Speakers

Doreen Bogdan-Martin

Secretary-General

ITU

Celeste Saulo

Secretary-General

WMO

Professor Celeste Saulo was appointed as the first female and South American Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) by the Nineteenth World Meteorological Congress (Cg-19). Her four-year term began on 1 January 2024. Prior to this, she served as the Director of the National Meteorological Service of Argentina since 2014 and was the First Vice-President of the WMO. Professor Celeste Saulo has been the Director of the Argentinean National Meteorological Service (SMN) and Permanent Representative of Argentina at WMO since July 2014. She was elected to the WMO Executive Council in June 2015. She has been a member of the WMO World Weather Research Programme (WWRP) Scientific Steering Committee since 2011 and has served on various WMO panels related to her field of knowledge. She is full professor at the University of Buenos Aires and research scientist at the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research. As the Director of the Argentinean National Meteorological Service, she has pursued its modernization based of the three axes: enhancement of monitoring, of quality of forecasts and of communications with society. Thus, she has given rise to interinstitutional and interdisciplinary effort and dedication to contribute to the commitments made by the country with regards to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sendai Framework. Under her direction, the Argentinean National Meteorological Service has been a venue for various capacity development activities for Meteorological and Hydrological Services of developing countries, with a specific focus on training in accordance with the country’s role of Regional Training Centre. Her intervention in regional and international activities is extensive, mainly oriented towards capacity building at the regional level and to the inclusion and integration of the younger generations of scientists in all relevant areas. A proof of that is the creation of the WMO YESS (Young Earth System Scientists) Office at the Argentinean National Meteorological Service. <a href="https://wmo.int/profile/celeste-saulo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="link" data-id="https://wmo.int/profile/celeste-saulo">Full biography</a>

Mario Maniewicz

Director

Radiocommunication Bureau

ITU

Aarti Holla-Maini

Director

UNOOSA

Aarti Holla-Maini is the Director of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), having taken up post on 18<sup>th</sup> September 2023 following her appointment by United Nations Secretary-general António Guterres. Ms. Holla-Maini brings over 25 years of experience in the space and satellite sector, working predominantly with international organizations and regulators. Prior to the United Nations, she held the post of Secretary-General of the Global Satellite Operators Association. Ms. Holla-Maini is a recognized leader with a strong track record in forging public-private and cross-sector partnerships; high-level advocacy at the international level; strategic communication and managing diverse stakeholders. Under her leadership, Ms. Holla-Maini expanded the association from being a regional organization to a global one representing commercial satellite operators around the world. She was one of the chief architects of the Crisis Connectivity Charter established in 2015 for emergency telecommunications via satellite with the UN World Food Programme’s Emergency Telecommunications Cluster and has, on multiple occasions, secured recognition and policy support for space technologies to play their rightful role in connecting the unconnected, in Europe, Africa and beyond. The appointment of Ms. Holla-Maini comes at a time when activities in space are being increasingly driven by the private sector. Her deep experience in high-level advocacy with international organizations and regulators, along with her understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing the space sector, will serve Member States well as they seek to access and leverage the benefits of space to accelerate sustainable development. Ms. Holla-Maini’s experience has included 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 EPFL Space Center; member of the Advisory Board of the Satellite Industry Association of India; Senior Space Policy Advisor to Forum Europe and an Expert Advisor on Space Traffic Management for European Union studies 2021-2023. Since October 2024, Ms. Holla-Maini is a member of the International Academy of Astronautics. Ms. Holla-Maini holds a bachelor’s degree in law with German law from Kings College London and a master’s degree in business administration from HEC in France. She is fluent in French, German and Punjabi alongside her native English and has moderate knowledge of Dutch.

Diana Tomimura

Deputy Director

Radiocommunication Bureau

ITU

Isabelle Mauro

Director General

GSOA

Mike Lindsay

CTO

Astroscale

Candace Johnson

Founder/Co-founder SES, Loral Teleport Europe

Chair Seraphim Space Advisory Board and Partner

Candace Johnson is a serial global infrastructure, network and innovation entrepreneur and investor. She is Founder/Co-Founder of one of the world’s largest satellite systems SES (Société Européenne des Satellites); Europe’s first private satellite communications network Loral-Teleport Europe; the world’s first Internet based online service and the world’s first Broadband Satellite Internet service, Europe Online; and Oceania Women’s Network Satellite (OWNSAT), a founding investor in the Kacific Satellite System. Ms. Johnson also served on the founding teams of Iridium and ILS. Ms. Johnson is also Founding President of the VATM, the Association of Private Telecom Operators in Germany and Founding President of the Global Telecom Women’s Network (GTWN). Currently, Candace is Chair of Advisory Board and Partner of Seraphim Space Fund, Founding Vice Chair and current Board Member of NorthStar Earth and Space, and Non-Executive Director of VUSION, the world’s leading IOT/Electronic Shelf Labelling group. Ms. Johnson was a member of the Executive Board of the ICC, International Chamber of Commerce from 2019 – 2025 and in this capacity served as Vice-Chair of the B 20 Task Force on Technology, Innovation and R & D in 2023. She is also a Member Saudi Space Agency Advisory Council, Vice President of Institut EuropIA, the European Institute of Artificial Intelligence, and a Council Member of Singapore Space & Technology. She has been decorated by the Luxembourg Government with the Commander of the Order of Merit and the Officer of the Oak Leaf Crown as well as being decorated by the German Government with the Officer of the Federal Order of Merit. Ms. Johnson has received numerous Lifetime Achievement Awards from such prestigious organizations as the World Communication Awards, Women in Aerospace, The International Alliance of Women and the Global Telecom Women’s Network, (GTWN). Ms. Johnson has an honorary doctorate from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, a master’s with honors from the Sorbonne and Stanford and an undergraduate degree from Vassar College.

Benjamin Guyot

CEO

SpaceTalk

Switzerland

Janice Starzyk

Deputy Director

Office of Space Commerce (NOAA)

U.S. Department of Commerce

H.E. Eng. Salem Butti Salem Al Qubaisi

Director General

UAE Space Agency

His Excellency Eng. Salem Butti Salem Al Qubaisi is the UAE Space Agency’s Director General and has more than 20 years of public and private sector leadership experience in military aviation, security, and defense. He is responsible for setting the Agency’s strategic direction, delivering on its mandate to strengthen the space sector, and contributing to the nation’s vision for sustainable economic growth and diversification. Al Qubaisi joined the UAE Space Agency as Director General in September 2021. He served as a member of its board of directors from 2018, providing critical oversight on operations and major projects such as the Emirates Mars Mission. Today, he leads the Agency’s ambitious efforts to encourage the development of space science and advanced technologies, set relevant regulations, establish bilateral and multilateral partnerships, enhance national capabilities, and promote peaceful applications for deep space research. Al Qubaisi formerly served as a board member with Abu Dhabi’s Monitoring and Control Centre (ADMCC) from 2016. It followed five years with the National Commission of International Humanitarian Law under the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Between 2011 and 2013, he was the Director of Nuclear Security at the Federal Authority of Nuclear Regulation, setting relevant regulations and overseeing licensing for commercial companies handling nuclear and radioactive material. Prior to this, he spent five years with the US aerospace company, Lockheed Martin as a Technical Program Manager for the Ministry of Defense, where he worked on avionics, radar, weaponry, and technology targeting systems from 1999 and 2005. Al Qubaisi has a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from California State University, Sacramento, and a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas, Arlington. He is also an honor graduate from Abu Dhabi’s National Defence College, holding a master’s degree in Strategic and Security Studies.

Raul Kulichevsky

Executive and Technical Director

National Commission of Space Activities (CONAE)

Argentina

Torsten Kriening

Publisher and CEO

Space Watch Global

Torsten Kriening is the Publisher and CEO of SpaceWatch.Global, an independent platform for space activities in a geopolitical context. A seasoned business executive with academic and professional experience in space management, satellite communications, and broadcast technology, Torsten holds an electrical and telecommunications engineering background and pursued information technology and computer science at the Technical College Berlin. His career trajectory commenced with software development, transitioning to sales management and business development roles at esteemed organizations such as 3Com, Lucent Digital Video, SES Astra, Bertelsmann, and PTScientists – dreaming Moonshot. As a proud Berliner with a global perspective, Torsten further broadened his horizons by attending the International Space University (ISU) and obtaining an Executive MBA. Torsten’s contributions extend to the creation of widely recognized space outreach formats, including the Space Café talk series and the Space Café Podcast. <strong>SpaceWatch.Global description:</strong> <i>SpaceWatch.Global</i> is a digital magazine and portal for those interested in space and the far-reaching impact that space developments have. While showcasing the technology that enables the industry to edge closer to the next frontier, <i>SpaceWatch.Global</i> also provides analysis, forecasts and insight into the geopolitical implications of space developments. From space policy, exploration and missions to space weapons and technology, we provide a complete perspective on the global space sector. The team behind <i>SpaceWatch.Global </i>comprises a dynamic mix of space geeks, tech junkies, space policy experts, regional space specialists and passionate writers. We fully believe that space should be used for humanity; that it enables knowledge and enriches societies. <i>SpaceWatch.Global</i> is published by SpaceWatch.Global GmbH, headquartered in Berlin, the Capital city of Germany. In the true european spirit from the heart of Europe, neutrality, ethics and integrity are at our core. <i>SpaceWatch.Global </i>abides by the Society of Professional Journalists’ code of ethics; we seek truth and report it.

Aboubakar Mambimba Ndjoungui

CEO

Agence Gabonaise d'Etudes et d'Observations Spatiales (AGEOS)

Kai-Uwe Schrogl

President

International Institute of Space Law (IISL)

Timothy Adi Ashong

Director General

Regional African Satellite Communications Organisation (RASCOM)

Alexandre Vallet

Chief

Space Services Department

ITU

Barbee Ponder

General Counsel and Vice President of Regulatory Affairs

Globalstar, Inc.

David B. Goldstein

Principal Satellite Policy Engineer

Space-X

Donna Bethea-Murphy

Senior Vice President of Global Regulatory

Viasat

Jorge Ciccorossi

Head

Space Strategy and Sustainability Division

ITU

With over 25 years of experience in satellite communications and regulations at international level, Mr Ciccorossi is the Head of the Space Strategy and Sustainability Division at the ITU Radiocommunications Bureau. His team is dedicated to monitor and ensure the effective and precise deployment of satellites in geostationary and non geostationary orbits in conformity with the Radio Regulations, as well as the treatment of cases of harmful interference affecting space services. Mr. Ciccorossi advises ITU Member States, Sectors Members and ITU intersectoral groups on technical regulatory matters of space services, including those related to space sustainability activities in the context of ITU and the Radiocommunication Bureau. Prior to the current position, he has taken the following responsibilities: <ul> <li>Acting Head of the Satellite Systems Coordination Division at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).</li> <li>Chairman of the 22nd. International Space Radio Monitoring Meeting (ISRMM), September 2021.</li> <li>Spokesperson on satellites issues representing the Radiocommunications Bureau at the World Radiocommunications Conference 2023 and at the Radio Regulations Board Counsellor of DG-Plenary at the CPM-2023 and WG-6C at the World Radiocommunication Conference 2012.</li> <li>Represented the ITU Radiocommunications Bureau at WRCs since 2003, as well as at several regional and international fora, including Space Debris Conference, CITEL, ICAO, International Astronautical Congress, Eurocontrol, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, Munich Satellite Navigation Summit, Forum Europe, US Small Satellite Symposium, SmallSat Europe , the Regulatory Expert Group of the ISRMM, IEEE and ITU Study Groups.</li> <li>Responsible for the analysis of GSO and NGSO satellite systems submitted to ITU for coordination and notification, and the treatment of cases of harmful interference.</li> </ul> Mr. Ciccorossi has conceived the first (and unique) Intergovernmental Online Platform to Report RFI cases affecting Satellite System (SIRRS), assisting 194 ITU Member States in its resolution. He holds the degree of engineer in electronics from the National University of Technology (UTN) in Buenos Aires, an Executive Certificate in Management and Leadership from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US, and has studied satellite communications and spacecraft design at the University of Surrey in the UK.

Amy Mehlman

EVP and Chief Global Affairs Officer

Lynk Global

Masafumi Hashimoto

Director of Spectrum Management Office

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

Jennifer Manner

Senior Vice President

Regulatory Affairs and International Strategy

AST SpaceMobile

Josef S. Koller

Principal

Space Safety and Sustainability

Amazon – Kuiper

Jing Chen

Senior Director

Spectrum and Orbit Resources

Center of China Satellite Network Group

Krystal Azelton

Senior Director

Program Planning

Secure World Foundation

Elina Morozova

Executive Director

Intersputnik

Emmanuelle David

Executive Director

EPFL Space Center

Swiss Institute of Technology

Federico Di Vruno

SKAO Spectrum Manager

IAU CPS Co-Director

Piero Benvenuti

Director

International Astronomical Union (IAU) CPS

Kattia Flores Pozo

Director for Spacecraft Mission Operations

Planet

Emmanuel Houdet

Director

Business Development

Kratos

Mario Neri

Director, Spectrum Strategy

Innovation and Space Sustainability

Telesat

Melissa Quinn

General Manager

Slingshot Aerospace

Martin Coleman

Board Member

Satcoms Innovation Group (SIG)

Clémence Poirier

Senior Cyber Defense Researcher

Center for Security Studies (CSS)

ETH Zürich

Audrey Allison

Senior Policy Analyst

Center for Space Policy and Strategy

Aerospace

Hamza Hameed

Head of Space & Development

Access Partnership

Rodolphe Muñoz

Legal Officer

European Commission

Thomas González Roberts

Assistant Professor

International Affairs and Aerospace Engineering

Georgia Institute of Technology

Patricia Cooper

Advisor

General Secretaria

ITU

<div class="ituContainer"> 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. </div> <div class="ituContainer"> 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. </div> <div class="ituContainer"> 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. </div> <div class="ituContainer"> 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). </div>

Sulyna Abdullah

Chief of Strategic Planning and Membership Department

Special Advisor to the Secretary-General

ITU

Julie Kearney

Co-Chair, Space Exploration and Innovation Practice

Partner, Telecom Group

DLA Piper

Julie Kearney is a Co-Chair of the Space Exploration and Innovation Practice and a partner in the Telecom group at DLA Piper. She is a globally recognized and dynamic lawyer in the technology, satellite, space, and telecommunications field. For more than 25 years, Julie has worked with governments, industries, and the public sector around the world to promote legal and regulatory frameworks and policies that enable life-changing technologies. As the first Chief of the Space Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Julie represented and spoke for the Chairwoman and Commissioners on satellite and space-based communication matters and represented the Commission at the domestic and international level. Under Julie's leadership, the FCC unanimously adopted several regulatory frameworks and launched initiatives to successfully advance industry leadership in the New Space Age. Additionally, during her tenure as Chief, the FCC adopted a regulatory structure for Supplemental Coverage from Space, which made the FCC the first regulator in the world to issue a framework for connecting satellites directly to consumer handsets using spectrum previously allocated only to terrestrial service. Before joining the FCC, Julie served as the Vice President of Communications Regulatory Affairs and Policy at Twilio Inc., a publicly traded Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) provider, where she developed and implemented the company’s global telecommunications regulatory and policy and law enforcement response strategy. She also served as the Global Head of Communications Regulation and Policy for Loon, an Alphabet Inc. company, where she led international and US regulatory initiatives to bring internet access to unserved and underserved communities around the world via a network of balloons on the edge of space. She also held roles at the Consumer Technology Association, National Public Radio, MCI, and private legal practice. Julie is a past president of the Federal Communications Bar Association (FCBA – The Tech Bar) and she also served as chair of the FCBA Foundation. She was a long-serving member of the Federal Communications Commission’s Consumer Advisory Committee and also served on its Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee. Other Board positions include USTelecom and the United States Technical Training Institute (USTTI). Julie earned her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College and a J.D. from Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law, with a certificate from its Law and Technology Institute. She recently completed a 3.5 year term on the Columbus School of Law’s Board of Visitors. A trained singer, she has sung with choruses in the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington, DC area, most recently with Schola Cantorum (CA) and the Choral Arts Society of Washington (DC).

Abdulhadi Al Harthi

General Manager of Radio Spectrum Planning

CST

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Arne-Hendrik Klass

JPO, Radio Frequency Submission Request Officer

Space Strategy and Sustainability Division

ITU

Chris Lewicki

Astrofuturist, Engineer, Entrepreneur

XPRIZE

Frank Zeppenfeldt

ESA

James Revill

Head of the WMD and Space Security Programmes

UNIDIR

Khalid AlShathri

General Manager of Space Sector Development

CST

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Luciana Ferreira

ViceChair

ITU-R Study Group 4

ITU

Luciana Ferreira is an Electrical Engineer graduated in Brasília’s University (UnB), has a Post-Graduation in Telecommunications Systems in ESAB and is finalizing a Satellite Interference master’s degree, also in UnB. Ms. Ferreira is the Landing Rights Coordinator since 2016 at the National Telecommunication Agency – Anatel, the Brazilian Telecommunications Regulator, and has more than 15 years of experience in spectrum and orbit resources. At Anatel, she is responsible for the Landing Rights technical, regulatory and coordination analysis, for the relationship with ITU on satellite networks and is the leader of Anatel’s group that follows ITU-R WP 4A. Ms. Ferreira is one of the ITU-R Study Group 4 (SG4) Vice-Chairs, being elected in the Radio Assembly 2019 (RA) and reconducted to this position on RA-23. She participated in WRC-19 and WRC-23. In the cycle 2020 – 2023, was the Chair of WRC-23 Agenda Item 1.19. On the Second Conference Preparatory Meeting (CPM-2) 2023, she co-chaired the Working Group 4 – Satellite Services – being responsible in this meeting to chair AI 1.19 and to report to the Chair of the CPM the progress of Agenda Items 1.15, 1.16, 1.17, 1.18 and 1.19. Since the beginning of 2024, she was elected Chair of the Working Group of the Plenary of Working Party 4A, WG Plen of WP 4A, dealing with Resolution ITU-R 74 – Activities related to the sustainable use of radio-frequency spectrum and associated satellite-orbit resources used by space services. Ms. Ferreira is also an active participant of the Inter‑American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) in Region 2. Nowadays, she is the SGT-1 Chair, the subgroup of WRC-27 CITEL’s group, that discusses CITEL positions for WRC-27 FSS Agenda Items. Also, in CITEL, she is the Chair of the Ad-Hoc Group on the Revision and Updates of CCP.III/RES.86 (XII-99) concerning Procedures for the organization of seminars and is the National Coordinator for the organization of the 46º CCP.II Meeting that will be held in the end of September/2025 in Salvador/BA, Brazil.

Samuel Jardine

Lunar Ledger Stakeholder Lead

Open Lunar Foundation

Catherine Sham

Lunar & Human Spaceflight Spectrum Manager

NASA

UNIDIR

Ariane Space

Revathi Mannepalli

RRB Member

ITU

Celeste Saulo

Mario Maniewicz

Aarti Holla-Maini

Diana Tomimura

Isabelle Mauro

Mike Lindsay

Candace Johnson

Benjamin Guyot

Janice Starzyk

H.E. Eng. Salem Butti Salem Al Qubaisi

Raul Kulichevsky

Torsten Kriening

Aboubakar Mambimba Ndjoungui

Kai-Uwe Schrogl

Timothy Adi Ashong

Alexandre Vallet

Barbee Ponder

David B. Goldstein

Donna Bethea-Murphy

Jorge Ciccorossi

Amy Mehlman

Masafumi Hashimoto

Jennifer Manner

Josef S. Koller

Jing Chen

Krystal Azelton

Elina Morozova

Emmanuelle David

Federico Di Vruno

Piero Benvenuti

Kattia Flores Pozo

Emmanuel Houdet

Mario Neri

Melissa Quinn

Martin Coleman

Clémence Poirier

Audrey Allison

Hamza Hameed

Rodolphe Muñoz

Thomas González Roberts

Patricia Cooper

Sulyna Abdullah

Julie Kearney

Abdulhadi Al Harthi

Arne-Hendrik Klass

Chris Lewicki

Frank Zeppenfeldt

James Revill

Khalid AlShathri

Luciana Ferreira

Samuel Jardine

Catherine Sham

UNIDIR

Ariane Space

Revathi Mannepalli

… and more to be announced