Speakers

Jan Vermeiren graduated from the University of Leuven in 1979 as Academic engineer with speciality micro-electronics on a dissertation about: “Development of a system to measure speed of cars based on a CCD camera and a micro-controller”.  Following his studies he was research assistant at KU Leuven, developing 2D analog filters and optimizing the CCD process.

In 1984 he joined imec, Leuven, where he was responsible for the CCD and CMOS group developing ROICs (CCD as well as CMOS) for Infrared imagers.  Major realisations were made with AIM-Heilbronn, Elettronica – Roma, MBB – Munich, ETH – Zurich and for the ISOPHOT instrument.

In 1994 he joined OIP-Delft Instruments were he was responsible for the R&D activities on the Belgian site in Oudenaarde and he was product manager for Image Intensifier based night vision equipment for the detached solder and for weapon sites.

In 1998 he joined INNOTEK in Geel, Belgium, where he was contribution to the regional development as a technology manager.

In 2000 he was co-founder of Xenics, Leuven, where he was CTO, responsible for the development of InGaAs SWIR image sensors and cameras as well as for uncooled thermal cameras.  In 2010, he became scientific advisor and business development manager, where he was managing several FP7, Eurostars, Horizon 2020 projects in the field of plasmonics, hyperspectral imaging and radiation hardening.  He developed also the image sensors for Egyptsat-1, Sich-2, Eartchcare (both BBR and MSI) and Proba-V.

In 2015 he joined Caeleste in Mechelen, Belgium as partner and Business Development Manager, responsible for marketing and sales.  He grew the company from a turn-over of 2 M€ to 10 M€.  the main developed market segments are Space & Scientific image sensors, Industrial imagers, Photonic devices for Medical and life science and ToF based automotive sensors.  He is specialized in Gamma and X-ray imaging, Electron detectors and UV, Vis, NIR detectors.

Ane Aanesland is a Norwegian deep-tech entrepreneur and co-founder of ThrustMe, a scale-up providing hihgly integrated and intelligent propulsion solutions for industrialized satellites. She holds a PhD in plasma physics and previously led a research lab at École Polytechnique, pioneering innovations in electric space propulsion. In 2020, ThrustMe became the first company to demonstrate an iodine-propelled electric propulsion system in space. Today, it operates a large-scale production line, supplying major satellite constellations worldwide. Aanesland’s contributions to science and innovation have earned her the CNRS Innovation Medal (2019) and recognition as an ambassador for France’s 2030 space strategy (2022).

Alizée is a Manager with the global Aerospace & Defence Practice at McKinsey. Her work has spanned the Space value chain, collaborating with space equipment providers, satellites and launchers manufacturers, and downstream operators. She was also a World Economic Forum fellow and co-authored the joint McKinsey-WEF report on the future of the space economy.

Richard Adams is a seasoned professional with many years of experience in software and technology sales, specialising in helping innovative space tech companies bring complex solutions to market. Known for his strategic approach and deep understanding of client needs, Richard has a proven track record of driving growth, building long-term partnerships, and delivering results in fast-paced, high-tech environments.

Founder & CEO of Satlyt, Rama Afullo is an ex SpaceX Starlink Product Manager, Cloud Architect and AI Startup Manager at Google,Telco Business Lead at Tesla, and holds two degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Business Management from the University of Cape Town. Rama dropped out of a Masters in Space Systems Engineering at Johns Hopkins University to pursue his endeavors in space.

Marco Agnan holds a PhD from Paris-Saclay University in Astrophysics and Space Engineering, a Master in Plasma Science and a Master of Engineering for Space-Based Systems Engineering from Sorbonne University.

He is the CTO and Co-Founder of Odysseus Space, a company of 25 persons based in Luxembourg, providing laser communication as a service for satellite operators in LEO. He has more than 10 years of experience in technical management and systems engineering for CubeSat projects as well as for technology developments for smallsats, such as electrical propulsion, autonomous navigation, and laser communication.

Additionally, he is also part of the Technical Program Committee of 2 key conferences about laser communication: the International Conference on Space Optics (ICSO), co-organized between ESA and CNES, as well as the International Conference on Space Optical Systems and Applications (ICSOS) organized by IEEE. He is also a private pilot and passionate about aerospace in general.

Jeanne serves as the Chief Commercial Officer at Exolaunch, the global leader in launch services, mission management, integration services, and deployment technologies for small satellites. With over a decade of experience in the commercial launch segment, Jeanne spearheads the company’s business development and sales strategy, driving growth and solidifying the Exolaunch’s leading position in the New Space launch sector. Jeanne has played a pivotal role in launching over 600 customer satellites across 33 missions (as of February, 2025) to LEO/SSO/GEO/deep space of global launch vehicles for space agencies, universities, scientific institutions, and commercial companies. Under her leadership, Exolaunch has seen exceptional growth, establishing flight heritage across major international launch vehicles and introducing industry-leading launch and deployment technologies to the market. Her efforts have expanded Exolaunch’s customer base, facilitated partnerships with industry giants, and enabled the company to support large constellation deployments, unlocking valuable data from space.

Fabio Angellotti has 20 years of hands-on experience in the space industry, with a strong background spanning both institutional organizations and the private sector. He has contributed to a broad range of international space projects, including the International Space Station, deep space missions, earth observation, telecommunication, and navigation satellites.
Since 2020, Fabio has been with EUSPA (formerly GSA), where he serves as Space Segment Leader. In this role, he leads activities related to the space segment and launch services entrusted to EUSPA across the various components of the EU Space Programme.
Previously, Fabio worked at ESA/ESTEC on the EarthCARE mission, focusing on system-level engineering and following the development of the ATLID transmitter and CPR payload provided by JAXA. At Thales Alenia Space, he contributed to the Herschel and Planck missions, and later led the production and launch of the first Globalstar Second Generation satellites.
He began his career in 2005 at the Microgravity Advanced Research and Support Center in Italy, supporting space operations for the FSL payload on the Columbus module of the ISS.

Jarkko Antila is the CEO of Kuva Space, a pioneering Finnish Earth observation company. He has a strong background in deep-tech entrepreneurship and a proven track record in product innovation, fundraising, and effective leadership. Jarkko’s experience includes leading technology teams at renowned organizations like the Finnish Research Center (VTT) and Inficon. In 2014 he co-founded Spectral Engines, a successful spectral sensor company, where he served as CEO for six years before its exit. Prior to his role at Kuva Space, Jarkko founded Leaping Boulder, a deep-tech business consultancy firm.

With a Master’s degree in Space Technology, he has been involved in various space projects, including the development of hyperspectral payloads for satellite missions such as OMI and Aalto-1. Jarkko brings his extensive expertise and passion for space technology to drive innovation and business growth at Kuva Space.

Mariarosa Argentiero is an Aerospace Engineer and a former Air Force Officer, qualified as a military Satellite Engineer. She also contributed to the birth and development of the Italian Space Operations command. Mariarosa started working in the Space Industry as Institutional Sales Manager for Thales Alenia Space Italia, then being National Technology Programme Manager for STARION Italia S.p.A. Mariarosa now covers the role of Vice President sales & Marketing for Arca Dynamics thanks to her mature background in Satellite Operations and Space Domain Awareness market both from an institutional and commercial perspective. In 2021, she was also selected as a mentor for the UNOOSA Space4Women Mentorship Program.

With over 18 years of international and domestic space, public policy, and management experience, Krystal Azelton (nee Wilson) is the Senior Director, Program Planning at Secure World Foundation, a private, operating foundation dedicated to the secure and sustainable use of space. There, she focuses provides support for organizational strategic goals and program planning as well on the Human and Environmental Security initiative, which promotes improved governance and cooperation in the delivery and use of information derived from space systems. In this role, she represents herself and the organization at the United Nations, the Group on Earth Observation, and at topical conferences, events and workshops around the world.

Radim is an entrepreneur with a background in satellite communications, ground segment design and software development. He holds a Master’s degree in Astronautics and Space Engineering from Cranfield University and has over fifteen years of expertise in creating innovative solutions to support cutting-edge space missions. His work spans a broad range of topics, including automated nanosatellite mission control, smart GEO payload management, and interplanetary ranging and communications.

In 2019, he founded Groundspace, where he now serves as CEO, guiding the development of advanced space domain awareness and mission support solutions tailored to satellite constellations. He is currently based in Montpellier, France.

Dr. Gianluigi Baldesi is the Head of the Ventures and Financing Office at the European Space Agency, where he leads the ESA Investor Network to connect space companies with investors and financial institutions. He also supports companies in scaling up and attracting capital through initiatives like the ESA Marketplace. With over 20 years of experience in technology and strategic leadership for space missions, he has held key roles at ESA, including in the Technical and Space Transportation Directorate and the Strategy Department. He holds a PhD in Systems Engineering (Supaero/Sapienza) and an Executive MBA (Columbia/LBS).

After graduating from the prestigious Technical University of Berlin in 2011, Walter Ballheimer quickly made his mark on the space industry through key leadership roles and groundbreaking aerospace projects.

In 2014, Walter founded German Orbital Systems, assuming responsibility for the company’s first product generation. Under his leadership, the company developed and produced 11 satellite. Simultaneously, Walter served as CTO of sister company EXOLAUNCH, where he successfully launched over 100 customer satellites into orbit from all major launch sites.

In 2021, Walter left these positions to co-found Reflex Aerospace and become CEO. Reflex was founded with a clear vision: to enable lightningfast innovation in space by manufacturing the next generation of
payload-centric, high performance satellites.

At Reflex, Walter advances a bold vision for the future of space—a fusion of NewSpace flexibility and Classic Space customizability—he calls NextSpace.

Sir Peter Joseph Beck is an entrepreneur and founder of Rocket Lab, a leading end-to-end space company that develops and operates spacecraft, satellite components and launch vehicles.

Sandrine Bédat is deputy head of the Defense, Shipping, Space, Telecom unit at the Key Accounts Department of Bpifrance Assurance Export, the French Export Credit Agency. She has spent her carrier in export credit insurance, firstly at Coface, which she joined in 1990 as underwriter, and then at Bpifrance Assurance Export when the export insurance activity managed by Coface for the account of the French State was transferred on 1 January 2017 to that new subsidiary of Bpifrance, acting in the name, on behalf and under the control of the French State. Her portfolio has included the space sector for 22 years and most of the related French export credits supported over the period whatever the financing structure.

Born in 1964 and graduated as aerospace engineer from Centrale Paris, Charles Beigbeder began his career in 1989 in the Matra Group (Airbus). After this first experience in the aerospace industry, he turned to investment banking in the 1990s, working for Banque Paribas and Crédit Suisse First Boston in Paris and London.

In 1997, he founded Self Trade, a pioneer in Internet brokerage in France and Europe, later sold to Boursorama.

Taking advantage of the deregulation of the energy market, he created Poweo in 2002, an independent electricity and gas supplier, which became an integrated energy operator, building g two gas-fired power plant in north and east of France. Poweo is now part of Total Energies.

For the past ten years, he has been investing in early stage through Gravitation, his industrial and financial holding company, which creates, initiates and supports new entrepreneurial ventures in the fields of energy, mobility, media and new technologies.

He also manages Audacia, an AMF management company founded in 2006, which has become a leader in growth capital by providing quasi-equity for French SMEs, also active in innovation capital and real estate financing dedicated to coliving.

Driven by a strong interest in quantum physics and anticipating a strong demand for investments when the second generation of quantum technologies arrives on the market, he launched in 2018 at Audacia the Quantonation venture capital fund dedicated to Deep Tech startups developing quantum technologies. To date, the fund has invested in more than 20 startups and made a final closing of 91 million in June 2022.

Since April 2022, the Expansion, Aerospace and Defense fund has been created, and started to deploy capital.

And is working on the creation of a fund dedicated to the energy transition.

Charles Beigbeder has been involved in several movements related to business and community life. He has been President of the CroissancePlus association, a group of high-growth companies, and a member of the Executive Council and President of the Entrepreneurship Commission of MEDEF.

Charles Beigbeder is the author of five books: Positive Energy, published in 2008 (Editions du Toucan), Is the energy crisis an opportunity for the future? published in 2009 (Jean-Claude Lattès), Since it’s impossible, let’s do it, published in 2012 (Jean-Claude Lattès), Thank you, bosses! published by Librio (Flammarion) in 2015 and Charnellement de France published by Pierre-Guillaume de Roux in 2016.

Alessandro Benetton is the Chief Technical Officer at AIKO and one of the driving forces behind the company’s bold vision for autonomous space missions. Selected in Forbes Italy’s 30 Under 30 for Science, Alessandro brings a deep passion for innovation and a strong technical backbone in space automation and mission analysis.

With a background in Aerospace Engineering from Politecnico di Torino and early research experience at the National Institute of Nuclear Physics, he has always been drawn to the frontier where science meets exploration. Since joining AIKO in 2019, he has helped shape its technology strategy and led pioneering work in autonomy and knowledge-based systems. His work has also been recognized with a national award for research on space sustainability.

Daniel Biedermann is the Investment Partner at NewSpace Capital.
He has over 30 years of experience in the satellite and launcher sectors,
including manufacturing, operations, business development and
strategy. At SES, he served as SVP of Corporate Strategy, Market Intelligence,
M&A and Business Innovation, playing key roles in acquisitions
and joint ventures like LuxGovSat and Yahlive. Before SES, he worked
as Payload Interface Officer, Mission Manager and Production engineer,
involved in over 40 space missions.

Robbie has 15+ years of experience in Technology Consulting at Accenture. He has a passion for innovation and emerging technologies and is currently focused on the application of Space technology for the resources industry.

Daniel Bock is the CTO, Managing Director & Founder of Morpheus Space, a pioneering company in satellite propulsion technology.

He co-founded Morpheus Space in 2018, emerging from a research project at the Dresden University of Technology. Under his leadership, the company has developed innovative FEEP propulsion systems, leading to the first successfully tested propulsion system on a nano satellite, the first collision avoidance maneuver in space, and the first HaaS contract for propulsion.

Today, Morpheus Space is building and delivering GO-2, a modular and highly efficient propulsion system enabling space mobility through a satellite’s entire lifecycle, designed to meet the growing demand for satellite mobility.

Daniel has been instrumental in positioning Morpheus Space as a key player in the space industry, driving the company’s rapid growth and technological advancements.

Anders Bohlin is a Lead Economist and works in the Digital Infrastructure Division at the Projects Directorate of the European Investment Bank based in Luxembourg. He works with a team of experts involved in project due diligences in all sectors related to digital communication and the various technologies involved. This entails covering the full spectrum of projects from submarine cables to satellites in orbit… He also works on the Bank’s business strategy with respect to financing of broadband infrastructure, Space, innovation policy and the digital economy in general. Anders has also contributed in defining new financial instruments for digital infrastructure jointly with the European Commission, national promotional banks and the private sector.
Before joining the EIB, Anders held senior positions in the telecommunications industry.
Anders holds a Master’s degree from the Stockholm School of Economics.

Marco Brancati holds a degree in Electronic Engineering with a focus on Telecommunications and Radars from the University of Naples Federico II. He began his career at Selenia Industrie, where he dealt with System Analysis activities for the Electronic Defence Division prior to moving to the Telespazio Group in 1990.

His past experience includes: subsystem project manager for the Italsat F1 and SAX satellite missions, Program Manager for the Operations Engineering and O&M activities relevant to Iridium and Astrolink programs, Key Account Manager for European Commission and Eumetsat, and Head of Telespazio Studies Unit, within the Studies and Innovative Projects Business Unit. He was also responsible for Telespazio Institutional Programs (Sicral 1B and Athena-FIDUS among the others), and he served as the Head of Marketing & Commercial Planning.

In September 2008 Marco was appointed Vice President of Telespazio Network & Connectivity Business Line, responsible for the development of all TLC and TV programs and products in the company. In February 2011 he was appointed Senior Vice President of Network & Connectivity Business Unit at the Group level. In the same year he completed his Executive Leadership Program at London Imperial College.

On October 2016 Marco was appointed Chief Technology & Innovation Officer for Telespazio Group, in charge of Innovation and Technology Governance. In June 2021, such role was enriched with the responsibility for Information Technology and Sustainability. In addition to what above, from June 2023 he is also in charge of Research Funding and Digital Engineering for the whole Telespazio Group, as SVP of Research, Digital and Innovation Unit.

From 2022 he is Vice President of Space Exploration Commission within “Ordine degli Ingegneri” organization in Roma.

Timothy (“Tim”) Bransford provides guidance to clients on satellite and wireless regulatory issues before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and international regulators. He provides advice on regulations pertaining to the launch and operation of communications, deep space research, and imaging satellite networks. Tim also assists clients in coordinating and obtaining approval to operate satellite ground stations and terrestrial wireless networks.

Cyril (Cy) Brennan focuses his practice on international trade and national security regulatory and compliance matters, with an emphasis on U.S. export controls, economic sanctions, and foreign direct investment matters. Cy provides clients experience across a broad array of U.S. international trade regulatory frameworks, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), the various U.S. sanctions programs administered by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Department of Commerce’s anti-boycott regulations. His clients include a wide of array of companies in the aerospace, defense, space and hi-tech sectors.

Cy also assists clients in complex matters involving the national security regulatory space. He focuses on representing clients before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) in the context of mergers and acquisitions, as well as private equity, real estate, and venture capital investments. In this capacity he also advises on the National Industrial Security Program, including negotiating foreign ownership, control, or influence (FOCI) mitigation instruments with the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA).

Prior to joining Greenberg Traurig, Cy served in the United States Senate in a foreign relations capacity, and later worked in-house at one of the world’s largest aerospace and defense companies.

Aurélie Bressollette, Chief Executive Officer, Latitude

Holds a Master´s Degree in Aeronautics & Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, after graduating from Ecole Centrale Paris in Aerospace Engineering.

Appointed CEO since November 2024 at Latitude, a leader in dedicated launch services, capitalizing on 23 years at the top 2 European satellite integrators, Airbus Defence and Space and OHB System, as well as innovative new space companies, Redwire and Rivada Space Networks. Aurélie worked for 6 years as Project Manager at Airbus Defence & Space to deliver 42 flight units of clock ensemble units for the Galileo Constellation, and established lean methodologies that allowed the teams to deliver earlier than contractually planned. She also worked in company restructuring and improvement, as well as strategy and business development. Aurélie then joined OHB as Head of Procurement for 5 years in satellite programs such as Electra and PLATO. She switched to the dynamic new space company Redwire in 2021 as Director Project and Procurement, where she led the 35-person team to qualify a state-of-the-art robotic arm for space applications. Before joining Latitude, she acted as VP Procurement at Rivada Space Networks, an emerging satellite operator planning a 600-satellite constellation.

Aurélie is a certified PMP® Project Manager, and speaks fluently German, French and English, holding two national passports.

Mr. Burgess is vice president and general manager of the Space Systems Division at General Atomics in Englewood Colorado, with operations in the Boston, Huntsville, and San Diego areas. Mr. Burgess leads a portfolio of satellites, advanced optical payloads, and laser communication systems. He came to Colorado in 2013 to join Sierra Nevada Corporation Space, working in multiple executive roles. Previously, he led the National Security Space division at Orbital Sciences Corporation in Northern Virginia. He holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from MIT and the General Manager’s Program Certificate at Harvard Business School. He also chairs the Aerospace Engineering Sciences External Advisory Board at the University of Colorado Boulder, and is an associate fellow of the AIAA.

Michel Callari is the Chief Business Officer of MaiaSpace, a space company developing the first European reusable and eco-friendly launch vehicle that will provide affordable, innovative and sustainable launch services and space mobility solutions.
Prior to MaiaSpace, Michael was the Commercial Sales Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Blue Origin in Paris, France. Michael supported all sales activities and international business development collaboration efforts across all Business Units.
Michael also worked for over 19 years at Arianespace and during the last eight years as Vice President of Customer Relations. He managed an international team of Program Directors and developed privileged relationships with satellite operators, space agencies and manufacturers worldwide.
Before joining Arianespace, Michael worked in New Jersey for Lockheed Martin Commercial Satellite Division as a Launch Vehicle Interface Manager and Propulsion Systems Engineer.
Upon graduating from Villanova University, he worked at the Naval Air Engineering Center and the Kennedy Space Center for Lockheed Space Operations.

Alan Campbell is a Principal Space Products Solutions Architect at Amazon Web Services (AWS). His focus is on empowering customers with innovative new Cloud-based scalable solutions for the Aerospace & Satellite segment. Alan specializes in Data Analytics / ML enabling key insights in Satellite Communications, Earth Observation, and IoT platforms.

Prior to joining AWS, Alan directed the Panasonic Avionics Satellite Engineering team, delivering premium QoE to Inflight passengers. He led a major Cloud & Data migration of 100+ applications resulting in cost savings and SLA improvements.

Alan’s experience ranges from a Fellowship award at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, to authoring a book on Embedded Systems at Texas Instruments. He holds multiple Cloud certifications, satellite credentials and patents.

As Head of Regulatory Affairs, Matteo Cappella leads Leaf Space’s regulatory team with a focus on telecom market access, spectrum management, satellite regulations and policy, engaging with national and international regulatory authorities to advocate for and support the deployment of Leaf’s network of ground stations and the expansion of Leaf’s services. Previously, Matteo worked as research consultant as part of the Space Power and Policy Applied Research Consortium (SPPARC), based at Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia. He worked also at the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) as Operations Manager, and conducted research at the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI), covering topics on space policy, entrepreneurship and international relations.

Dr. Margherita Cardi is an experienced professional with a background in space engineering. She joined Tyvak International as third employee, and has covered various roles in the company, from system engineer to program manager to VP Programs. In her current role as VP Programs and Business Development, she is responsible for Tyvak International program managers team, business development team and system engineering team, working in programs and opportunities with commercial and institutional customers. As Program Manager, she led multiple missions among which the Hera Milani mission, launched in October 2024 and on its way to the Didymos asteroid.
Before Tyvak, she worked at Vitrociset S.p.A focusing on the Vega launcher ground segment, and spent more than one year at the European Spaceport in French Guyana.
Dr. Cardi holds a Master’s Degree in Space in Space Engineering from Sapienza University of Rome.

Dr. Margherita Cardi is an experienced professional with a background in space engineering. She joined Tyvak International as third employee, and has covered various roles in the company, from system engineer to program manager to VP Programs. In her current role as VP Programs and Business Development, she is responsible for Tyvak International program managers team, business development team and system engineering team, working in programs and opportunities with commercial and institutional customers. As Program Manager, she led multiple missions among which the Hera Milani mission, launched in October 2024 and on its way to the Didymos asteroid.
Before Tyvak, she worked at Vitrociset S.p.A focusing on the Vega launcher ground segment, and spent more than one year at the European Spaceport in French Guyana.
Dr. Cardi holds a Master’s Degree in Space in Space Engineering from “Sapienza” University of Rome.

Ian Carnelli is a seasoned space systems expert who joined the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2005 as part of the Advanced Concepts Team. Throughout his career, he has led pioneering mission concepts to asteroids, playing a key role in establishing ESA’s planetary defence programme. As General Studies Programme Manager, he shaped future missions across all space domains, supporting critical enabling technologies and payloads. Since 2019, Ian has led the Hera planetary defence mission—launched in 2024 in collaboration with NASA’s DART—to validate asteroid deflection techniques. In 2024, he became Head of the Systems Department, overseeing end-to-end systems engineering, space systems and AIT, in-orbit technology demonstrations, and cutting-edge domains like AI and advanced simulations.

François Chopard is the Founder & CEO of Starburst. A distinguished aerospace engineer, strategy advisor, founder, and venture capitalist, he has played a pivotal role in shaping today’s global Aerospace and Defense (A&D) industry and bringing aerospace to the forefront of conversation. With over 20 years of experience in strategy consulting, entrepreneurship, and business development, Chopard specializes in Aviation, Space, and Defense, featuring high stakes technologies.

In 2012, Chopard founded Starburst, an aerospace management consultancy and the first global accelerator designed to guide aerospace startups from ideation to growth. Starburst specializes in three core areas with a focus on helping A&D stakeholders innovate, navigate and invest in the dynamic ecosystem: strategy and innovation consulting for corporate and government industry majors, tailored maturity-based startup acceleration programs, and investment support. In 2022, Chopard launched Starburst Ventures, an independent US-based venture capital fund exclusively dedicated to investing across Aviation, Space, and Defense.

As a widely respected industry veteran, Chopard has been asked to lend his aerospace expertise on a range of issues such as urban mobility, the future of transportation, and investing in aerospace. He is a renowned speaker, having been featured at major conferences like the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he offers insights into the future of aerospace innovation. Chopard’s current endeavors surround future trends, product strategy, and open innovation.

Prior to establishing Starburst, Chopard served as a Partner at Oliver Wyman France. He also founded and was the CEO of Arendi Consulting. He began his career as an Airbus Engineer before spending two years in the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). Chopard holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from CentraleSupélec in Paris, France.

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:

–          Acting Head of the Satellite Systems Coordination Division at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

–          Chairman of the 22nd. International Space Radio Monitoring Meeting (ISRMM), September 2021.

• 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.

–          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, Forum Europe, US Small Satellite Symposium, the Regulatory Expert Group of the ISRMM, IEEE and ITU Study Groups.

–          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.

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.

Steve current serves as Chairman of the Board of innovative new-space manufacturer, SWISSto12. He is a 30-year veteran of the satellite industry including 5 years at the helm of SES and more than 6 years leading O3b Networks from initiative funding through scale up, constellation launch and commercial success as the fastest-growing operator in the industry. He is the founder of Nebula Advisors and serves on the Advisory Board of TAP Advisors.

Mike Collett is Founder and Managing Partner of Promus Ventures, a venture capital firm based in Chicago, San Francisco and Luxembourg investing in deep-technology startups. Mike has been a venture capital investor in software and hardware for more than 20 years. Mike has served on numerous Boards of Directors, including Rocket Lab, Spire Global, ICEYE, Halter, Lunar Outpost, Chef Robotics, Gauss Surgical, Recycleye, and others.

Prior to Promus Ventures, Mike was Founder and Managing Partner of Masters Capital Nanotechnology Fund, a venture capital firm. While working at Masters Capital, a hedge fund, Mike invested in private technology software and hardware companies. Prior to venture capital, Mike was a Vice President in Merrill Lynch’s Mergers & Acquisitions group.

Mike holds a BA in Math and BA in English from Vanderbilt University. He also holds a MBA in Finance from Washington University in St. Louis.

Mike and his wife Paige have four children and live in Chicago.

Massimo Comparini is Managing Director of Leonardo’s Space Division since February 2025.

Massimo Claudio Comparini has a long and proven track record in space industry, from technology to services, and in the Earth observation domain.

In 2024 Massimo Comparini was appointed Managing Director of Leonardo’s Space Business Unit and Chairman of Thales Alenia Space Supervisory Board.

From 2020 until 2024, he was Deputy CEO, Senior Executive Vice President Observation, Exploration and Navigation at Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), and CEO of Thales Alenia Space Italia.

In 2016, he was named CEO of eGeos, a joint venture between Telespazio (80%) and the Italian Space Agency (20%). and Director Line of Business Geo Information at Telespazio. He was, at the same time, Chairman of GAF and EarthLab Luxembourg. In 2013, he was appointed CTO of Telespazio, a joint venture between Leonardo (67%) and Thales (33%).

He started his career in 1983 at Selenia Spazio (later Alenia Spazio), holding various management positions, up to his position as Chief Technology Officer.

Massimo Comparini holds a Master Degree in Electrical Engineering, Remote Sensing and Radar Systems from the University of Rome La Sapienza, as well as a Degree in Strategy from the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University.

He is member of the technical-scientific advisory board of the Research, Development and Higher Studies Center in Sardinia – CSR4 – (Italy).

Ryan Conroy is a seasoned aerospace executive with a 20+ year track record of leadership across the government, commercial, and international space sectors. He currently serves as Vice President of Business Development at Elve, where he leads strategic growth initiatives, customer growth, and market segment development across commercial and government markets. Elve is pioneering advancements in millimeter wave amplifiers to transform high-bandwidth communications, sensing, and other advanced applications.
Ryan’s career spans critical roles at industry leaders including Boeing, SpaceX, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, and The Aerospace Corporation. At Boeing, he contributed to the STS-114 Return to Flight mission and led spacecraft integration for the Sea Launch and Land Launch programs. At SpaceX, Ryan was instrumental in the early commercial adoption of the Falcon 9 vehicle, managing missions like the ORBCOMM launch on CRS-1 and guiding customers through critical milestones.
Later, at The Aerospace Corporation, he advised senior Pentagon US Air Force and US Space Force leaders on space acquisition strategy, commercializing space architectures, and other national security space programs. He also co-led the Aerospace Corporation’s Commercial Space Futures initiative, facilitating integration of commercial capabilities into national defense space strategies.

Theo is an associate in Hogan Lovells’ Energy, Infrastructure, Resources and Projects team in London. He has experience advising clients on sector-specific regulatory issues, particularly in the defence, aerospace and telecoms sectors, as well as drafting and negotiating a wide range corporate and commercial agreements. Theo is a committee member of the UK chapter of the Space & Satellite Professionals International.

Ludovic Court is global Head of Sales and Marketing of Leaf Space, one of the leading Ground Segment as a Service company headquartered in Milan, Italy. In his role, Ludovic is leading the sales and business development strategy to position the company as the industry preferred ground segment service provider for both government and commercial markets. Prior to joining the fast-growing international startup, Ludovic served for 10 years as business developer and sales director for Safran promoting and selling solutions including satellite tracking ground stations, space situational awareness tools and ground based modems. Ludovic holds a master’s engineering degree in Aerospace from ISAE and a master’s degree in business strategy from EM Lyon Business School.

Meagan Murphy Crawford, MBA, is a distinguished entrepreneur, space industry pioneer, and business leader renowned for her transformative contributions to the aerospace sector and startup ecosystem. As Co-Founder and Managing Partner of SpaceFund, a venture capital firm focused on early-stage space enterprises, Meagan has established herself as a visionary in the commercialization of space technologies. With over two decades of experience, she combines her expertise in business education, executive leadership, and investment to drive innovation and empower the next generation of space entrepreneurs.

“The Original New Space Renegades“, Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) is still at the forefront of space innovation delivering customisable complete mission solutions.

Alex has been leading small satellite projects at SSTL since 1989, including being Head of R&D and Technical Director.  A mine of knowledge about the Smallsat market, applications, technologies and capabilities.

Malcolm Davidson has over 20 years of experience at ESA with a professional track record that integrates mission and campaign science throughout all phases of EO missions, from the initial science idea, through feasibility studies, mission implementation, launch and in-orbit use. More recently Malcolm took up a leading role in developing the renewed Earth Observation Science Strategy 2040 which was published in September 2024 and guides all Earth Observation science activities including new satellite missions within ESA.

Erik de Bie is an attorney-at-law focused on international trade, customs and VAT matters. Erik counsels clients in European trade, export control, sanctions, customs and VAT related matters. He also represents clients in litigation.

He concentrates his practice on compliance with EU trade, sanctions and compliance rules. He assists companies to lawfully export goods, technology, and services around the globe, prioritizing practical, workable strategies for complex regulatory situations, including compliance with the growing number of sanctions. Conducting and managing internal reviews and risk mitigation are an important focus area.

Erik advises clients in customs, VAT and related matters, including support with setting up and restructuring distribution. and supply chains. Erik is regularly representing companies in (cross-border) consultations with the authorities, including disclosure matters.

Erik is experienced companies before Dutch Tax and Customs Courts, the Dutch Supreme Court, the European Commission, and the European Court of Justice.

Peter B. de Selding is co-founder and chief editor of Space Intel Report, a news website created in early 2017 and devoted to the business aspects of the space industry. Prior to this, he was Paris Bureau Chief for SpaceNews for many years.

Bio and headshot already provided last week.

Florian is responsible for defining and preparing future missions as well as securing institutional contracts. Florian holds an Msc of Aerospace engineering from ISAE-Supaero and more than 10 years of technical and commercial experience across multiple roles, including: programme management and advanced concepts at the Satellite Applications Catapult, telecommunications applications and project assessment at ESA, student researcher at NASA and technical procurement at Airbus.

As the CEO and founder of Aerospacelab, Benoît Deper has been at the helm of the company since 2018. With his recognized experience in the space industry, this entrepreneur quickly succeeded in gaining the support of solid investors such as Airbus Ventures.​

After graduating from UCLouvain with a degree in mechatronics, robotics and automation engineering, Benoît Deper first joined the ranks of two iconic institutions in the sector: NASA and its European counterpart, ESA for a three-year stint before becoming CTO of a Swiss company specializing in space launch, Swiss Space Systems.​

Benoît knows the space industry and its key players inside out. His experience and network also enable him to recruit the best talent in technology and sales. The combination of these talents enabled him to design and manufacture a satellite in 2 years, from a blank sheet of paper. Since then, he has succeeded in rallying to his ambitious project renowned industry leaders such as Mr. Dordain (ex-director of ESA).​

Dr Mekhi Dhesi is Account Executive at Slingshot Aerospace Ltd. Slingshot Aerospace is a world-leader in commercial SSA/SDA data and associated insights. With its HQ in the U.S., Mekhi is responsible for boosting Slingshot’s capabilities to the European and Canadian markets.
Mekhi previously worked for Astroscale Ltd. as their Space-Based SSA Strategy Lead, where she led several UK MOD funded studies into space-based SSA sensing technologies and mission concepts.
Mekhi holds a PhD in Theoretical Astrophysics from the University of Southampton, an MSc in Theoretical Physics from Kings College London and a BSc in Physics from University College London.

Ranked as a Band 2 attorney by Chambers UK for her sanctions experience, and as a Leading Partner by Legal 500 UK for her international trade work, Aline Doussin leads the International Trade and Investment team in London. As a triple-qualified lawyer (Avocat au Barreau de Paris and Solicitor in England and Wales, and registered with the Milan bar), she represents companies on the full range of international trade law and policy issues, including export controls, sanctions, anti-money laundering, customs, and trade remedies.. Additionally, Aline advises companies with respect to Foreign Direct Investment screening in France and the UK, as well as advises on national security laws in those jurisdictions. She provides clients with the full spectrum of support ranging from advisory, advocacy, audits, investigations, and litigation.
Aline has particular expertise in the space and satellite sector, and supports companies operating in this heavily regulated industry on all aspects of their international trade operations. Her support ranges from export controls, customs, and sanctions compliance. Aline has specific experience representing compliance in obtaining Foreign Direct Investment screening clearances for space and satellite companies.
Representative Experience:
• Advising SES on the USD 3.1b purchase of Intelsat.
• Advising on FDI for Gogo Inc’s $375million acquisition of Satcom Direct.
• Advised ALL.SPACE Networks, a satellite communications company, on a series of pre-revenue equity fundraisings.
In 2019, she was appointed by the UK Government to the Department of International Trade (“DIT”) – Expert Trade Advisory Group.

Bruno Dupas is the Vice President of Business Development and Sales for Kratos Space. With over 35 years of experience in the aerospace industry, he has extensive expertise in delivering global ground solutions for a wide range of satellites, supporting satellite operators, regulatory authorities, armed forces and intelligence agencies.

Bruno began his career in systems engineering at Thales and Airbus before transitioning to entrepreneurship in 1999. He played a pivotal role in establishing and expanding the international business of Kratos Space, starting in France and subsequently building teams in the United Kingdom, Singapore, Japan and the Sultanate of Oman. Today, his division comprises more than 150 engineers with a strong global presence beyond the Americas. Mr. Dupas holds a degree from the École des Mines in France.

Joost Elstak is ICEYE’s Vice President for Missions. ICEYE owns and operates the world’s largest constellation of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites. The company provides timely and reliable Earth observation data, mission satellites, as well as natural catastrophe solutions for companies and governments. ICEYE is the first company that has successfully miniaturized a SAR satellite, making it possible to launch more units to reliably image any location on Earth, every few hours, every day. ICEYE makes it possible for partners to own a constellation of satellites or purchase their capacity to provide a mission, from the same high-performance and proven satellite design used in ICEYE’s constellation. At ICEYE, Joost is responsible for securing ICEYE’s global mission opportunities. Joost joined ICEYE in 2023. Joost has been working on space programs for 20 years and in various roles. Having been involved as an engineer in experiments for Human Spaceflight and small satellite missions from his early twenties onwards, Joost has been part of the rise of new space first-hand. After spending several years in engineering and commercial roles with SSTL in the UK and ISIS – Innovative Solutions in Space in the Netherlands, Joost spent 7 years at Airbus, where he led the commercial team of the Airbus solar array group based in Leiden (NL) and Ottobrunn (D) and reported to the local CEO’s. Joost holds BSc and MSc degrees from Delft University of Technology’s renowned Aerospace Engineering Faculty and has served as president of its Space Society.

Master IT Engineer with broad experience in system engineer for defence and cyber security, from Spain, Germany and Luxembourg, for projects in the railway industry, EADS CASA (Airbus) for Eurofighter and UAV Ground Contril Systems, in DIEHL and moved 12 year ago into Luxembourg for cybersecurity sector where he has most of expertise.

Dr Marco Esposito is Managing Director at cosine Remote Sensing.

Marco completed his PhD in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Naples, specializing in airborne remote sensing for air quality and land management. Having worked on various aerospace projects in Italy, most recently as coordinator of the Environmental Research Aircraft Lab of the Italian National Research Council, Marco moved to the Netherlands.

Marco spent almost 4 years at ESA ESTEC as calibration engineer first, in the science department working on EUV to IR sensors calibration for future planetary missions, and then as performance engineer in the Earth Observation department working on Sentinel 5 Precursor spectrometer TROPOMI.

Marco has been involved in a variety of research and development activities at cosine, all focusing on the miniaturization of optical instruments for Earth Observation and miniaturized suites of instruments for planetary exploration. Marco has been leading the development of space products including space Lidars for vegetation and bathymetry, as well as intelligent spectral imagers for EO from small satellites. He has produced more than 40 scientific publications, either as first author or as a co-author.

Having gained experience as system and performance engineer, project manager, program manager and team leader at cosine, Marco became managing director of cosine Remote Sensing as well as of the Italian branch of cosine.

Marco led the commercialization of the hyperspectral product line at cosine, the first ever miniaturized class of imagers able to connect hyperspectral, thermal imaging and artificial intelligence techniques in one compact solution for the Earth observation market.

Marco is currently leading the scale-up of the remote sensing business at cosine as well as the setup of the space factory for the series production of smart remote sensing instruments for Earth Observation.

Andrew joined Astroscale in January 2023 to lead the Business Development, Sales, and Marketing functions in the UK as the company expands to make in-orbit servicing and debris removal routine by 2030, and delivers on its vision for safe and sustainable development of space for the benefit of future generations. He is a senior leader with over 20 years growing revenue across the satellite communications and space industries.

He was previously VP EMEAAP Sales at ALL.SPACE, leading sales and business development for all commercial and global government segments. Prior to that, he held senior positions at ST Engineering iDirect and Intelsat where he focused on providing critical communications infrastructure to the Aviation, Maritime, and Land Mobile segments. Earlier in his career, he held various sales and marketing roles at NewSkies Satellites, and at an independent teleport in the USA called ESATEL Communications. He also performed research and project development work at the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), the Embassy of Mexico in Washington, DC, and at NASA, which involved the provision of Internet service and remote sensing for environmental monitoring.

Andrew holds a BA in Economics from Washington University in St. Louis, and an MA in International Affairs from The George Washington University in Washington, DC.

Ron Faith is a serial entrepreneur returning to the space industry after stints in cloud computing and mobile commerce. Most recently Ron was the CEO of Datacastle, a cloud based endpoint data protection company acquired by Carbonite last year. Prior to Datacastle, Ron worked at Apple Computer where he launched Apple’s first standalone Internet product in the mid-90’s. Ron is a published author and patent owner. Ron graduated from the University of Washington with a Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering where he performed research for Boeing’s Aerospace and Defense group in frequency selective surfaces. Ron attained his Bachelors degree from Dartmouth College where he double-majored in Engineering Sciences and Philosophy.

Marco Falcone is the Head of Future Navigation Department at the European Space Agency where he leads the preparation of the Future Navigation missions to Earth, Moon and Beyond, including new navigation technologies and advanced studies. He has been former Programme Manager for the Galileo European GNSS Programme.
He holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from the University of Pisa, Italy and a Master’s Degree in Space Systems Engineering from the University of Delft, The Netherlands.

Lubos Fedora serves as the Senior Sales & Business Development Manager at Mynaric, where he oversees commercial customers and programs across EMEA and APAC. Based in Germany, he is responsible for developing tailored solutions for existing customers while driving new business opportunities.

With more than a decade of experience in the aerospace industry, Lubos combines technical expertise with a deep understanding of customer requirements for complex missions.

Before joining Mynaric, he worked at Honeywell Aerospace and Airinmar in the United Kingdom.

Lubos holds a Master of Engineering (MEng) in Aerospace Engineering from The University of Manchester.

Julián Fernández is the CEO of FOSSA Systems, a Spanish and Portuguese scaleup which connects low-power IoT devices directly from space for industrial use cases using LoRa and has already launched 20 satellites since 2022. Julián has experience in remote asset management, LoRa communications, IoT deployments and space infrastructure, having launched the first Spanish picosatellite FOSSASAT-1 in 2019 at the age of 16 and later founding FOSSA Systems as a company at 17. He was chosen as a Forbes 30 under 30 in 2022. He has a background in telecommunications engineering, LPWAN technologies and satellite IoT networks. FOSSA has an office in Madrid and Lisbon.

Araz Feyzi is the Co-founder and CTO of Kayhan Space. Kayhan Space is a software company focused on making spaceflight safer by delivering next-generation autonomous spaceflight capabilities. Araz has a master’s in Information Systems and has been a part of two successful startups. He has over 10 years of experience in technology and analytics working for startups, as well as Fortune 500 companies.

Marino Fragnito has joined AVIO in September 2024 as Chief Commercial Officer, he also manages the new Launch Service division of the company, taking over responsibility from Arianespace for the exploitation of the Vega family launchers.
Between March 2016 and September 2024, he was Senior Vice President at Arianespace and member of the Executive Committee. As head of Vega Business Unit he managed the overall Vega activities and controlled its associated Profit & Loss.
From January 2009 until March 2016 he served at the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites EUMETSAT as Launch Services Manager. He previously covered different positions in industry, he began his career in Cannes, at Alcatel Space Industries, as mechanical engineer on telecom satellite projects and then joined ELV, European Launch Vehicle, an AVIO and Italian Space Agency company, in 2003 where he was later appointed Head of Mechanical Systems Development in the frame of the Vega development program. Before joining EUMETSAT he was also Head of the launcher design department at AVIO.
Marino Fragnito is an Aeronautical Engineer and holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Science and Technology.

Pablo Gallego Sanmiguel – Senior Vice President of PLD Space

Pablo Gallego Sanmiguel is PLD Space Senior Vice President, Sales & Customers. Pablo brings extensive knowledge and experience in the aerospace market, specifically in the sector of Commercial Launch Services. Since September 2019, the former SpaceX employee has been working in the commercial and customer management of the Spanish company, representing PLD Space.
Before joining PLD Space, Pablo developed his professional career from California (United States) working as Mission Manager of Launching Services with SpaceX as well as providing aerospace consulting services.
Previously, Pablo had participated actively in several other rocket launch operations, such as Ariane 4, Ariane 5, Soyuz, Dnepr, Vega, Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy.
Pablo has participated in more than forty launch campaigns with different clients and launch bases such as Kourou (French Guiana), Yasny (Russia), Vandenberg (California) and Cape Canaveral (Florida).
Pablo has worked as a Launcher and Satellite Design Engineer at Airbus Defense and Space (CASA Espacio). Also, as Launch Mission Manager and Launcher Integration Engineer at Arianespace. Next, Pablo transition his career to the United States as a customer representative with Hisdesat (in Palo Alto), for the launching of the SPAINSAT and XTAR satellites with Ariane 5. After that, worked as Business Development Manager at INSA (ISDEFE), and also participated in the development and execution of the first mission of the Vega launcher with the European Space Agency. He was responsible for Business Development and Integration, putting into service the Earth observation satellite DEIMOS-2 with Elecnor-Deimos.
Pablo successfully participated in the MIURA 1 maiden launch, marking a significant milestone and representing the culmination of years of hard work, innovation, and dedication at PLD Space. Currently, he travels all over the world to stay close to current and new international customers, constantly seeking new opportunities and complementary spaceports to the Diamant site at the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana to meet the increasing needs of the MIURA launch vehicle family. PLD Space has recently expanded its global launch capacity with its second spaceport, Etlaq in Oman. Pablo coordinates his activities between the U.S. and Europe, focusing on customer needs, the integration process, and preparing for PLD Space’s upcoming missions.
In addition, Pablo is registered with the U.S Department of State Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), to be able to interact with different types of customers and suppliers, both in the commercial field and in other more restrictive areas, such as defense whose activities may be subject to ITAR regulation.

Education: Master of Science degree in Electronics from the University of Tromso, Norway, in 1992. 30 years of experience from the satellite ground segment domain, including electronics/hardware development, systems engineering, product development and marketing activities. Moved to Business Development and Marketing in 2022.

Dr. Diana Gamzina is the founder and CEO of Elve, an innovative company at the forefront of millimeter wave technology.

Dr. Gamzina is responsible for the leadership and strategic direction of Elve, guiding the company in its mission to innovate and deliver advanced amplifier solutions for ground and space communications, imaging, radar, energy, and defense markets. Dr. Gamzina has been instrumental in positioning Elve as a key player in state-of-the-art technologies that enable growth of commercial telecom markets and support deployments essential for national security applications.

Prior to Elve, Dr. Gamzina was a staff scientist at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory for five years and a development engineer at the UC Davis millimeter-wave research group for over eight years. She has led research and development programs in micro to nano scale as well as additive manufacturing techniques, multiscale multifunctional materials synthesis, and thermo-mechanical design and analysis for development of compact high frequency and high-power RF sources.

Dr. Gamzina earned a M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, has received the Early Career Research Award from the U.S. Department of Energy, and holds thirteen patents related to the manufacture of vacuum electronic devices.

Francho García is the CEO and co-founder of Arkadia Space, a company developing green chemical propulsion systems for space. Aerospace engineer from the Technical University of Madrid, Francho spent several years at the European Space Agency (ESA) working in quality assurance, and later joined PLD Space, where he led the Mission Department and played a key role in securing the company’s first commercial customers. Today, he leads Arkadia with the mission of making space mobility more sustainable and accessible

Tina Ghataore joined Aerospacelab in August 2023 as Group Chief Strategy and Revenue Officer, and CEO of Aerospacelab’s new North American branch. Prior to joining the fast-growing international startup specialized in designing, manufacturing and operating small satellites, Tina served as Chief Commercial Officer of Mynaric and President of Mynaric USA where she led the company’s efforts to position Mynaric as the preferred laser communication provider for aerospace application for both government and commercial markets.

In 2022, Tina’s contribution to the aerospace industry was recognized by both the public and industry peers alike when she was voted Via Satellite’s “Satellite Executive of the Year”, accepting her award in front of a select audience at the industry’s leading annual conference ‘Satellite 2022’.

Before to take on her leading role at Mynaric, she was the Executive Vice President of Inflight Connectivity Solutions at Yahsat, a leading UAE Satellite Operator, where she was responsible for the overall strategy and execution of enabling the organization to launch into the Mobility Satcom Services business. In 2007, she founded The EKKAM Group, a strategic management consulting firm focused on serving clients in the aerospace/aviation and telecom industries. Key clients included Airbus, Panasonic and Thales. Tina held multiple leadership roles at Panasonic Avionics Corporation, where she was instrumental in efforts to launch the Panasonics Global Communications Services business, currently serving over 80+ airlines globally. She was also charged to establish the strategy and grow the software, applications and media business, serving the In-Flight Entertainment and Communications industry.

Tina began her career at The Boeing Company’s Satellite Systems business unit. She was integral to the building and launch of Connexion by Boeing (CBB) business, the first-of-its-kind true broadband communications services for commercial airlines. As part of the business development organization, she participated in the early pursuits of the Teledesic (LEO) and Ellipso (MEO) satellite programs. She was also a key member of the due diligence team efforts, resulting in the acquisition of Hughes Space and Communications. Tina received her Bachelor of Honors Degree in Aerospace Engineering from Kingston University in the U.K. She is also a graduate of the International Space University.

Holding a Master’s Degree in Space and Astronautical Engineering, Mr Flavio Giudice has spent his whole career in the Space business, starting in national industry, then at the European Space Agency, and lastly working for NATO, in both military headquarters and at NCIA. Mr Giudice has been one of the pioneers of the NATO Space Domain, contributing to the development of NATO’s Space policies and working on the standing up of NATO’s Space operational capabilities. In his current role of deputy head of NCIA’s Space branch, named Space Technology Adoption and Resilience (STAR), he manages a wide series of activities, ranging from capability development to direct support to military operations with Space products and services. His portfolio includes the standing up and management of multinational initiatives such as the Alliance Persistent Surveillance from Space programme, and integrating technology advancements in NATO’s architecture.

Luis Gomes is the CEO of the AAC Clyde Space group. He joined the company in 2019 and is based in Glasgow, from where he runs the group’s operations in 5 different countries.
Luis has worked in the space industry for over 25 years, starting as a mission design engineer at SSTL, later moving on to management of space missions. For the past 11 years, he has had executive management roles in the industry. Luis joined AAC Clyde Space to pursue the next revolution in the space industry, focusing his efforts in growing the company and extending the Space Data as a Service business.

Dr. Gopal is Vice President, Advanced Programs and has pioneered resilient communications portfolio with LEO, 5G, HTS, AI/ML and cyber areas within Hughes DGSD. He was on the system design of the OneWeb LEO broadband network using 4G/5G and IP network technologies. He earlier served as Network System Engineering lead for Transformational Satellite (TSAT) space segment (with onboard layer 3 packet processing) and was a lead architect for SPACEWAY® 3 (with onboard L2 processing) system, and worked on Mobile Satellite systems (Thuraya, ICO, LEO Teledesic) development teams. He was the chief architect and software manager for the SPACEWAY, a $1.8B development, NOCC.

With a PhD in Computer Science, Dr. Gopal serves on the editorial board of Wiley’s International Journal of Satellite Communications and Networking (IJSCN) and is member of IEEE 5G World Forum, AIAA Communication Systems Technical Committee. Dr. Gopal has published more than 40 technical papers on topics ranging from space, 5G, software, AI/ML, network management, and life sciences, and holds 11 patents on satellite/communications systems.

Paul Gouws is CTO at ETL Systems, which designs and manufactures RF equipment for critical satellite communications, trusted by the top 20 satellite operators and teleports.

Paul joined ETL Systems in 2018, bringing over 20 years of experience in the satellite communications industry.

In that time, he has taken lead roles in the design and development of industry-leading avionics SATCOM terminals, spacecraft RF systems and satellite ground segment equipment, covering both ends of the SATCOM link.

Ralph Grundler is leading the US Space BD and R&D at Aitech Systems, the leading supplier of rad-hard and rugged embedded electronic systems.

An experienced professional, Ralph has a long history in the engineering, business development and marketing of semiconductors, IP, SoCs, FPGAs, computers and embedded systems. Before joining Aitech Systems, he worked at Flex Logix, the leading supplier of rad-hard eFPGA technology and Synopsys, working with Space and AI ASIC developers and IP prototyping hardware as well as business development.
He has done many video and live presentations on a wide variety of technical subjects. He has 30 years of computer, semiconductor, space, and AI industry experience.

As the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Isar Aerospace, Stella Guillen is responsible for all Strategy, Business Development, Sales, and Marketing activities. Stella’s background spans the satellite industry, from telecommunications to launch services.
From 2010 to 2016, Stella built up and oversaw sales efforts and client relationships for SpaceX. She joined the company at an early stage of the Falcon 9 / Falcon Heavy program, signing SpaceX’s first European customers such as SES, Inmarsat, Eutelsat, Hispasat, and others, winning more than $1B in sales. Stella worked in different Business Development and Sales positions: for Arianespace, Inc. and Spaceflight Industries, she managed all aspects of the launch services sales and marketing activities for customers and some of the largest satellite fleet operators such as SES, Intelsat, and satellite service providers such as Spacenet and Verestar, she opened new markets worldwide extending their customer base and raising company valuation.
She holds an MBA from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola University.

Stewart is Sales Director for Telespazio in Germany. Graduating with a degree in Systems Engineering in 1992, Stewart trained and worked as a software engineer and ground systems architect until 2014, helping develop ground segment systems for many well-known space programmes, including: Rosetta comet chaser, Mars Express and Beagle 2, Galileo FOC, Meteosat Third Generation and OneWeb. From 2019 until 2024 he was Deputy Head of Strategy and Sales at Thales Alenia Space in the UK.

Dr. Martin Haunschild works at Mynaric as Business Development Manager Space/Institutional Affairs. Prior to that, he served as Managing Director of his own company for several years. One of the company’s goals was to build a 12-satellite constellation for the “Internet of Things (IoT) from Space.”

In 2004, Martin Haunschild was appointed “Coordinator of Aviation, Space, and Satellite Navigation in Bavaria” by the former Bavarian State Minister for Economic Affairs and Transport, Dr. Otto Wiesheu. In this role, which, among other things, aimed to promote regional, national, and international networking between industry, science, and politics, he founded the Bavarian aerospace cluster “bavAIRia e.V.”, which now has more than 300 members from the “scene.”

Haunschild began his professional career at MAN Technologie AG (now MT Aerospace GmbH) in the Strategy Development/Future Systems division, where he was responsible for, among other things, the satellite communications/navigation division. He then became responsible for innovation management at BMW Group AG and headed the Satellite Navigation and Telematics Services department for many years.

Dr. Martin Haunschild received his doctorate from the Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics/Chair of Flight Propulsion at the Technical University of Munich.

Scott Hill has over 20 years experience in network test and performance measurement having worked as a test design and automation specialist for Juniper, Cisco, Ixia and now Keysight. Scott joined the DIFI consortium in 2024 and manages Keysight’s development effort for packetized RF with respect to DIFI.

Dustin Holohan leads Business Development & Sales at Dawn Aerospace, where he bridges cutting-edge satellite propulsion technologies with the needs of operators worldwide. With a passion for sustainable space innovations, Dustin excels at building partnerships that drive industry growth and unlock new opportunities for satellite operators and mission planners.
Known for his technical expertise, strategic mindset and collaborative approach, Dustin is dedicated to helping customers achieve their goals with solutions that prioritize performance, sustainability and reliability with bold sights on the future of refuelling in space.

Peter Holsters is a Business Development Manager at Redwire, working in the Belgium office. In this role, Peter ensures customer success by guiding European clients through satellite solution design, adoption, and long-term satisfaction. Prior to his current role, Peter worked as an engineer on several satellite projects from 2008 to 2015, notably PROBA-2 and PROBA-V. Before joining Redwire, Peter worked at The European Space Agency from 2002 to 2008, where he supported several ESA mission such as ExoMars and BepiColombo as telecommunications engineer. Peter received a Master degree in Electrical Civil Engineering, from KU Leuven in 2001 and a Master degree in Space Electronics and Telecommunication from ISAE-Supareo Toulouse in 2002.

Stephane is a currently a Partner in the Paris Office, with the perspective to become Managing Director and Partner (MDP) in 2026.
He is a core member of the Industrial Goods (IG) Practice.
Prior to joining BCG, Stéphane has been CEO of Arianespace from 2013 to 2024, and Ex Co member of its mother company ArianeGroup from 2017 onwards. Previously, he joined Airbus as a Vice-President in 2007, and spent four years in Astrium, Airbus space division. He served the French government as Head of the Private Office of the Minister of Industry in 2012-2013.

Laurent Jaffart is the European Space Agency’s Director of Connectivity and Secure Communications and Head of ECSAT in Harwell, United Kingdom, since 15 May 2024.

In this role, Mr Jaffart leads the ESA satellite telecommunication programme, including the implementation of the full portfolio of the ARTES 4.0 programme activities, Moonlight, Civil Security from Space, and the ESA contributions to the EU Secure Connectivity Programme, IRIS2, in collaboration with the European Commission.

From France, Mr Jaffart has over 20 years of experience in the European space sector, most notably in senior leadership roles at Airbus Defence and Space.

George John ensures regulations do not disrupt innovation and investment for established and emerging technologies particularly in the aerospace, telecommunications, sports, medical, and mobility industries.

Technologies empowering satellite connectivity, smartphone downloads, the monitoring of ball trajectory and speed or athlete biometrics at sporting events, real-time telehealth applications, and drone deliveries encounter U.S. and international regulation.

Operators of these and similar platforms regularly rely on George to navigate related legal, policy, and technical challenges. He advises clients on radiofrequency (RF) spectrum use, orbital debris mitigation, and remote sensing licensing while engaging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, national administrations outside the United States, and international standards bodies, including the International Telecommunication Union. Those interactions have helped him shape and streamline regulations on RF spectrum, the safety and sustainability of space, and Earth imagery; negotiate RF spectrum rights at international fora; and complete associated due diligence for venture-capital and private-equity investments.

Before joining Hogan Lovells, George served as in-house regulatory and transactional counsel for a pioneering nanosatellite company, where he secured satellite, earth station, and remote sensing licenses and negotiated satellite launch and insurance agreements. Other previous stops include the FCC’s International Bureau Satellite Division, where he tackled satellite and earth station licensing and rulemakings, and the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Chief Counsel, where he undertook commercial space launch, reentry, launch site operation, and other aviation regulation projects.

Outside of work, George actively mentors young lawyers and others interested in space, telecommunications, and technology.

Prior to joining Starbridge, Neil has been a business advisor and investor in numerous companies including startup accelerator LaunchPad, Chromatik, MobLabs, Audyssey, Songza (acquired by Google), Ostendo, Seed, Umbra, SpaceX, and Wonder (acquired by Atari). Previously, Neil was a General Partner at Third Wave VC. Neil has vast experience in raising capital, M&A, helping portfolio companies to achieve year over year growth, and guiding companies towards a successful exit. Neil currently sits on the Board of Flying Elephants, and previously sat on the Boards of Washington D.C. Children’s Rights organization First Star. Neil attended the Anderson School of Management and received his B.A. from UCLA.

Dallas is a Principal Analyst and Programme Head with Analysys Mason. There, he leads the company’s research and analysis on Space Infrastructure, including satellite manufacturing, launch, in-orbit services, lunar and more. Other areas of expertise include Earth observation and flat panel antennas.

A corporate partner and satellite practice co-head, Steve Kaufman uses industry knowledge and versatility to negotiate and close many types of deals globally.

For 18 of his 30 years at the firm, Steve served as outside general counsel for satellite clients, leading strategic joint ventures, “bet-the-company” contracts, financings, and M&A.

What Steve does best: understanding complex business issues and translating them into legal documents. If a client can describe something, Steve can draft it. Working from complicated to simple, he has many times reduced a lengthy contract into a few pages of bullet points, showing the client what it needs and how to obtain it. He has even written a business and financing model for parties in the form of an agreement. Many clients comment that the business guidance from Steve is as valuable as the legal advice.

Steve relies on his familiarity with issues common to satellite and communications companies to give him an edge in negotiations. This experience produces extra benefits when Steve deals with specialized satellite contract terms, targeted warranties, creative covenants, use of insurance to close gaps, license and spectrum issues, and even finance and accounting matters. According to Chambers Steve Kaufman is “a real authority and somebody who will always know the answer.”

In advising clients, Steve emphasizes practicality, striving to achieve the client’s business objectives for the transaction, whether economic, risk reduction, regulatory/compliance, or transaction speed. This carries over into deal management as well as negotiations, where he willingly takes the lead. Steve and satellite practice co-head Randy Segal are regulars at the satellite conferences, making connections among clients and even adverse parties. He is listed in Chambers, Super Lawyers, and Legal 500.

Milos Krasojevic is Manager of Product Management for GPU systems, responsible for driving strategic initiatives and product innovation across the EMEA region. Milos leads EMEA PoC Lab for entire Supermicro portfolio with expertise on AI solutions for specific customer requirements. Milos focus is on providing scalable, high-performance technologies that support business growth and competitive advantage.

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.

Charlotte is a Counsel specializing in commercial and regulatory matters with a strong focus on the space and telecommunications sectors. She advises on cutting-edge legal issues at the intersection of technology and industry—ranging from satellite communications and spectrum regulation to cybersecurity, AI, and the digital transformation of mobility. Charlotte regularly supports French and international clients across the space ecosystem, helping them navigate complex regulatory environments and negotiate innovative contractual frameworks, whether for large-scale satellite projects, NewSpace ventures, or hybrid telecom systems. Her experience also spans related sectors such as IT, energy, transportation, and financial services. In addition to her practice, Charlotte lectures on space and telecommunications law at Paris V Descartes University and teaches data protection law at Paris II Panthéon-Assas University.

Obtained a BsC in electronics in 1983 from HTS Den Bosch.

Worked 2.5 years as an instrumentation engineer at the Netherland Institute for Sea Research NIOZ.

Worked 14 years as an electronics designer/Systems Engineer on electro optical equipment for defence application for the company Oldelft (Nowadays Thales Electro Optics). Experience gained was mainly in relation to thermal infrared imaging and stabilized mirror head systems.

Worked for 11 years as a Systems Engineer at the space department of TNO in Delft on various subjects ranging from miniature instruments for space applications to scientific imagers like OMI and Earthcare MSI as well as several subsystems for ASML wafer stepper equipment’s and adaptive optics.

Started working on Sunsensors in 2003 after writing the proposal for the first single chip true digital Sunsensor of TNO as part of the MicroNed program.

Started Lens Research & Development in 2012 after having worked on reaction wheels at Bradford Engineering for a year.  The company (now called Lens R&D B.V. is specialized in high reliability Sunsensors for space application the majority of which are fully ESA qualified. In progress to develop a single chip radiation hardened true digital Sunsensor that is acceptable for ESA but can be cost effectively produced through optimisation for volume production. (development in frame of an ESA advanced research for telecom (ARTES) contract with support of the Dutch national space agency NSO).

Promotor of the Space-grade Commercial Off The Shelf (SCOTS) concept.

Jean-Hubert Lenotte,  encompass the following activities: strategy,
M&A, investments, fleet deployment, regulatory, capacity planning, CSR
and innovation.
Jean-Hubert Lenotte joined Eutelsat in September 2013 and was
appointed as a member of Eutelsat Executive Committee in July 2016.
Jean-Hubert has also been appointed to the Board of Directors of
OneWeb in November 2022 and to the Board of Directors of Broadpeak
in April 2022.
He began his career at Bouygues where he was notably part of the
project team that created Bouygues Telecom in 1994. He joined
McKinsey & Company in Paris in 1997 and was elected Partner in 2004.
In 2009, he became head of the Consumer Service Line of McKinsey &
Company in the global telecommunications, media and technology
practice.
Jean-Hubert is a Belgian national. He is a graduate of the Ecole
Polytechnique and holds a Masters degree in Economy and Finance
from the Institute of Political Sciences in Paris.

After spending her first 18 months with NVIDIA as a Deep Learning Solutions Architect, Alison is now responsible for NVIDIA’s Artificial Intelligence Developer Relations in the EMEA region. She is a mature graduate in Artificial Intelligence combining technical and theoretical computer science with a physics background & over 20 years of experience in international project management, entrepreneurial activities and the internet. She consults on a wide range of AI applications, including planetary defence with NASA, ESA & the SETI Institute and continues to manage the community of AI & Machine Learning researchers around the world, remaining knowledgeable in state of the art across all areas of research. She also travels, advises on & teaches NVIDIA’s GPU Computing platform, around the globe.

Chiara Manfletti is the Chief Executive Officer at Neuraspace and the Professor of Space Propulsion and Mobility at the Technical University of Munich. At the early stage of her career, she worked for the German Aerospace Center, DLR, as a research engineer and later joined the European Space Agency (ESA) where she was the Programme Advisor to the Director General at the agency’s headquarters in Paris. She was nominated as the first President of the then just founded Portuguese national space agency, Portugal Space. During her professional tenure, Chiara later headed the Policy and Programmes Coordination department at the ESA, prior to joining Neuraspace.

As Head of Aerospace at Cambridge Consultants, Stewart leads the company’s collaboration within the sector. Central to Stewart’s role is helping companies achieve complex technology breakthroughs that unlock transformative business value. This has included a world-first Push-to-Talk satellite service and an innovative beyond visual line-of-sight UAV solution using low power satellite technology.

Director and the Chief Technology Officer of Third Planet Orbital Ltd, a company providing reliable and trustworthy building blocks for space technology users, deliberaly focusing on the robustness and trustworthiness of its products.

Daniel is a senior engineer with 12 years experience on a variety of space projects, including ESA Technology Research Programmes, bespoke calibration equipment and launch of sixteen nanosatellites into Low Earth Orbit.

Dr. Tanja Masson-Zwaan is Assistant Professor and Deputy Director of the International Institute of Air and Space Law at Leiden University, and President Emerita of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL). She is a Vice President of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF).

She co-authored ‘Introduction to Space Law’ (5th ed., Kluwer 2025) and chairs the Board of Editors of Kluwer’s journal Air and Space Law. Her PhD dissertation ‘Widening the Horizons of Outer Space Law’ was published in the Meijers Series of Leiden Law School.

Tanja advises the Dutch Government and other institutions on space law issues and was co-founder of the Hague International Space Resources Governance Working Group. The Dutch Government appointed her as an arbitrator for space-related disputes at the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

Tanja teaches at universities worldwide and was appointed Adjunct Professor at Wuhan University (China) and as Global Faculty at International Space University (ISU). She serves on various organisations’ (Advisory) Boards, including Open Lunar Foundation, the Interplanetary Initiative of Arizona State University, and the Space Sustainability Rating.

She is an elected full member of professional associations such as IISL, the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and the International Law Association (ILA). She was a Member of the Founding Boards of the European Centre for Space Law (ECSL) and of Women in Aerospace-Europe, and is an Honorary Board Member of Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC).

Tanja received several awards and is a Member of Honour of the Netherlands Space Society (NVR). In 2020 she received a Royal decoration as ‘Officer in the Order of Orange Nassau’ for her work in space law.

Stephen McCall Founding Partner, Cislunar International Stephen McCall is a recognized leader in defense, aerospace, and government affairs, with over 25 years of experience. As former Head of Government Affairs at Firefly Aerospace and senior staffer in the U.S. Congress, he played a key role in shaping U.S. space and defense policy, including the creation of the U.S. Space Force. At Firefly, he led an $800M+ portfolio, securing major funding wins such as $8.2M from the Texas Space Commission and millions in congressional appropriations for programs like Tactically Responsive Space. Named a Top Lobbyist in 2023, Stephen now operates from Spain, helping bridge European innovation with U.S. defense and space markets. He is also an Off-Broadway producer, best-selling author, and proud father of two adopted sons—proving that professional success and personal purpose can go hand in hand.

Sven Meyer-Brunswick is a Principal at Alpine Space Ventures.

Prior to Alpine Space Ventures, Sven served as part of the executive team for space laser communication company Mynaric. During his more than 7-year tenure with Mynaric, he led all investor relations activities of the publicly listed company and orchestrated more than a dozen capital market transactions securing over $250 million growth capital from public and private markets, including two successful IPOs on both Nasdaq and the Frankfurt stock exchange.

Sven also shaped Mynaric’s communications strategy and led all marketing, public relations, and internal communications activities, ensuring a cohesive and compelling message for the company, introducing a new brand to the market and establishing its reputation in the industry. During Sven’s tenure, Mynaric grew from a team of 30 to more than 300 and evolved from a garage-shop prototype developer into an industry-leading scale-up with the industry’s largest customer backlog and a defensible moat for the years to come.

Before joining the space industry, Sven acquired a Master’s degree in Photonics Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark and a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Science from the Technical University of Munich. He’s also been a visiting scholar of the London School of Economics, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology and the Nanyang Technical University of Singapore and has a long history of engagement with the local startup communities.

Aerospace Engineering PhD at Politecnico di Milano.
He has been working for 30 years in the Italian national aerospace industry: since 2019 at SITAEL, a company of the Angel group, the largest Italian space industry with entirely private capital where he holds the position of Managing Director.
First in the world to experiment Graphene in zero-g in a parabolic flight in 2018, he has direcly collaborated on more than fifteen space missions, including the largest experiment on the ISS (AMS-02 in 2011), the most powerful hyperspectral instrument in Low Earth Orbit (PRISMA-in 2019) and microHETSat, the first Italian all-electric satellite in 2023. Member of SITAEL Board of Directors, he is steering company’s growth along a brilliant trajectory of “small emerging Prime”.

Miguel Ángel Molina has been working for over 37 years in the technology sector and contributed to the development of GMV since its founding.

Molina holds a degree in aeronautics engineering from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (1987) and joined GMV after completing his studies. At GMV he has held various posts: from project engineer to director of the Valladolid-based Logistic Systems Unit, director of space engineering and finally director of ground control systems, including assignments as activity manager or project manager.

From 1988 to 1996 he was based in Cannes (Aerospatiale) and Toulouse (MMS and CNES) working on several projects such as the EUTELSAT II simulator, the AOCS on-board software to develop the SPACEBUS platform and the Helios II military project.

In 1996 he returned to GMV’s head office where he took part mainly in projects for the European Space Agency (ESA), forerunner activities of the current Galileo, and Eutelsat until in 1998 when he was appointed head of the Logistics Systems unit and moved to GMV’s Valladolid headquarters.

In 2001 Miguel Ángel returned to Madrid and was appointed head of the Space Engineering Department, where he was responsible for leading a group of almost 80 engineers working to define future space missions and control the orbital position of a large part of the satellites currently in orbit.

In 2007, he became head of the Control Centers business unit, combining the operational development of ground control systems and flight dynamics systems. Following a few years of strong growth in the unit, in 2012 he became head of Space contracts, strategy, business development, as well as deputy to the EST General Manager. In 2022 he was appointed deputy general manager of GMV’s Space Systems EST (Earth Observation, Exploration, Science, Space Security, Telecommunications and Space Transportation) sector.

Dennis Moore is Chief Commercial Officer of Reflex Aerospace, a German satellite manufacturer delivering tailor-made platforms for commercial and defence customers. Dennis spearheads the company’s commercial strategy and oversees sales, marketing, and customer relationships, as well as Reflex’s upcoming plans for global expansion. He brings with him almost 20 years of sales and consultancy experience in the aerospace industry.
Dennis is passionate about co-creating the future of the NewSpace and NewDefense landscape and proud to be part of a world-class team.

Hirokazu Mori is Group Chief Strategy Officer at Warpspace and CEO at Warpspace USA. He has been working as a space business consultant for national and international governments and large companies in the space sector and has also been serving as a board member, director, and advisor for several national and international companies and associations. He graduated at the top from the University of Edinburgh, reading theoretical astrophysics. He has received funding from the Royal Society of Edinburgh to conduct research in theoretical astrophysics at the University of Cambridge (a modified theory of general relativity that can be tested with directly observed gravitational wave signals).

Jean-François Morizur is the CEO and co-founder of Cailabs, a global deeptech company. Before launching the company in 2013, he worked at the Boston Consulting Group as Senior Associate.
A graduate of the École normale supérieure in Paris, Jean-François holds two doctoral degrees in quantum optics, from Sorbonne University and the Australian National University. While working on his thesis at the Kastler Brossel Laboratory, he co-invented Multi-Plane Light Conversion (MPLC), a groundbreaking technology that underpins Cailabs’ products.
As Cailabs’ CEO, he is responsible for driving the company’s vision and strategic direction. Under his leadership, Cailabs has emerged as a leading company in its field, pushing the boundaries of what is achievable in the world of optical products with groundbreaking applications in space, defence, energy and other major industries.

A results-oriented commercialization and business/finance strategy professional with a strong footprint in the DeepTech and Space sectors. As a Commercialisation Officer at ESA, I advise European governments on policy and drive investment across the continent’s DeepTech (Space and Non-Space) ecosystem. My experience in European ecosystem directly contributed to securing over multi- million euro in funding and key contracts.

My core expertise lies in business strategy development, fundraising, DeepTech commercialization, policy development, and providing impactful mentorship to early-stage companies. I’ve mentored 20+ DeepTech startups, including those in Amazon AWS Incubators (USA) and SpaceQuest Ventures SA (Switzerland), and bring a strong understanding of investment due diligence. My international experience and multilingual skills enhance my ability to connect and guide global startups. Participation in ESA-BIC Denmark and experience at ESRIN Phi-Lab provide a solid foundation in Earth Observation business cases. I am passionate about fostering innovation and supporting the growth of impactful DeepTech ventures.

Ahsun Murad is the President and CEO of Optimal Satcom, which he co-founded as a spin-off from Lockheed Martin and Comsat in 2002. Over the last 22 years since its founding, Optimal Satcom has grown to support a large segment of the satellite industry with industry-leading enterprise-level software products and systems for resource management, service planning, optimization, and business intelligence. Over 15 satellite operators, 20 of the largest satellite service providers, and major US Government DoD, allied governments, and civilian agencies use Optimal Satcom products and systems today.

As a world expert in satellite communications technology with over 30 years of experience, Mr. Murad advises satellite companies and governments on satellite system design, application of emerging technologies, and formulating policy decisions. Before founding Optimal Satcom, Mr. Murad held management positions at Lockheed Martin and COMSAT Laboratories. In these positions, he headed the development of products for transmission planning and satellite capacity management and was the lead system architect for a number of commercial SATCOM and MILSATCOM projects.

Before joining COMSAT Laboratories, Mr. Murad worked at the NASA Center for Satellite and Hybrid Communications Networks where he was involved in research and development related to hybrid satellite-terrestrial mobile communications systems, and complex multi-satellite systems. Mr. Murad graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India, with a Bachelor of Technology degree in Electrical Engineering. He holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland at College Park.

Dr. Neta Palkovitz is Chief Legal, Policy & Sustainability Officer, General Counsel, at Dawn Aerospace.
She is a leading expert in NewSpace regulation, having authored the book: “Regulating a Revolution: Small Satellites and the Law of Outer Space”, as well as obtaining her PhD in space law from the International Institute of Air and Space Law, Leiden University.
Neta has extensive industry experience working with both traditional space stakeholders and startups, on various legal matters. At her current role at Dawn, Neta leads commercial, regulatory and policy efforts aimed to achieving safer and sustainable satellite operations. She is a member of the Technical Secretariate in the European Commission’s PEFCR for the Space Sector initiative.

As leader of the firm’s Transportation and Space Group in Washington, DC, Dara Panahy’s practice involves representation of satellite and space infrastructure operators, aerospace manufacturers, launch services providers, communications, earth observation and data services companies, banks, private equity firms, hedge funds and other investors in debt and equity offerings, project, structured and vendor financings, mergers & acquisitions, financial restructurings and in negotiating commercial contracts. He also advises on regulatory, sanctions, anti-corruption, national security and export control matters.

Mr. Panahy’s practice focuses on representing clients involved in the aerospace, communications and data service industries. He advises on numerous financings involving public offerings, high yield debt, investment grade bonds, project and vendor financings, mergers & acquisitions, financial restructuring and reorganizations and in negotiating project contracts. He also counsels clients on domestic and international regulatory and trade matters, including licensing of communications systems, economic sanctions, regulation of foreign direct investment, anti-bribery and corrupt practices, national security and export control laws and regulations and risk management.

His recent representations include:
• numerous commercial satellite and launch services procurements for clients in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia
• procurement and financing of next-generation, multi-billion dollar regional and global fixed and mobile satellite systems
• various satellite, aerospace and communications company mergers & acquisitions, strategic venture transactions and restructurings in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia
• bank and capital markets financings, and private placements, involving global, regional and national communications, broadcast, broadband, remote sensing and asset tracking companies and service providers

Mr. Panahy is a regular speaker at space and communications conferences, a visiting lecturer at the International Space University and has published articles and delivered numerous presentations on finance, commercial and regulatory aspects of the aerospace and communications industries. He has been recognized as a leading lawyer in Telecom, Broadcast and Satellite Financing in Chambers USA and The Legal 500. Mr. Panahy speaks fluent Spanish and Farsi.

Renato Panesi, an entrepreneur with a strong background in B2B marketing and sales, is co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of D-Orbit.

In 2002, after getting an MSc degree in Aerospace Engineering, he joined Finmeccanica/Leonardo, an Italian multinational aerospace and defense firm, where he worked in R&D as aerodynamics and flight control systems engineer first and as project manager later.

In 2008 Renato got a PhD, with honors, in Advanced Flight Control systems. In 2009 he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to attend a Technology Entrepreneurship program at Santa Clara University, California, with additional courses and seminars at UC Berkeley and Stanford. A year later, after successfully completing the program, Renato got an internship position at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California.

In 2011, Renato came back to Italy, where he co-founded D-Orbit. At the same time, he became marketing & sales Area Manager at Finmeccanica/Leonardo, in charge of sales activities of defense products in the Asia-Pacific region. After proudly signing various multi-million-dollar contracts, in 2015 Renato left Finmeccanica/Leonardo to start working full-time at D-Orbit as Chief Commercial Officer.

Dr.-Ing. Arianit Preci is the Head of Department for Robotics, Digitalisation and AI at the German Space Agency at DLR. The Agency coordinates German space activities at national and European levels and represents German space interests worldwide on behalf of the Federal Government. The Department for Robotics, Digitalisation and AI funds innovative technology developments in key areas in order to enable future missions. Arianits tasks include the planning and implementation of the national space programme in the field of general space technologies and small satellites.

Arianit holds a PhD in aerospace engineering from the University of Stuttgart on the topic of modelling of hypersonic flows during atmospheric entry flights. He has been with the DLR since 2013 researching supersonic and hypersonic technologies. He then moved to the space agency leading projects in robotics and electric propulsion systems.

Stephen Propst helps clients in navigating complex issues under U.S. export controls, economic sanctions and related national security regulations. He brings industry sector knowledge and a commitment to practical, business-focused solutions to his relationships with aerospace & defense, space and satellite, telecommunications, automotive, advanced computing and higher education clients.

Stephen has a wealth of experience advising clients regarding a full range of regulatory and enforcement matters under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), and the sanctions regulations administered by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). He is also advising automotive and drone industry clients extensively on the rapidly expanding Commerce Department regulations applicable to Information and Communications Technology and Services (ICTS). Since 2017, he has led Hogan Lovells’ representation of ZTE Corporation in the implementation in its landmark settlement agreements with the U.S. Government, among the largest export enforcement cases and corporate monitorships in U.S. history.

Stephen has particular strength and experience in advising telecommunications and space industry clients, including manufacturers and operators of communications satellites, remote sensing satellites, space-based logistics vehicles, ground system manufacturers, as well as launch services providers and communications equipment suppliers.

In 2014, Stephen wrote a groundbreaking legal analysis that was presented at the Brookings Institution and served as the roadmap for President Obama’s historic changes to the U.S. embargo against Cuba.

Stephen previously served as the Co-Chair of Hogan Lovells’ global matched charitable giving campaign. He also served as member of the Board of Directors of Gifts for the Homeless, a non-profit charitable organization that donates money and clothing to benefit the homeless in the Washington, D.C. area.

Practices: International Trade and Investment; Space and Satellite; Sovereigns

Education: J.D., University of Virginia School of Law, 1998; M.P.P., Duke University, 1998; B.A., Princeton University, 1992

Recognitions: Recognized by Chambers Global for Export Controls and Sanctions (2020-2025); Recognized by Chambers USA for Export Controls and Sanctions (2019-2023)

As a Principal, Maxime manages Novaspace’s Space Infrastructure Center of Excellence. With a team of 20 consultants, he oversees end-to-end customer engagement, focusing on upstream consulting and market intelligence related to industry issues such as satellite manufacturing, space transportation, and in-orbit operations. He joined Novaspace in 2012.

Chris Quilty
Co-CEO and President
Chris Quilty began making his footprint in the satellite & space sector as a trusted authority, media pundit, and twice-recognized Wall Street Journal “Best on the Street” analyst more than two decades ago while serving as a sell-side analyst for Raymond James. Chris initiated coverage on the space industry in the mid-2000s and has subsequently published hundreds of company-specific, macro, sector, and thematic research reports. Leveraging his vast space industry knowledge and a commitment to thought-leading research, Chris co-founded Quilty Space (formerly Quilty Analytics) in 2016. He is regarded as a valued source of industry insight across all verticals of the space ecosystem — from manufacturing and launch through satcom, EO, hardware, and downstream analytics. He is a frequent consultant to the full range of satellite & space investors and stakeholders, from leading prime contractors and government agencies to satellite operators and technology companies. Chris earned a B.S. in Systems Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and an MBA from The University of Chicago.

Ada is developing market opportunities for Space Situational Awareness & Space Surveillance and Tracking solutions through strategy, partnerships, and specialized content.

A PhD in mechanical engineering, Ada  specialised in shock analysis and testing of spacecrafts. Over time, interests expanded beyond engineering into business development, marketing, and sales.

Raycho Raychev, Founder & CEO of EnduroSat

‣ Founder, Space Challenges Program – Leading space educational platform for Space Science and Engineering (2010)
‣ Master of Sciences – Space Management, International Space University
‣ Innovation and Growth Program, Stanford University & Endeavor
‣ Scaling Entrepreneurial Ventures Program, Harvard University & Endeavor

Awards and recognitions

‣ MIT Tech Review Innovators under 35, Forbes 30 under 30, New Europe 100 – Google and Financial Times ranking
‣ Karman Project, Class of 2023 (organization for global leaders in space technology)
‣ Entrepreneur of the Year 2023, Forbes Innovation Awards
‣ CEO of 2024, Forbes Business Awards

Noel Rimalovski is a Managing Director at GH Partners, an independent New York-based investment banking firm. Mr. Rimalovski leads the firm’s representation of mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings, debt financings, and strategic advisory services to domestic and international clients. At GH, Mr. Rimalovski specializes in the telecom, media, technology, space and defense sectors.

Prior to joining GH, Mr. Rimalovski was with Macquarie Capital, Wasserstein Perella, and Lazard Frères.

Mr. Rimalovski graduated from Tufts College and received an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Alexis Sáinz is the global co-leader of the Hogan Lovells Space and Satellite practice and a member of the Infrastructure, Energy, Resources & Projects group. She regularly represents export credit and multilateral development agencies, satellite operators, aerospace manufacturers, launch services providers, communications companies, financial institutions, project sponsors, private equity firms, hedge funds, and other industry participants on structured, project and vendor financings, in negotiating commercial and corporate transactions, and with commercially strategic regulatory matters. She also provides industry advice in connection with debt and equity offerings, joint ventures, mergers & acquisitions, and financial restructurings.

Alexis works with investors and lenders to understand the underlying issues impacting space projects and companies, at the intersection of commercial, regulatory and financing aspects of a transaction. She works with project parties to focus on key deal points and to identify appropriate industry-based risk mitigants and efficient allocation of risk in order to build consensus and drive closure. She works with companies to build a project and financing strategy from the ground up, anticipating financing issues early in the development of a new project or the growth of a company.

Alexis co-chairs the American Bar Association’s Committee on Space Law. She co-authored the chapter on “Commercial Satellite Programs” in the Routledge Handbook of Space Law. Prior to beginning her legal career in 2007, Alexis spent over 10 years working in internet-based industries, including e-commerce and media. She previously served as a consultant for the World Bank, National Geographic, and domestic non-profit organizations in connection with internet-based technology, and she was an early member of KPMG Peat Marwick’s financial service’s e-commerce consulting practice, where she focused on emerging technologies.

Álvaro Sánchez, CEO of INTEGRASYS and Marquess of Antella, is a Software and Industrial Engineer with a master’s in business from ESIC Business School. Recognized as one of SSPI’s “20 under 35” professionals in 2022, Sánchez has led INTEGRASYS through groundbreaking innovations. His expertise spans satellite communications and network management. Under his leadership, INTEGRASYS has pioneered technologies to enhance satellite maneuverability, optimizing operational efficiency and resilience. Álvaro’s forward-thinking approach continues to drive the company’s contributions to the evolving needs of the space and defense industries.

Mike Scheimer advises clients on government contracts with a focus on emerging technologies, national security, cybersecurity, and IT procurement – core areas for companies operating in the space and satellite sector. As a former defense contractor with years of hands-on experience with national security programs, Mike leverages his extensive industry and government experience to help clients navigate complex regulatory and contracting issues.

Mike regularly advises companies in the space and satellite industry on obtaining and maintaining facility security clearances and complying with industrial security obligations under the National Industrial Security Program (NISP). He has counseled numerous aerospace and defense (A&D) clients on structuring entities to manage classified work, including negotiating Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) mitigation agreements, and frequently advises on national security issues in mergers and acquisitions.
He has deep experience advising on government contractor cybersecurity issues, including compliance with FISMA and FedRAMP cloud security requirements, data breach reporting obligations, and system accreditation processes for both classified and unclassified environments.

Before joining Hogan Lovells, Mike gained firsthand experience in the defense sector, holding national security roles at a major defense contractor and within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). As a legal analyst in the DoD Office of the General Counsel (International Affairs), he supported international armaments cooperation programs. As a national security policy analyst in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, he contributed to major defense acquisition programs involving missile systems, space and cyberspace capabilities, and missile defense. Prior to that, as an Army acquisition policy analyst he supported Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and counter-IED initiatives in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology.

Mike serves on the global Steering Committee of Hogan Lovells’ Geopolitical Risk and National Security practice, a cross-disciplinary team advising global companies on the strategic implications of shifting geopolitical landscapes and the growing use of national security measures by governments. He is also the co-host of the Hogan Lovells National Security Podcast

Mr. Schmidt is a Managing Director at KippsDeSanto & Co. and co-heads the Aerospace / Defense Group.

Prior to joining KippsDeSanto & Co., Mr. Schmidt was a Senior Vice President in Houlihan Lokey’s Washington, DC office and a member of its Aerospace·Defense·Government Services industry investment banking group, where he focused on sellside and buyside M&A advisory engagements, sourcing growth capital, and conducting strategic alternatives assessments. Prior to joining Houlihan Lokey’s ADG practice, Mr. Schmidt was a cavalry officer in the U.S. Army, serving in Europe, the Middle East, and the United States in various combat arms assignments. He also served in the Pentagon on the staff of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, working on classified intelligence assessments and transformation efforts, and he served on the U.S. Army Staff, working on equipment modernization and weapons testing.

Mr. Schmidt earned a B.S. in engineering (aeronautical) from the United States Military Academy at West Point, an M.S. in operations research from the Naval Post Graduate School, and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is registered with FINRA as a General Securities Registered Representative (Series 7, 63).

Liam is a Lead Client Success Manager at TecEx. His work has spanned the high-value technology infrastructure value chain, collaborating with hardware manufacturers, distributors, resellers, and end users on cross-border import/export deals. He is also an attorney by profession, with experience in contractual and regulatory law.

Fabien Seince is a seasoned engineer specializing in acoustics and vibrations, with extensive experience in industrial testing and measurement. He holds an engineering degree in Mechanics and Vibrations from Le Mans Université (2011-2014).
Currently, he is a key member of m+p international, focusing on acoustic control (RFAN and DFAN) and advanced vibration testing, including multi-axis testing. He actively supports customers by conducting on-site measurements, providing hands-on training, and helping them optimize their test setups.
Prior to this, he worked at CSTB and dB Vib Consulting, conducting acoustic and vibration expertise for various industrial clients. His expertise includes planning measurement campaigns, managing measurement technicians, and delivering precise analysis to enhance industrial processes.
With a strong background in mechanical engineering and a passion for innovation, Fabien Seince is dedicated to helping industries achieve excellence in acoustic and vibratory testing.

Sergius Siczek
Technical CEO & HPC specialist
Sergius Siczek is an experienced technology expert with a focus on high-performance computing (HPC), storage systems and AI infrastructures. As technical CEO, he is responsible for the development of innovative solutions for complex IT environments, with a particular focus on
– Autonomous test systems for HPC and AI clusters
– Turnkey implementation of large computing infrastructures
– Automated installation and configuration systems
– Quality assurance for high-performance computing environments
His expertise covers the entire process chain from the planning to the commissioning of high-performance data centers. As a recognized specialist in deep learning infrastructures, he works closely with technology partners such as NVIDIA and develops solutions for data-intensive applications in various industries, including space technology.

Thomas Sinn – Founder & CEO of Dcubed

Dr. Thomas Sinn is the Founder and CEO of Dcubed, a pioneering company specializing in high-performance deployable space hardware. Under his leadership, Dcubed has established itself as a key player in the New Space industry, delivering innovative solutions in release actuators, solar arrays, antennas, and in-space manufacturing (ISM).

With a background in aerospace engineering and extensive experience in space structures, Thomas has driven Dcubed’s growth from a startup into a trusted supplier for leading satellite manufacturers and space agencies worldwide. His vision for scalable, lightweight, and robust deployable technology has enabled the company to develop cutting-edge products such as the PowerCube and FURY solar arrays, as well as rollable reflectarray antennas like LARA.

Thomas is a strong advocate for European space innovation and in-space manufacturing, positioning Dcubed at the forefront of the transition from Earth-built to space-built infrastructure. His leadership continues to push the boundaries of space hardware development, ensuring that deployable structures play a critical role in the next generation of space missions.

Sita Sonty is a Partner and Managing Director in the AlixPartners AD&A Americas group. She served as a career Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. State Department, CEO of a space company, Partner at BCG, and Executive at SpaceX and Raytheon.

Prior to AlixPartners, Sita served as the CEO of Space Tango. Before that, she was the global lead for Commercial Space at BCG, where she was also a BCG Federal Core member. Earlier in her career, Sita has also held roles in Sierra Nevada Corporation, SpaceX, Raytheon, and served in senior roles at the Department of State.

She graduated with distinction from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies; studied at Jussieu in Paris (1998) and the Centre des Etudes Maghrebines en Tunisie (CEMAT) (2001); and graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College in Political Science and Economics.

Her native tongue is Telugu; she also speaks Hindi, French, Arabic, Croatian, and Urdu. Sita serves as Executive Board Member for Women in Aerospace, The Johns Hopkins University President’s Alumni Council, and the Washington Leadership Program.

Jörn Spurmann is the Chief Commercial Officer of Rocket Factory Augsburg AG and managing director of RFA Azores. As Rocket Factory’s co-founder he operationalized the company mid of 2018. Mr. Spurmann has a proven track record as head of sales, program and business unit manager in the space domain. Throughout his senior leadership roles, he has gained excellent knowledge of the institutional and commercial space business.

Úna Stanniland, has twenty-five years’ experience in the SATCOM industry managing  capabilities across Defence and Industry Space sector and is now the Managing Director of Stellar Solutions UK. Una has delivered some of the UKs SATCOM key satcom infrastructure, which has gain her knowledge of the value chain, and has built up insight into the market due to the support in due diligence activities and market analysis to support Stellar Solutions Venture Capital company, Stellar Ventures.

Wim Steenbakkers – Global Lead for the Satellite & Technology sector within ING Wholesale Banking. Global Relationship responsibility for the up to 200 clients of ING. Wim has more than 25 years global satellite finance and advisory experience ranging from corporate to structured project (export) finance and start-ups to mature corporates. Besides satellite, focus n datacenter, semiconductors, hardware, sotware , IT Services and IoT businesses. Wim holds a masters degree in (business) economics from the University of Amsterdam where he is also based.

As President of SIA, Tom is the trade association’s lead advocate for regulatory and policy issues of critical importance to SIA’s membership, including spectrum and licensing issues, defense and public safety matters, and export control and international trade issues. He also manages the day-to-day operations of SIA, including member communications, staff leadership and organization of SIA sponsored events. Tom became the president of SIA in December of 2014.

Prior to joining SIA, Tom was with Shared Spectrum Company (SSC), a leading developer of spectrum intelligence technologies, where he served as CEO. For more than a decade, he served as the President of the Personal Communications Industry Association (PCIA). Previous to his position at SSC, he founded and ran several companies in the technology industry, including Columbia Spectrum Management, P-Com Network Services, CSM Wireless, and SquareLoop.

Dr. Sethu Saveda Suvanam is the founder and CEO of ReOrbit, a Finland-based company with the mission of designing the next generation of small satellites for secure communications. Educated in India and Sweden, Sethu Saveda Suvanam is an aerospace engineer. He holds a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden.

In November 2019, he founded ReOrbit with the aim of changing the way satellites are designed and used. ReOrbit develops satellites that are reconfigurable, scalable for different missions, and equipped with autonomous orbital capabilities, to enable space applications where efficiency, sustainability and security are critical.

Drew is a partner in the Washington, DC office of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton and a go-to advisor for technology, telecommunications, aerospace, defense and infrastructure companies navigating today’s complex regulatory landscape. With a focus on fostering innovation and growth while ensuring compliance with regulators at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), Drew provides strategic counsel to clients at the forefront of technological advancement, strategic investment and national security.

In particular, Drew specializes in representing space and satellite companies, mobile network operators and cutting-edge technology providers before the FCC, the “Team Telecom” Executive Branch agencies, and CFIUS. His expertise includes FCC compliance, spectrum licensing, and navigating regulatory challenges in telecommunications and satellite communications. Drew’s strategic and practical approach ensures clients stay ahead in dynamic industries defined by rapid innovation and evolving regulatory frameworks.

Since 2023 Head of Sales for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Tesat-Spacecom in Backnang, Germany.
Responsible for sales and key-account management for the complete product portfolio including RF, Laser, Digital and Payload products.

2006 – 2023 Project and Program manager for various equipment, payload and development programs at TESAT.

PhD and Diploma in Physics from Karlruhe Institute of Technology, Germany.

Miguel is the Managing Director and Founder of Space Strategies LLC, a 24-year-old consulting firm specializing in the space and satellite technology sector. He spearheads the development and refinement of strategic initiatives and leads the practice of strategic planning and structuring for space and satellite businesses, driving growth within the emerging new space economy. Miguel has served as a Board Member for publicly traded space companies and currently advises a diverse portfolio of companies—both small and large—on their strategic pursuits in the space industry. Additionally, he mentors organizations across the United States, Europe, and Asia. An avid endurance runner, Miguel brings the same passion and perseverance to both his professional and personal pursuits.

Simon leads EnduroSat’s Space Service division, dedicated to enabling affordable access to space infrastructure for low Earth orbit. Previously, he spent six years at Spire Global, serving as General Manager of Spire Maritime and VP of Business Development at Spire Space Service. Since 2000, Simon has been instrumental in establishing global commercial organizations in the space industry. His journey began at SES in Luxembourg and Spain, and he later contributed his expertise to General Electric and Honeywell Global Tracking, facilitating the adoption of innovative satellite-enabled services across industries.

Mr. Kris Vanderhauwaert graduated in 2000 at the Ghent University as Master in Political sciences, specialization Public Management. He owns a post-graduate in Communication (Ghent University) and started his professional career at the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO). In 2004, he became counsellor of several Ministers of Science Policy where he was responsible for providing policy advice for space, aeronautics and defence related matters. He held this position for more than seven years. In 2011, he joined the European Commission as Belgian national expert where he was involved in the execution of the European GNSS programmes Galileo and EGNOS. In 2012, Kris became assistant-director at the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, an international research institute located in Belgium. In 2019 he joined the Flemish Space Industry Association (VRI) and acts as Managing Director and Manager of the Flanders Space cluster organisation, an initiative supported by the Flemish regional authority to shape the space economy in Flanders. In parallel, he works as a consultant for SME4SPACE, the European association of SMEs involved in space activities.

Andrea Vena brings over 30 years of expertise in the space sector, spanning both industry and institutional roles. With a degree in Electronic Engineering and a Master in Telecommunication Systems, he began his career at Alenia Spazio, now Leonardo.
Since joining ESA in 2000, Andrea has held strategic leadership roles, including Head of the Corporate Strategic Planning Office (2006) and Head of the Corporate Development Office (2016), where he drove the organization’s strategic evolution.
Under his leadership, ESA launched transformative initiatives in strategic planning, corporate risk management and knowledge management, that set industry benchmarks.
Appointed Chief Climate and Sustainability Officer in 2021, Andrea leads ESA’s Green Agenda, aligning the agency’s activities with the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal, fostering sustainability practices across the space sector.
Passionate about innovation, Andrea champions the role of space technologies in addressing global climate challenges and the value of space exploration for the future of humankind on Earth. An advocate of international collaboration, Andrea works across borders to promote sustainability through the promotion of the Statement for a Responsible Space Sector.

Marco Villa has 25+ years of exceptional performance as system engineer, manager, director and executive. He established SpaceX’s mission operations team and enabled Dragon’s missions to the International Space Station. While at Tyvak and Terran Orbital, Marco covered multiple executive roles fostering the company’s growth in the US and European markets. Marco has firsthand knowledge of the transition of space activities to the private sector, and is a skilled developer of medium and long-term vision for aerospace organizations, with direct involvement toward tactical objectives and strategy definitions. An investor himself, he is known for his entrepreneurial attitude and understanding on how to generate value through appropriate evolution of an organization’s leadership, services and partnerships through its life cycle.

Brian Weimer leads the Space & Satellite practice at Sheppard Mullin. He is based in Washington, DC. Mr. Weimer is a leading space lawyer and expert on FCC, CFIUS, and satellite issues.

Thomas is a space-tech entrepreneur committed to advancing high-agility spacecraft motion control solutions. As the CEO and co-founder of Tensor Tech, he leads system engineering and magnetic field design, driving innovation in Control Moment Gyroscopes (CMGs) and Spherical Motor Technologies.

Before founding Tensor Tech, Thomas spent years researching CMGs based on Spherical Motors, focusing on enhancing the satellite’s productivity by overcoming the limitations of low speed and acceleration in traditional attitude control systems. With Thomas and his team, Tensor Tech is pioneering new technologies that unlock greater economic values for satellites, empowering the space community to grow and mankind’s capability in utilizing space infrastructures.