventures have gained wide international presence, solidifying his reputation as an expert in telecommunications. Jaume’s achievements have earned him recognition in the media and forums, where he shares insights on innovation and leadership, further establishing his influence in the industry.

In 2016, Alexander founded the company ENPULSION, which quickly established itself as an industry standard in the field of electric propulsion systems for SmallSats. He started his career in the space business with Beyond Gravity, formerly known as RUAG Space, working in Thermal Hardware and later in Mechanical Engineering on projects like Sentinel or Bepi Colombo. He then joined the Austrian Institute of Technology and became the Team Leader for Electric Propulsion Systems. In 2013, he became Department Head shortly after it was moved to FOTEC, the research subsidiary of the Wiener Neustadt University of Applied Sciences and doubled its size. His personal expertise covers hydrogen-based energy systems, as well as electric propulsion technologies. After graduating from the Technical University of Vienna with a Dpl.Ing. (MSc) in Physics, he started a PhD programme at the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), then followed his supervisor to the Technical University of Dresden to complete the programme.

Edgar is a passionate executive and space enthusiast with over 20 years of experience in the space, technology, and governmental sectors. He is currently Managing Director at GomSpace Luxembourg, a leader in small satellite solutions. Previously, he was the CEO of OHB LuxSpace, achieving a significant turnaround in three years. He also held leadership roles in business innovation and development at SES Satellites. Edgar’s early career includes project management for Earth Observation at GMV and service as an officer in the Italian Air Force. He holds advanced degrees in aerospace engineering and business, mentors startups, and has lectured on space business and entrepreneurship. He is a proud father of three kids.

Matija Rencelj is the Research Manager at the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI). His work focuses on inter-institutional relations, and European and global policy developments, with studies undertaken on topics ranging from orbital carrying capacity to the history of commercial space. He previously worked with the European Space Agency, the European Commission, in the aviation and commodities sectors, and started his career as a lawyer at a corporate law firm. He holds an LL.M. in Air & Space Law from McGill University and a Law Degree from the University of Ljubljana. At ESPI, he first served as Research Fellow for two years, before taking on the responsibility to oversee the Institute’s research output, manage day-to-day operations, and translate the Institute’s work to real-world impact.

With over 20 years of experience in the field of satellite navigation, Vincent Brison joined the EUSPA (formerly GSA – European GNSS Agency) in 2013 as EGNOS Operations and Maintenance Manager. Prior to his engagement with the EUSPA, he held various positions in both public and private sectors, namely at the European Commission as Project officer and at the EGNOS Service Provider as Operations Manager. Brison holds a Master’s degree in Civil Engineer in Electronics & Telecommunications. Since 2021 he is EUSPA member of the Joint Office for Galileo and EGNOS at the DG DEFIS.

Jeremie Godet joined the European Commission in 2003, after an initial career at CNES, the French Space Agency and the European Space Agency. He was involved for 20 years in the Galileo Programme at various positions. He was leading the technical negotiation on the GPS Galileo agreement in 2004. He was also Head of the security department at the European GNSS Agency in Prague. Then he was in charge of overseeing the Galileo infrastructure deployment and deputy to the Head of Unit in charge of EU GNSS programme in DG DEFIS. He is now acting Head of Unit in charge of implementing IRIS², Govsatcom and Space Surveillance and Tracking programmes.  He has both an engineering degree from National Superior School for Telecommunications in France and a Master’s degree from the International Space University

Koen Willems is the Vice President European Union Programs and Government Relations at ST Engineering iDirect, where he defines and develops the global strategy for the government and defense market. 

Before joining ST Engineering iDirect in 2008, he was Product Marketing Manager for Europe at the electronics giant TOSHIBA.

Willems has more than 25 years’ experience working in the technology industry. His expertise in the government and defense satellite market has grown through his involvement in different large (EU) programs, as well as frequent interactions with the end-user community and a range of topic-related degrees such as the ‘High Studies in Security and Defence’ degree at the Belgian Royal Higher Institute for Defence; the ‘European Session for Armament Officials’ degree at the French National Institute of Higher Defense; and the ‘European Advanced Strategy Course on Security and Defense’ degree at the Egmont Institute, IHEDN and BAKS.

Willems has a master’s in English and Scandinavian Languages from Ghent University and a master’s in Marketing Strategy and Management from Vlekho Business School. 

Antonio Abad (Almería, Spain, 1963) holds a Master of Sciences in Aeronautical Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and is graduated in Senior Management in the ‘General Management Program (GMP)’ and in ‘Digital Transformation’ from IESE Business School. He completed his training with different Leadership, Talent Development, and Organization and People Empowerment courses, also at IESE, Navarra University.

In addition, he has been professionally recognized becoming an academician at the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and the Academie de l’Air and l‘Espace (AAS). He is also a senior member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the Institute of Electric and Electronic Engineers (IEEE).

After initiating his professional activities at Telefónica Sistemas in 1989, from 1991 up to date he has developed his career at HISPASAT in different engineering and management responsibilities. Since 2003 he is the Chief Technical Officer of HISPASAT, being responsible for the definition and implementation of satellite systems, launchers, control centers, and ground stations, as well as their operation and control. In 2019, he also took over the responsibilities for the development of the future space infrastructure of HISPASAT, analyzing from High Altitude Platforms to Cubesats, Software Defined Satellites, and Constellations. Since 2020 he is promoting the development of Space Quantum Communications, with the first application in Quantum Key Distribution, and the development of a Common Lunar Communications infrastructure.

He has been a speaker at numerous conferences and seminars, including Washington Satellite and World Satellite Business Week in Paris. He has been the Director of the 11 editions of the ‘HISPASAT Summit on Space Telecommunications’ in the ‘Menéndez Pelayo International University’.

Bio to follow.

Bio to follow

Laura is a strategic partnerships manager with both the analytical skills for strategy and the determination to make things happen. A constant student, she learns easily, adapts quickly, and applies skills with intention.

She is most comfortable in multi-disciplinary and international environments, and tends to help bring people together who might have more in common than they would have seen on their own. Laura enjoys starting new endeavors, finding new solutions, and exploring new possibilities.

Paul Flament is a Belgian Civil Engineer, specialised in Telecommunications. He has been working 11 years in the European Space Agency, for space missions control centres and for the design and development of telecommunication satellites. Following a Masters in European Studies, he joined the European Commission in 1998. Paul Flament is Head of the Unit “Satellite Navigation” in DG DEFIS.

Colonel Marcin Mazur is the Vice-President of the Polish Space Agency (POLSA) – an executive agency of the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, est. 2014. POLSA supports the Polish space industry, cooperates with international agencies and public administration in the field of exploration and use of Outer Space.

Col Mazur’s goal is to execute the Polish Space Strategy issued in 2017, which is in compliance with both the Space Strategy for Europe 2016 and the NATO Overarching Space Policy 2019, and implement the National Space Programme 2022-2026.

Col Mazur’s responsibility in POLSA is to systematize security and defence activities, in particular the development of dual-use capabilities which may apply for military and civilian applications:

• EO – Earth Observation satellite systems;
• SATCOM – Satellite Communications systems;
• SSA / SST – Space Situational Awareness / Space Surveillance and Tracking;
• Launching technologies.

Colonel Mazur was commissioned in 1998 and promoted to his first officer’s rank, 2nd lieutenant, in 2002. He graduated from the Military University of Technology in Warsaw with a Master’s Degree in Topography and Mapping. He started his career as a Geospatial Officer at the 6 th Independent Geographical Unit in Torun where he became the leader of Mobile Geospatial Support Team dedicated for NATO Response Forces. Following that Colonel Mazur served at the Joint Force Command Brunssum, the Netherlands, in the Geospatial Support Section, J2 Intelligence Division and as an IMINT Officer at the Military Geographical Centre in Warsaw from where he was assigned in 2012 to the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, P2 Intelligence Division, Imagery Intelligence Branch. As an Intelligence Officer, he was also appointed as a Part-time Inspector for Treaties on Conventional Arms Control in Europe (CFE) and Vienna Document 2011 (VD11) inspections. In August 2017 he became the IMINT Branch Head and in January 2019 was promoted to Colonel rank. As the IMINT Branch Head he was responsible for defining Earth Observation (EO) and Space Situational Awareness (SSA) military requirements. He was the co-chairman of the Polish-Italian Operational Working Group with regards to the COSMO SkyMed (CSK) and OPTSAT-3000 systems. Nationally he served the Chairman role of the Inter-ministerial Earth Observation Task Group.

EDUCATION

2003 Master of Science in Topography and Mapping, Military University of Technology, Warsaw

2013 Military Intelligence Officer Course, Regional Joint Intelligence Training Facility, US European Command / US Africa Command, Warsaw

2016 Postgraduate Studies, GIS, Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing for Defence and Security Purposes, Military University of Technology, Warsaw

ASSIGNMENTS

1998 – 2003 Officer Cadet, Military University of Technology, Warsaw

2003 – 2008 Geospatial Officer, 6th Independent Geographical Unit, Torun

2008 – 2010 Geospatial Officer, Joint Force Command Brunssum, the Netherlands

2010 – 2012 Imagery Intelligence Officer, Military Geographical Centre, Warsaw

2012 – 2017 Imagery Intelligence Officer, P2 Intelligence Division, General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, Warsaw

2017 – 2021 Imagery Intelligence Branch Head, P2 Intelligence Division, General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, Warsaw

2021 – Vice-President, Polish Space Agency, Warsaw

James Cemmell is Vice President, Institutional Partnerships at Open Cosmos, one of Europe’s fastest growing space businesses.  With nearly 20 years’ experience in the European space sector, he has held leadership roles at the nexus of value creation and public policy.  James has an MBA from the University of Cambridge, Downing College (awarded Academic Prize), a first class degree in mathematics, and a masters degree in international development.  James is a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, interested in governmental space strategy and leveraging space for public benefit.  His interest in European public policy started with a four year stint as a student politician with the European Student Union (ESU) many years ago…

Néstor Zarraoa holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics by the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. He developed a fruitful 10-year long scientific career in Space Geodesy, particularly on geophysical and atmospheric applications of VLBI and GNSS working for Research Centres in Spain (CSIC), Norway (NMA) and Germany (DLR).

In 1997 he joins GMV within the GNSS Business Unit, where he will hold different positions, starting as Technical Manager within EGNOS development projects and turning into Division Head managing GMV contributions to both EGNOS and Galileo, among other projects.

From 2011 to 2018 he becomes the Engineering Department Director within GMV Aerospace, leading a team of close to 100 engineers supporting a wide variety of technical domains transversal to all Aerospace and Defence areas, including Systems Engineering, Critical SW Development, Front and Back-End SW Development, RAMS or specialized AIV.

When GMV was awarded in 2018 the Galileo Ground Control Segment for the Exploitation Phase, Néstor, who had led all the process of proposal preparation, is appointed as Business Unit Director and Project Manager of this strategic project for GMV, with full focus on turning this challenging opportunity into a remarkable success, as was demonstrated by the successful and timely deployment of a fully evolved and state of the art Galileo GCS and the subsequent award to GMV of the Galileo Second Generation In-Orbit Validation contract for the Ground Control System, for which he also led the proposal phase.

Following an internal reorganization, Néstor becomes in 2022 Director of Procurement and Purchases for GMV Navigation, working close to GMV Navigation Director and holding full responsibility on all contractual aspects affecting GMV Navigation sector as well as Managing the entire ecosystem of Subcontractors and Suppliers which are key to the success of all GMV activities.

Bio to follow.

Torsten Kriening is Publisher and CEO of SpaceWatch.Global, an independent platform for space activities in a geopolitical context.

He is a business executive with academic and professional experience in space management, satellite communications, and broadcast technology. He has an electrical and telecommunications engineering background and studied information technology and computer science at the Technical College Berlin. Torsten began his career as software developer, before moving into sales management and business development, working at companies including 3Com, Lucent Digital Video, SES Astra, Bertelsmann and PTScientists.

A proud Berliner with a global outlook, Torsten expanded his horizons even further by attending the International Space University (ISU) and earning an Executive MBA. His ISU thesis analysed the capacity-building visions and opportunities of countries in the Gulf region, and he brings experience developing strong and lasting business relationships with Middle Eastern countries. With the global Space Café® talk series and the Space Café® Podcast he created widely recognized space outreach formats.

Philippe Glaesener is heading the Space & Defence activities of SES with focus on institutional, governmental and defence actors on a global level outside of the US. During his extensive career in the satellite communications industry, he has been serving in a variety of commercial, business development and planning roles, and has been instrumental in the development and implementation of key government initiatives, extensive corporate projects and satcom services. His extensive professional experience is backed by Commercial as well as Electrical Engineering & Information Technology academic backgrounds. Philippe is also serving on the Board of LuxGovSat, a Public-Private joint-venture between the Government of Luxembourg and SES, which is dedicated to addressing the demand resulting from defence and institutional security applications. Philippe Glaesener is a Luxemburgish national.

Chris is Deputy CEO (job share) at the UK Space Agency.

Together with Annelies Look, he is responsible for the delivery of all the UK Space Agency’s major programmes, from space science, exploration and Earth Observation missions, to enabling satellite launch from UK spaceports and improving space sustainability.

Chris joined the UK Space Agency in 2023, having previously been the Senior Responsible Owner (job share) for the Rail Transformation Programme in the Department for Transport. Previously Chris had a 25-year career in defence and aviation, including as programme director and chief engineer in the international programme office for the Typhoon aircraft programme in Munich.

Chris lives in Gloucestershire and beyond his day job is a trombone teacher, music charity trustee and non-executive director of a multi-academy school trust.

Martyna Perek has over 15 years of experience in European economic and regulatory affairs, with a particular focus on space policy. She began her public service career in 2009 at the Ministry of Economy and has held various roles related to the EU internal market and regulatory coordination. From 2016 to 2022, she served as First Secretary at the Permanent Representation of Poland to the EU in Brussels, acting as attaché for space, industry, and internal market affairs. Following a two-year tenure in the private sector as a regulatory affairs expert in the e-commerce industry, she returned to public administration in 2024 to take up the EU space policy matters in the Department of Defence Industry. She was chairing the EU Council’s Space Working Party during the Polish Presidency 2025. Ms. Perek holds international academic credentials, including programs at MIT (New Space Economy) and Stanford Graduate School of Business (Influence & Negotiation Strategies).

Olivier has a long-standing experience and a strong network in the European space policy sector, at the crossroads of the private and the public sector.

He has been part of the Belgian delegation to the ESA Council and also advising the Belgian Permanent Representation on space matters, under the authority of E. Beka, High representative of Belgium for space policy. Olivier then moved to Eurospace, as Head of the Brussels Office until 2014, when he has been hired by Thales Alenia Space as director for EU affairs.

Frederik Carsten Pedersen is the Danish Space Counsellor to the EU, and he has been stationed to Denmark’s Permanent Representation to the EU since January 2024.  He has worked at the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science in various roles related to policy since 2010. Since 2022 he has focused on EU and space policy. Frederik holds a degree in History and Political Science from the University of Copenhagen.

Bio to follow.

Dr Regina Peldszus is a specialist for space security with the European External Action Service, Security & Defence Policy Directorate, where she has been serving on the team of the Special Envoy for Space since 2022. Her focus is on space threats, Space Situational Awareness, and Space Domain Awareness.

Prior to joining EEAS, Regina advised the German Ministry of Economic Affairs on space security, including civil-military cooperation for SSA and transatlantic wargaming. Until 2020, at the German Space Agency at DLR, she was the Co-Chair of EU Space Surveillance & Tracking (EUSST), and oversaw horizon-scanning studies at the intersection of global sensor architectures and geopolitics. From 2013-2015 she was an Internal Research Fellow at the special studies division at ESA’s space operations centre, analysing high reliability in mission control, and earlier contributed to technical studies at ESA’s astronaut centre on special skills and future systems. She holds a PhD from Kingston University, London, with stints in Kiruna and Mountain View, with a focus on human systems integration and extreme environment analogues for unprecedented space mission scenarios.

Regina published on space foresight, resilience, and infrastructure from a complex systems perspective in, amongst others, the Handbook for Space Security, Journal of Space Safety Engineering, Palgrave Studies in the History of Science and Technology, New Scientist, and Wired UK. She is a Senior Member of the AIAA, and an affiliate of the IAF Space Security Committee. She occasionally reviews for Space Policy, and lectures including at the European Security & Defence College. In 2024, she was an invited expert at the public hearing on space security strategy at the German Parliament’s Defence Committee, and in 2025 joins the German Space Agency’s inaugural programme board on space security.

Two decades of experience in complex international relations analysis and European policy making, with specific emphasis on European affairs and the defence sector, through contributions as both legal and policy officer for the European Space Agency, European Defence Agency and European Commission.

This experience reinforces an academic background in public international law and international relations (Paris 10 Nanterre and American University’s Washington College of Law).

Current position: Principal Security Strategy Officer, Director General’s Cabinet, European Space Agency.

Specialties: Policy making, security strategy, governance, international relations and negotiations, legal analysis (international and European law).

Positions

• European Space Agencies: 2001-03, 2008-13, 2017-25

• European Defence Agency: 2013-2017

• European Commission: 2003-2008

Dr. Stefano Vaccaro is the Managing Director of Global Space Networks Europe at Viasat. Amongst his responsibilities, there is the Ground Segment and Terminals development including optical technology.

Enabling business strategies with technology innovation has been at the core of Stafano’s 25 years career in the satellite industry. This has been applied to various areas of expertise spanning from Satellite Terminals, RF Systems, Phased arrays, Optical Technology and Satellite Ground Infrastructure. Stefano Vaccaro holds a M.Sc. and a Ph. D. degree in electrical engineering from Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne.

After attending the Ecole Nationale des Sciences Géographiques, the School of Management d’Aix Marseille Université and the French Air Force Academy, Pierre-Alain Bosc started his career in the French Military as a combat pilot for the French Air Force. A few years later, he was nominated as “Head of Studies and Assessment” and then “Armement project officer for General Staff” for the French MoD. In total, Pierre-Alain Bosc dedicated 25 years of his life to serve in the French Military.

He finally joined Astrium and hold several positions, including CEO of Spot Infoterra Hellas SAS, a subsidiary of Astrium in Greece. He, then, became French Defence Key Account Manager for Airbus DS Geo Intelligence and is now the Regional Head of Sales for the program line GeoIntelligence at Airbus Defence and Space.

In addition of his career in the military and industry, Pierre-Alain served as a director of EARSC from 2018 to 2022, and is currently Chairman of the ENSG Geomatic Foundation. 

Henri van Soest is a senior analyst at RAND Europe and a professor of policy analysis at the RAND School of Public Policy. He focuses on energy and natural resources governance and AI governance. He has also worked on space, cybersecurity, economic security, critical infrastructure protection, and societal resilience. At RAND, he has managed studies involving global teams for a wide range of clients including the European Union, the UK government, and the Dutch government. Van Soest previously worked as a researcher in energy policy and digitalisation at the University of Oslo, as an analyst in the cleantech startup sector, and as a corporate governance and corporate social responsibility analyst in a multinational bank. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge, with a thesis on the regulation of cybersecurity in the European electricity system. He also holds a joint LL.M. from KU Leuven in Belgium and the University of Zurich.

Isabella Poldrugo is Acting Head of Unit the European Commission – Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DEFIS), responsible for EU Space Policy.  Objective of the unit is to design and ensure a coherent and overarching EU Space policy, including regulatory aspects and to foster an innovative and globally competitive EU Space ecosystem.

Isabella joined the Commission in 2019, where she worked as policy officer in the Unit dealing with space policy in the Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS).

Before, she spent ten years in the European Parliament as policy advisor to Members of the European Parliament, dealing with dossiers on energy, industry and trade. She served also as policy advisor to the Italian Minister of Defence and to the Undersecretary of State for Defence.

Bio to follow.

Christian Heßmann is Project Lead for GSOp at DLR GfR, where he oversees operations and service delivery from the Galileo Control Centre Germany in Oberpfaffenhofen, along with global L2/L3 maintenance of the Galileo Ground Infrastructure.

With over 20 years of experience in the Galileo Programme, he began as a TeleOp representative in the Galileo Concessionaire (2005–2007), later supporting the deployment of the first generation Ground Control Segment for Airbus UK. Since 2012, he has held key roles at DLR GfR and Spaceopal, including IT Manager, GSOp Bid Team member, and Engineering & Evolution Manager at GSOp Prime level. He has been leading GSOp at DLR GfR since 2020.

Christian holds a Diploma in Computer Science from the Technical University of Munich.

Christine Leurquin is a successful, result-driven public affairs and business development professional, with extensive experience in both public and private sector. She has a proven track-record of effective advocacy in the field of European Space and Defence Public strategies, Cybersecurity directives, SSA/SDA, 5G/6G, Space Policy, Quantum, Government Satcom, ESA projects, and has worked relentlessly to improve digitalization of Africa. She has a valued-based approach to Public Affairs: inspiring trust, leading with the head and the heart, acting like an owner and with integrity.

Since February 2025, she is the CEO of ALDORIA Belgique a subsidiary of French-based ALDORIA for which she works as Senior Director, European & Public Affairs at since October 2024. She created her own company MiThraSpace SRL and consulted in 2024 with ERNST AND YOUNG Brussels Space and Defence practice, and SPACEBEL. Before this she worked for RHEA Group and reported to the CEO of the RHEA Group and to the Chief Strategy Officer and Managing Director of RHEA System Luxembourg S.A. She has been responsible for raising the visibility of RHEA among others with the European Institutions, Belgian and Luxembourg MoD, BELSPO, European Agencies and Luxembourg Space Agency and other national organizations as required. She helped to best-position RHEA into the current opportunities associated to new Space and Cybersecurity European programs, in Cybersecurity and Defense (e.g. EDA Cyber Captech REMUDO project). She was instrumental in developing RHEA Luxembourg business which has moved from two persons in 2020 to 20 end 2023.

In her previous position, she was Vice-President, Institutional Relations at SES S.A. and worked directly under SES CEO’s reporting also to the Board and the General Counsel. She positioned the Company within the European Union, African Union and other international institutions, such as OECD, UEMOA, UNIDO, UNOOSA, ESA or OECD, she engaged in helping the operational companies to develop new governments and institutional markets. She was successful in winning key contracts such but not limited to EGNOS GEO1 and EGNOS GEO2. Before joining SES, she was the CEO of a company which she started, and which introduced new satellite services in Belgium. She turned it into a successful and profitable business.

With her ability to speak various languages, Mrs Leurquin has excellent communication skills, conveying her message clearly, concisely, and accurately impacting policymakers and investors at the highest level. She can bring unity, leadership skills, motivation and fresh new ideas with her management, peers and teammates.

Career Steps:

• CEO, ALDORIA Belgique (Feb- 2025-)
• Senior Director, European & Public Affairs, ALDORIA(Oct 2024-)
• Special adviser to EY (May 2024-)
• Special Adviser to CEO of SPACEBEL (Feb 2024-)
• Director of Strategy, EU, Belgium and Luxembourg, RHEA Group (Jan 2021- Jan 2024 )
• Special Adviser to the CEO, RHEA Group (Nov 2020- Jan 2021)
• VP, Institutional Relations, EMEA, SES (2014-2020)
• VP, Institutional Relations and Communications, Global , SES (2008-2014)
• VP,European Programs, SES-GLOBAL (2004-2008)
• Senior Manager, European Programs, SES-GLOBAL (1999-2004);
• CEO, Sait Videohouse SA (1992-98)

 Associations and Accomplishments:

• Board Member of 6GIA (2022- 2024)
• Vice-Chair of the Board of 5GIA (5G European Infrastructure Association) (2015-2020)
• Member of the private D4D Coalition (SAP, Orange, Nokia, Ericcsson, Philips, Vodafone, Statec) in turn member of the D4D EU Hub (2018-2020)
• Member of the Steering Board of the EU-AU Digital Economy Task Force (2019)
• Co-Chairperson of the ICT WG at the EU-Africa Business Forum (Since 2010)
• Founding Person of ESOA/GSOA, 2002
• Chairman of the Executive Committee of ESOA (European Satellite Operators Association) (2004-2006)
• Member of the Board of ESPI
• Member of SSIP

 Education:

• University of Chicago, Management Courses (2001)
• H.E.C. of St-Louis, Brussels, M.B.A. (1987-89)
• Germanic Languages (English/ German/ Passive Dutch/ American Culture), master’s degree, ULB, (1983)

Olivier has a long-standing experience and a strong network in the European space policy sector, at the crossroads of the private and the public sector.

He has been part of the Belgian delegation to the ESA Council and also advising the Belgian Permanent Representation on space matters, under the authority of E. Beka, High representative of Belgium for space policy. Olivier then moved to Eurospace, as Head of the Brussels Office until 2014, when he has been hired by Thales Alenia Space as director for EU affairs.

Rodolphe Muñoz, Team Leader, Defence Industrial Programming Coordination, DG DEFIS, European Commission

As a lawyer by training (College of Europe, Bruges), Rodolphe Muñoz has worked for several international organisations (WHO, OSCE, EFTA Surveillance authority …) and taught in different universities (Bruges, Sciences Po Paris, the Law University of Strasbourg …).

For 8 years, he has been at the European Commission in DG DEFIS Unit B1 (secure connectivity and space surveillance), responsible for implementing the Space Situational Awareness (SSA) component of the Space Regulation, which comprises Space Surveillance and Tracking, Space Weather, and Near-Earth Objects (Head of sector).

In addition, he oversaw the drafting of the 2022 STM Communication and is now following its implementation, including the development of the EU space law.

Holger Krag joined ESA in 2006 as an Analysist in the Space Debris Office at ESOC. He worked on establishing risk models and an operational collision avoidance system and contributed to first space surveillance studies. In 2014, he took the position of the Head of the Space Debris Office, which, among others, provides fundamental support to ESA’s Space Situational Awareness Programme. In 2019, he took over the position as the head of the programme and prepared the evolution into the new Space Safety Programme which was established at the Space19+ Ministerial in Sevilla. The new programme addresses an enlarged scope within the areas of Space Weather, Planetary Defence and Space Debris including early warning systems and mitigation measures and three ambitious missions (Lagrange, Hera und ADRIOS). He is lecturing on Space Debris at universities in Germany.

Alberto is an MSc Aerospace Engineer with +20 years of international experience in the space market within GMV and +15 years of managerial and business development experience. He has on significant technical expertise in Space Flight Dynamics, Navigation, (Precise) Orbit Determination, Space Surveillance & Tracking, and Space Traffic Management.

Currently, he is the Director of Space Surveillance and Traffic Management (SST & STM) at GMV. He is the head of the department´s operations, including management (+130 engineers in 8 countries: Spain, Germany, France, UK, Poland, Romania, Portugal and USA), accounting (+10 M€ yearly revenue, with average 2-digit annual growth in the last decade), business development (dozens of customers and partners) and contracts.

 His mission is to manage the Space Surveillance and Traffic Management (SST & STM) business and its engineering team and ensure their respective growth to strengthen GMV’s leading position and look for new customers, opportunities, and niches for GMV’s advanced technology, systems, products, and services in these fields.

Emma Marion advises space, satellite, and telecommunications companies on regulatory and compliance matters before telecommunications regulators, including the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  She assists companies in obtaining spectrum and imaging licenses, participating in rulemakings, coordinating market entry across multiple jurisdictions, and on issues relating to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Radio Regulations governing the international use of spectrum.  Emma’s work spans a number of topics and has particularly focused on: licensing of novel space and satellite services, market access and global expansion, space safety and sustainability, communications equipment and infrastructure, and policy issues. 

Dr. Josef Koller is the Head of Space Safety and Sustainability at Amazon, Project Kuiper, a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite broadband network with the mission to provide affordable broadband connectivity to underserved communities around the world. Using his decade-long expertise in space sustainability, Koller leads Amazon’s efforts to promote space safety policies, in the U.S. and around the globe, in support of the sustainable development of satellite operations in space.

Prior to Amazon, Koller served Systems Director for the Center for Space Policy and Strategy at The Aerospace Corporation and co-founder of the Space Safety Institute. He was also assigned as a senior advisor to the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, where he directly supported key national and international strategy efforts for space-related U.S. government and policy matters. His portfolio included commercial remote sensing, space traffic management, and related congressional affairs. Prior to that assignment, Koller managed and co-led more than 40 scientists in the Space Science and Applications Group at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He also established and led the Los Alamos Space Weather Summer School to promote graduate student research and outreach at the laboratory.

Koller has more than 25 years of experience in space sustainability, space science, space policy, astrophysics, and strategy development. He has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed scientific publications with over 2,000 citations. He is also on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Space Safety Engineering and has been quoted in a variety of media outlets including NBC News, New York Times, NPR Marketplace, Les Echos, SpaceNews, and Popular Science.

Koller has a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Rice University and Master’s degrees in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Innsbruck, Austria.

Sara Dalledonne is a Research Fellow with the Lead on Regulatory Affairs at the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI), and she is the ESPI representative in Brussels. She is the Space Law expert reference at the University of Bologna in Italy, and a Member of the Support Committee for the Aviation & Space Journal (ASJ). She is also the Lead for Networking & Events at Women in Aerospace Europe (WIA-E) in Austria.  Prior to joining ESPI, she worked as Research Assistant at the Institute of Air and Space Law at McGill University. She holds an L.L.M. in Air and Space Law from the McGill University, an L.L.M. in International Trade Law from ITCILO (University of Turin) and a 5-year Law degree from the University of Bologna. She also completed an ITU Training Course in Satellite Coordination Procedures and Filings.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 26 June 2023 the appointment of Aarti Holla-Maini of the United Kingdom as Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna.

She will succeed Simonetta Di Pippo of Italy, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her commitment and dedicated service to the Organization.  The Secretary-General also wishes to extend his appreciation to the Chief, Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section, Niklas Hedman, who will continue to serve as Acting Director of UNOOSA until Ms. Holla-Maini assumes this position.

UNOOSA works to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of space, and in the utilisation of space science and technology for sustainable economic and social development.

Ms. Holla-Maini brings to this position over 25 years of professional experience in the space sector including in managerial and advocacy functions.  Most recently, she has held the role of Executive Vice-President Sustainability, Policy & Impact at NorthStar Earth & Space; prior to which she spent over 18 years as Secretary-General of the Global Satellite Operators Association.

Ms. Holla-Maini’s experience includes service as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Space; member of the Advisory Group of the Space Sustainability Rating managed by eSpace at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Space Center; member of the Advisory Board of the Satellite Industry Association of India; Senior Space Policy Adviser to Forum Europe and as Expert Adviser on Space Traffic Management for European Union studies 2021-2023.  She was also one of the chief architects of the Crisis Connectivity Charter established in 2015 for emergency telecommunications via satellite with the UN World Food Program’s Emergency Telecommunications Cluster.

Ms. Holla-Maini holds a bachelor’s degree in law with German law from Kings College London, UK, a master’s degree in business administration from HEC Paris, France, and she is also an alumna of the International Space University. She is fluent in English, French, German and Punjabi and has moderate knowledge of Dutch.

Astrid-Christina Koch is Senior Expert in the DG Defence Industry and Space (DEFIS) of the European Commission. She works on the international dimension of the EU Space Programme together with European and International partners. She is the point of contact for the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) in DG DEFIS and is supporting cooperation on Copernicus worldwide. From 2007 – 2012 she served as science diplomat in the EU Delegation to the United States in Washington DC promoting transatlantic science and space cooperation. She started her career in the Commission in DG RTD in the unit for advanced materials. During that time she developed the instrument of ‘coordinated/joint calls’ with third countries within the 7th Framework Programme for Research & Innovation (FP7), notably with the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). Before joining the Commission, she worked as deputy policy coordinator of the five German Customs Laboratories in Germany at the Ministry of Finance, and was the German Delegate to the TAXUD Customs Nomenclature Committee and the Science Committee of the World Customs Organisation. She promoted the development of the European Customs Chemists Network. Astrid is an organic preparative chemist & and received a Ph.D. in Natural Science from the Christian – Albrechts University in Kiel/Germany.

An economist by profession, Thomas Weissenberg entered the space arena in 2002 as an administrator of international relations at the German Aerospace Center, DLR. Following a few years working in the industrial policy domain of the German Space Agency, Thomas became Head of International Relations at DLR in 2010. In 2016, Thomas Weissenberg joined ESA again supporting its relations with international partners. Since then, Thomas served as ESA’s representative at COPUOS, as Secretary of ESA’s International Relations Committee and takes care of partnering with several regions of the world.

Versatile bilingual professional with more than 24 years of experience in academia, private and public sectors in Canada, International organisation and abroad. Positions held span across strategic policy, program, research and operational dimensions. Fields of experience include leadership roles in space, program design and delivery, science and policy integration, geospatial data analysis and management (remote sensing and Geographical Information system (GIS)), environment (water erosion, wildlife conservation, landscape assessment and planning), R&D, knowledge management and international relations. Accomplishments include:

• Mobilized national and international stakeholders with diverging interests;
• Delivered strategic approaches and innovation in multidisciplinary contexts;
• Exercised full accountabilities for HR and financial resources (20+ FTEs and $ 40 million) for several years; and
• Led organizational transformations from inception to full operations

Ms. Caitlin Poling is a Foreign Affairs Officer in the Office of Space Affairs in the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Oceans, International Environmental, and Scientific Affairs. In this role, she works to advance civil and commercial space diplomacy covering Europe, space resources, and the U.N. Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS).  Previously, Ms. Poling served as a Political Specialist for the Multilateral and Technical Affairs Section of the U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Vienna (UNVIE), where she worked on the peaceful uses of outer space and Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization portfolios and served on the U.S. delegation to the CTBTO Preparatory Commission and UNCOPUOS. A veteran of Capitol Hill, Ms. Poling most recently served as National Security Advisor to Senator David Perdue (Georgia). In this role, her portfolio included foreign relations, defense, cyber security, and international trade issues. Previously, Ms. Poling served as Director of Government Relations at the Foreign Policy Initiative, a DC-based think tank, where she also wrote on Africa and counterterrorism policy. Her work has been published in U.S. News and World Report, The Weekly Standard, Huffington Post, State Magazine, and e-International Relations. Ms. Poling spent four years in the U.S. House of Representatives, most recently working on foreign policy and homeland security for then-Congressman Mike Pompeo (KS-04).

Ms. Poling graduated with honors from Georgetown University with a master’s degree in international security studies in 2012. She wrote her master’s thesis on Boko Haram and affiliated terrorist groups in the Sahel. Caitlin graduated summa cum laude from Ashland University in Ohio with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, International Studies, and French (minor: International Business) and was a John M. Ashbrook Scholar.

Ms. Anica Huck joined European Space Imaging in September 2024 taking on the role of the Senior Manager Government Affairs Manager. Her role includes interaction with European Organisations and national government agencies, policy analysis and participation in industry associations. She has more than15 years of experience in Earth Observation (EO) having worked for the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, the European Space Agency, the European Commission and Planet. She has worked across the whole chain from data analytics to policy development helping to untap the potential of EO data to enabling policy makers, scientists, the private sector, and civil society to address social and environmental challenges.

Kait is the Managing Editor at MLex in Europe, where she leads a 25-strong editorial team covering a wide range of policy beats out of Brussels and London. She joined MLex in 2021 as the Senior Editor for the EU and UK. She previously worked as a reporter covering Canadian politics for Bloomberg and EU policy for Politico Europe. She was also a freelancer, reporting on politics, society, business and culture from five continents for outlets such as the BBC, the Guardian, VICE and Al Jazeera. Her reporting has won three prizes, including a silver medal from the United Nations Correspondents Association Global Prize on Climate Change in 2017 and a gold medal at the Canada Best in Business Awards from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers in 2021.

Dr Kamila Kloc joined the European Commission in December 2004.

As of July 2023 Kamila was nominated as the Director of Directorate B Digital Decade and Connectivity of Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT) after acting in this position from February 2023. She held a position of the Head of Markets’ Unit in the same Directorate from 2019.

Previously she served as Deputy Head of Cabinet for Vice President Ansip responsible for Digital Single Market. Prior to joining the Cabinet, she worked at Directorate General for Energy coordinating exemptions from regulatory access rules for gas pipelines. During the Polish Presidency in 2011, she was seconded by the Commission to the President’s office of the Polish Energy Regulatory Authority.

Earlier, she worked for 5 years at the Directorate General for Competition dealing with merger and antitrust cases.

Prior to joining the Commission, she was employed at the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection in Poland as Adviser to the President. Kamila Kloc started her professional career in academia and taught at the Warsaw School of Economics as Assistant Professor. She has written her PhD on the role of competition policy in the public utilities sector with a special emphasis on telecommunications. She was a Fulbright scholar at the University of California in Berkeley and a Chevening fellow at Oxford University. 

Nick Sinanis is the Counsellor for ITU-R Study Group 4 which deals with satellite radiocommunication services at ITU, ensuring the efficient collaboration among the ITU membership, facilitating the outcome of the studies of the World Radiocommunication Conference, delivering Recommendations and Reports. Previously he has covered another position in the ITU Space Services Department. He has extensive experience in regulatory telecommunications policy and processes for terrestrial and space radiocommunications.

Nick holds a master’s degree in physics and a doctorate degree in technical sciences. He has collaborated in the past with numerous universities, research centres and has several technical publications in network modelling and performance evaluation.

Ben Wreschner joined Vodafone in February 2011 and is the Group Regulatory Policy Director for the Vodafone Group. Prior to joining Vodafone Mr Wreschner qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers in 1999 and then joined the PwC telecoms consulting practice. In 2009 Ben joined Ovum’s regulatory consulting practice. Mr Wreschner is an expert in regulatory strategy, market analysis, regulated pricing, cost modelling and regulatory accounting overseeing Vodafone’s work in this field across all its territories and having previously advised operators and regulators on such matters in over 25 different countries. He has worked extensively in the Brussels policy environment representing Vodafone at key meetings with policy makers (European Commission, European Parliament, European Council, BEREC) and industry bodies (GSMA, ECTA).

Mr Wreschner passed the Certified Financial Analyst exams (CFA) in 2003. He holds a BSc (Econ) from the London School of Economics.

Gerasimos Sofianatos is the newly appointed Head of Unit of Connect B5, Radio Spectrum Policy Unit. Previously, he was Deputy Head of DG Connect Unit Connect B5, “Investment in high-capacity networks”. He has been working for the Commission since 2011, in different positions in DG Connect, in Directorate B, dealing with the policy and implementation of the EU Regulatory Framework for Electronic Communications. Gerasimos led the team monitoring and implementing EU law and in particular the European Electronic Communications Code, a piece of legislation in the drafting and negotiation of which he was actively involved. Prior to joining the Commission, Gerasimos worked as legal officer at the Cypriot National Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications (OCECPR). Before joining the Commission, he was a Member of the Athens Bar Association and practiced competition law. He holds a Masters degree in Business Law and a PhD in competition law at the Paris 1- Sorbonne University. He holds a law degree from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and a post-graduate degree in Economics for Competition law from the King’s College London. Gerasimos is of Greek nationality and speaks Greek, English, and French.

Peng is the Vice President of Policy & Regulatory at GSOA, where he leads advocacy efforts around spectrum management, licencing, and national policy initiatives. With experience in telecoms, mobile, and satellites, he has advised governments and industry players globally.

Previously at Eutelsat OneWeb, Peng shaped licencing frameworks for Low Earth Orbit constellations and satellite regulatory procedures for WRC-23. At GSMA, he ran a global campaign to improve spectrum licensing conditions for mobile operators, leading a global team of policy expert to engage with policymakers across developing markets.

Peng holds a Master’s in Telecommunication from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and an Executive MBA from London Business School. He speaks English, Mandarin, and French fluently.

Bio to follow.

Sarah Casenove, Head of Portfolio and Performance of Space Digital in Airbus has been working in the Defence and Space domain for over a decade in Sales, Strategy, Future Programmes and Portfolio Positions. She joined Airbus in 2013. 

Her main areas of activities have been Satcom based Solutions and innovative partnerships deals in the Satcom and Milsatcom domain, supporting the provision of Satellite Based Capacities for NATO and EU Nations. In her current role she is driving the future of Airbus solutions in Satcom, Military Space and Earth Observation domain to foster the emergence of full End of End solutions able to support the information superiority needs of allied nations, support first responders and crisis managers and foster sustainability initiatives around the globe. 

She holds a Master degree in International Relations and Defence Studies from Sciences Po Lille. 

Ben Wreschner joined Vodafone in February 2011 and is the Group Regulatory Policy Director for the Vodafone Group. Prior to joining Vodafone Mr Wreschner qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers in 1999 and then joined the PwC telecoms consulting practice. In 2009 Ben joined Ovum’s regulatory consulting practice. Mr Wreschner is an expert in regulatory strategy, market analysis, regulated pricing, cost modelling and regulatory accounting overseeing Vodafone’s work in this field across all its territories and having previously advised operators and regulators on such matters in over 25 different countries. He has worked extensively in the Brussels policy environment representing Vodafone at key meetings with policy makers (European Commission, European Parliament, European Council, BEREC) and industry bodies (GSMA, ECTA).

Mr Wreschner passed the Certified Financial Analyst exams (CFA) in 2003. He holds a BSc (Econ) from the London School of Economics.

Julien Martin specializes in game theory and market design, with a focus on facilitating efficient resource allocation. He leverages his expertise to assist governments, regulators, and firms across a range of industries, ensuring optimal outcomes in complex market dynamics.