First Satellite Webinar (January 2025)

With over three decades of leadership experience in global telecommunications policy, Ms. Bogdan-Martin has emphasized the need for digital transformation to achieve economic prosperity, job creation, skills development, gender equality, and socio-economic inclusion, as well as to build circular economies, reduce climate impact, and save lives. Her historic election by ITU Member States in S​eptember 2022 made her the first woman ever to head the nearly 160-year-old organization. Known for mobilizing innovative partnerships, she aims to promote meaningful connectivity, intensify cooperation to connect the unconnected, and strengthen the alignment of digital technologies with inclusive sustainable development.​​

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Mr. Mario Maniewicz was elected Director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2018 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He took office on 1 January 2019. 

Mario Maniewicz is an electronic engineer specialized in telecommunications. He has been with the ITU for over 30 years, where he has served in high-level management positions in the Radiocommunication and Development Sectors as well as in ITU Regional Offices. 

As Director, Mr. Maniewicz is responsible for the management of the Radiocommunication Bureau, which organizes and co-ordinates the work of the Radiocommunication Sector whose aim is to ensure the rational, equitable, efficient and economical use of the radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits.​

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

For six years, Cooper led Government Affairs for the Starlink satellite broadband constellation project at Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), where she secured Federal Communications Commission authorization for a record 12,000 satellites, and market access in more than 30 countries. She advocated for updates to spectrum, telecom competition and space safety regulations in the US and around the globe to support the coming generation of satellite networks. Today, Starlink serves over 2 million users worldwide with a constellation of over 6,000 satellites in over 70 countries.  
Prior to SpaceX, Patricia was an executive at geostationary satellite fleet operator Intelsat and as for nearly 7 years, President of the Satellite Industry Association (SIA), the leading trade organization representing U.S. satellite operators, manufacturers and service providers. At SIA, Patricia advocated in regulatory and national security arenas, for fair trade and competition rules internationally, and spearheaded a successful bipartisan, bi-cameral legislative initiative to reform satellite export control legislation. Previously, Patricia had served in both the U.S. Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Commerce, and led international outreach at two start-ups, CoreExpress, an Internet fiber infrastructure play and PanAmSat Corporation, a disruptor in the early satellite services market.  

Patricia holds a Master’s Degree with Distinction in International Economics from the John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a Bachelor’s Degrees in Political Science and German from Kansas State University (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa). 

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John Pahl has over 30 years’ experience of the radio communications industry and was a founder Director of Transfinite Systems Ltd. He led the team that developed the Visualyse Professional simulation software, which is the leading tool to analyse interference between radio communication systems.

He has extensive experience of the ITU-R framework, including involvement in the cycle from WRC-97 to WRC-2000 that developed the equivalent power flux density (EPFD) limits in Article 22 that facilitates development of non-GSO systems while protecting GSO networks in Ku and Ka band. He was also involved at WRC-19 in the development of the associated regulatory framework in Resolution 770 that is applicable to parts of Q/V band.

A particular area of expertise is the algorithm in Recommendation ITU-R S.1503, its implementation in software and the associated regulatory framework. He led the team that developed the EPFD validation software tool for the ITU and chairs the discussions within WP 4A that have agreed revisions to this Recommendation.

He has supported the work of many non-GSO operators including providing consultancy and undertaking studies for their coordination tasks. He has been active in WRCs such as WRC-15, WRC-19 and WRC-23 including chairing drafting groups and acting as CEPT coordinator.

John has a master’s degree in mathematics from Cambridge University and is the author of the book “Interference Analysis: Modelling Radio Systems for Spectrum Management” published by Wiley in 2016.

For six years, Cooper led Government Affairs for the Starlink satellite broadband constellation project at Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), where she secured Federal Communications Commission authorization for a record 12,000 satellites, and market access in more than 30 countries. She advocated for updates to spectrum, telecom competition and space safety regulations in the US and around the globe to support the coming generation of satellite networks. Today, Starlink serves over 2 million users worldwide with a constellation of over 6,000 satellites in over 70 countries.  
John Pahl has over 30 years’ experience of the radio communications industry and was a founder Director of Transfinite Systems Ltd. He led the team that developed the Visualyse Professional simulation software, which is the leading tool to analyse interference between radio communication systems.

He has extensive experience of the ITU-R framework, including involvement in the cycle from WRC-97 to WRC-2000 that developed the equivalent power flux density (EPFD) limits in Article 22 that facilitates development of non-GSO systems while protecting GSO networks in Ku and Ka band. He was also involved at WRC-19 in the development of the associated regulatory framework in Resolution 770 that is applicable to parts of Q/V band.

A particular area of expertise is the algorithm in Recommendation ITU-R S.1503, its implementation in software and the associated regulatory framework. He led the team that developed the EPFD validation software tool for the ITU and chairs the discussions within WP 4A that have agreed revisions to this Recommendation.

He has supported the work of many non-GSO operators including providing consultancy and undertaking studies for their coordination tasks. He has been active in WRCs such as WRC-15, WRC-19 and WRC-23 including chairing drafting groups and acting as CEPT coordinator.

John has a master’s degree in mathematics from Cambridge University and is the author of the book “Interference Analysis: Modelling Radio Systems for Spectrum Management” published by Wiley in 2016.

Patricia holds a Master’s Degree with Distinction in International Economics from the John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a Bachelor’s Degrees in Political Science and German from Kansas State University (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa). 

​​​Full biography
​Video i​nterview

Carissa Bryce Christensen is the founder and CEO of BryceTech LLC, where she leads the company in providing engineering and analytics support for government clients, including NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense. With a focus on deep tech-enabled missions—such as space exploration, biosecurity, and national security—Carissa’s expertise in engineering economics and government contracting has been instrumental in navigating complex landscapes to drive innovation and secure national interests.

Carissa has been recognized as the 2023 Executive of the Year (up to $75M) at the Greater Washington GovCon Awards and is a Fellow of both the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Royal Aeronautical Society. She has held leadership roles in U.S. government advisory groups, the World Economic Forum Global Future Councils, and on the boards of several non-profits.

Before founding BryceTech, Carissa co-founded QxBranch, a quantum computing software firm, and The Tauri Group, a defense contractor, both of which were acquired in 2019. Through her advisory roles, she continues to influence the tech and defense industries, working closely with defense leaders, Fortune 100 executives, and institutional investors