Maurice Borgeaud

Head of Science, Applications, and Climate Activities in the Earth Observation (EO) Directorate of the European Space Agency (ESA)

Dr. Maurice Borgeaud is Head of Science, Applications, and Climate Activities in the Earth Observation (EO) Directorate of the European Space Agency (ESA). He interacts with the scientific community, ESA Member States and industry in order to propose ground-breaking EO science satellite missions as well as new domains for the development of innovative applications using EO data. He also plays a key role in defining the long-term EO data exploitation strategy addressing the full spectrum of EO user communities. He manages the ESA office for climate change including the development of essential climate variables, promotes the use of EO data to monitor the UN SDG’s, and represents ESA on the Board of the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters.

Mr. Borgeaud graduated with a Degree in Engineering from EPFL, Lausanne and holds a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and Associate Editor for the “IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing”.

Dr. Karen M. St. Germain

Earth Science Division Director, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters

Dr. St. Germain is the Division Director of the Earth Science Division, in the Science Mission Directorate at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters. She provides executive leadership, strategic direction, and overall management for the entire agency’s Earth Science portfolio, from technology development, applied science, research, mission implementation and operation.

Prior to coming to NASA, Dr. St. Germain was the Deputy Assistant Administrator, Systems (DAAS), for NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service. She guided the ongoing development and deployment of NOAA’s two major satellite programs (the Joint Polar Satellite System and Geostationary Operational Environment Satellite – R series), the COSMIC-2 mission, and the Space Weather Follow-On. She also led the development of the next-generation capabilities that will replenish and augment these systems in the future.

Dr. Jian Zhao

Director, Earth Observation System and Data Center, China National Space Administration (CNSA)

Dr. Jian Zhao is the Director of Earth Observation System and Data Center of China National Space Administration, the Chief Designer and Deputy General Director of the China High-resolution Earth Observation System Project, and the Working Group Leader of the BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation in 2022.

He has long been engaged in space development strategy and technology research, engineering construction, organization and management of major space special projects, international space exchange and promotion, etc. He has forward-looking strategic research and global vision, rich management ability, and implementation experience of major national special projects, and has contributed significantly to the rapid development of space. He is an outstanding leader across industries, fields, and systems.

As a leading technology leader in China, he will continue to be committed to promoting the construction of earth observation systems and efficient application of data, serving economic and social development, and leading China's space to help achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

Rebecca Moore

Director of Engineering, Google Earth, Earth Engine, Earth Outreach

Rebecca Moore initiated and leads the development of Google Earth Engine, a new technology platform that puts an unprecedented amount of satellite imagery online for the first time and enables scientists to conduct global-scale monitoring and measurement of changes in the earth’s environment. She also conceived and leads the Google Earth Outreach program, which supports non-profits, communities and indigenous peoples around the world in applying Google's mapping tools to the world's pressing problems in areas such as environmental conservation, human rights and cultural preservation. Her personal work using Google Earth was instrumental in stopping the logging of more than a thousand acres of redwoods in her Santa Cruz Mountain community. In 2013, she was recognized by the White House as a Champion of Change for Open Science.