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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.

Timo Pesonen is the current Director-General of DG DEFIS (Defence Industry and Space).

After graduating in 1989 in International Politics from the University of Tampere, he stayed in his home country to serve as an attaché at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. He then left for Brussels and the Embassy of Finland, where he worked with Foreign and Security policy including accreditation to NATO and WEU for four years.

The year 1995 marked his appointment as national expert for DG RELEX (External Relations) and then he worked as the spokesman for Commissioner Erkki Liikanen, 1996-1997.

From 1997 to 2002, he served as Foreign Policy Adviser to the Prime Minister of Finland, Paavo Lipponen. He also undertook an advisory mission during the Kosovo peace negotiations for the President of Finland, Martti Ahtisaari.

After working at the European Commission Representation in Helsinki as Acting Head between 2003-2004, he acted as Head of Cabinet of Vice-President Olli Rehn for 10 years. He became Deputy Director-General of DG COMM (Communication) in 2014 and was appointed as Director-General the following year. Taking the helm of DG GROW (Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs) in March 2019, he accompanied the creation of DG DEFIS in 2020 as the head of the new Directorate-General.

In addition to his native Finnish, Timo Pesonen speaks English, Swedish and French.

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.

On 16 October 2020, Rodrigo da Costa took up his duties as Executive Director of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), formerly the European GNSS Agency (GSA). Prior to this, he was the Galileo Services Programme Manager from March 2017. 

EUSPA is an Agency of dedicated EU professionals working for a stronger, more competitive and united European Space Programme, creating synergies between satellite navigation (EGNOS & Galileo), Earth Observation (Copernicus) and secure telecommunications (GOVSATCOM). EUSPA designs and delivers user-centered services working together with the European Commission and a wide range of national, European and international stakeholders, industries and user communities. The EU Space Programme is both a resource and a springboard for the European economy, competitiveness and sustainability. 

Before joining EUSPA, Rodrigo da Costa held several senior project management, business development, and institutional key account management positions in the space industry, in the areas of human space flight, exploration, launchers and R&D. 

Rodrigo da Costa holds a degree in Aerospace Engineering from the “Instituto Superior Tecnico” in Lisbon, a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Delft, and an MBA from the EuroMBA consortium of Business Schools.

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.

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.

Ms Dinka Dinkova has worked for the European Commission since 2010 in different functions covering various topics of EU space policy, including the EU space strategy, the uptake of space data for tackling societal challenges and growth, the evolution of Copernicus, EU-ESA cooperation, outreach and international relations. Before joining the Commission she worked with various organisations in Bulgaria and the region of Southeast Europe to promote knowledge economy and innovation policies, regional development and multilateral donor assistance coordination. Ms Dinkova holds a Master’s degree in business administration.

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.

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.

Jolanda van Eijndthoven joined the European Commission in 2002, after having worked for the Dutch Ministry of Finance advising on EU law in the area of taxation. Within the European Commission, she has worked in different taxation domains, coordination of the enforcement of European law, proposed a legislative initiative to improve the Single Market for services, dealt with defence procurement, legal and institutional aspects of Galileo/EGNOS, space policy and communication for both defence industry and space.  Since July, she is Head of the Unit responsible for Space data Economy and international cooperation in the Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space. 

Ms van Eijndthoven holds a Master’s degree in Energy and Environmental Law from the Catholic University of Leuven, Institute of Environmental and Energy Law and a Master’s degree in tax law from the University of Leiden. 

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.

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.

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

Since September 2021 Mr. Kautz is Head of the Unit for Secure Connectivity, Space Surveillance and Applications in DG Defence Industry and Space of the European Commission. In 2020 he was Head of Unit (acting) for Space Research, Innovation and Startups.

Between 2013 and 2019 Mr. Kautz was Deputy Head of Unit for Galileo and EGNOS – Applications, Security and International Cooperation.

Before that and since joining the Commission in 2000 he held several positions dealing with a variety of industry and Internal Market issues. Prior to the Commission, he worked for 6 years as public affairs consultant.

Mr. Kautz holds a degree in History and Politics, as well as a Master in European Studies  from the College of Europe.

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…

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.

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.

Benedikta von Seherr-Thoß is Managing Director for peace, security and defense at the European External Action Service (EEAS). Her responsibilities include space security, defence and diplomacy, the strategic planning of EU’s civilian and military missions and operations, cyber defence and diplomacy, maritime security, disarmament and non-proliferation, and counterterrorism, among others. Until October 2022, she served as Security Policy Director of the German Federal Ministry of Defence (MoD), dealing inter alia with bilateral relations, NATO, EU, nuclear policy as well as coordinating the MoD’s work on a new German National Security Strategy. From 2017, she was EU Representative of the German Ministry of Defence and Head of the EU Division in the Department for Security Policy for four years. She also had the ministerial lead on Germany’s EU Council Presidency in 2020. 

Prior to that, she worked as Political Advisor to Minister of Defence Ursula von der Leyen for two years. From 2013-15, she was the first defence civilian to participate in the National General/Admiral Staff Officer Course of the Bundeswehr. 

Before that, she spent more than two years working as Senior Political Advisor and then Deputy Director to the NATO Senior Civilian Representative at ISAF Headquarters in Kabul/Afghanistan. From 2007-11 she functioned as Deputy Head of the NATO Division in the Policy Planning & Advisory Staff to the Minister of Defence, focusing on the Alliance, transatlantic issues and nuclear policy. She started her career at NATO Headquarters in 2004, where she worked as Desk Officer in the Political Affairs & Security Policy Division. Benedikta studied Modern History at the University of Oxford, from where she graduated with a Masters and a PhD. 

Catherine Kavvada was born in Greece in 1969. A trained lawyer with a degree in Law from the University of Athens, she is specialised in Air and Space Law with a Master’s degree from the University of Aix Marseille III. Joining the European Commission in 1997 Ms Kavvada worked initially in Research, as from 2000 in Space for Satellite Navigation Programmes Galileo and EGNOS and in the development and applications in the space sectors until her appointment as Director at DG DEFIS  in December 2020. Currently, the mandate of Ms Kavvada at the Directorate ‘Secure and Connected Space’ at DG DEFIS comprises new space initiatives with prevalent resilience and security features, space economy and data management policy with reinforced European credentials, mainstreaming of the European New Space as a vector for society and economy, space research, and synergies between space and defence industries.

Maj Gen Steve “Bucky” Butow, USAF, is the Military Deputy of the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), Office of the Secretary of Defense.

General Butow joined the team in 2015 as an early plank owner when DIU was known as the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx).  He initially served as  West Coast Military Lead and helped establish the organization’s operating locations in Silicon Valley, California; Boston, Massachusetts; and Austin, Texas.  In 2016, he was selected as DIU’s first Space Portfolio Director.  Upon promotion to brigadier general, Butow continued this role at DIU as a DoD civilian.

General Butow continues to serve as the Commander of the California Air National Guard in a dual Title 10/32 status where he leads 4,900 Airmen assigned to five wings and a headquarters staff performing air, space and cyber operations as part of the Total Air Force.  He commanded the 129th Rescue Wing at Moffett Field, CA, from 2011 to 2014.

General Butow’s previous Title 10 leadership assignments include 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 deployed ten times to support combat and contingency operations across Southwest Asia, the Middle East, the Horn of Africa and other global locations.  General Butow has more than 3,500 flying hours in T-37, T-38, C-130, HC-130 and MC-130P aircraft. 

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. Butow is a lifetime member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi for academic achievement.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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. 

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.

Luis Cuervo Spottorno has been an EU official for over 20 years, holding different positions in several European Commission services, namely: at the Directorate General (DG) for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS); at the DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (DG GROW); at the DG for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE); at the European Commission Representation in Spain (Madrid) and at the European Union Delegation in Chile (Santiago) with regional coverage for Latin America.

Currently he is responsible for EU space diplomacy for Latin America, the ‘EU Global Action for Space’ (global coverage) and the Galileo Information Centres in Latin America.

From 2015 through 2019, he was the representative for Latin America of the DG for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs covering a wide number of countries and portfolios, and specialising in the Space domain. At the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, he held positions related to the management of the Common Fisheries Policy and led the Atlantic Maritime Strategy, a European Union initiative that is contributing to boost “blue growth” throughout the European Union ́s Atlantic area.

Throughout his professional career, Luis Cuervo has held responsibilities in a number of areas including i.e. EU policy development and international negotiations; management of business support services; Human Resources management and selection; EU financial and programme management, and procurement procedures.

He has delivered keynote speeches in specialized institutions in many European Union Member States and throughout Latin America.

Luis Cuervo is a lawyer by training (Madrid) and holds a Masters of Arts from the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium) and a post-graduate Diploma in Legal Studies from the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom).

Bio to follow

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. 

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.

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.