WOMEN LEADERSHIP IN ASD:: 16 JUIN : JUNE 16

Patricia was born in a rural village in Ghana with no basic infrastructure. She was raised by her grandmother and had a challenging early life. After secondary school, she sold firewood until she discovered aviation. She started as an unpaid worker at an airstrip, later earning an apprenticeship in Aviation and Technology. Through determination, she became Ghana’s first civilian female pilot and achieved multiple aviation milestones. She became the UK’s first Black female aircraft inspector for two major aviation bodies. Patricia has led multiple youth and women’s aviation projects. She founded Fafali Aircraft Ltd and a STEAM-focused nonprofit. She has received numerous awards, including an OBE. Her inspiring story is featured in books, with her autobiography set for release in 2025.

Yuriko Nadia Backes, née en 1970 à Kobe, au Japon, de parents luxembourgeois, a étudié à Londres avant de débuter une carrière diplomatique en 1994. Elle a occupé divers postes, notamment auprès des Nations unies, de l'Union européenne et au Japon. En 2020, elle devient la première femme maréchale de la Cour du grand-duc Henri. En 2021, elle est nommée ministre des Finances du Luxembourg, où elle gère la crise inflationniste liée à la guerre en Ukraine. Elle promeut aussi les relations économiques avec l'Asie et soutient des réformes économiques et numériques au Luxembourg.

Kajsa Ollongren is a politician who served in the Netherlands as Minister of Defence (2022–24) and Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (2017–22) in two consecutive Rutte cabinets, also holding the role of Deputy Prime Minister (2017–22). Previously, she was an alderwoman and deputy Mayor of Amsterdam. Having entered the Dutch civil service in 1991, she served as the deputy secretary-general (2007-11) and secretary-general (2011-14) within the Prime Minister’s office. Ollongren, who is a dual Dutch and Swedish national, studied history at the University of Amsterdam and Public Administration at the École Nationale d'Administration in Paris.

Mme Stacy A. Cummings a été nommée directrice générale de l'Agence OTAN de soutien et d'acquisition (NSPA) en 2021. Auparavant, Mme Cummings a occupé des postes de direction au sein du gouvernement fédéral américain, notamment celui de sous-secrétaire adjointe principale à la Défense pour les acquisitions et de sous-secrétaire à la Défense par intérim pour les acquisitions et le maintien, ainsi que des postes de direction au ministère des Transports. Mme Cummings a débuté sa carrière au ministère de la Marine et a reçu plusieurs distinctions prestigieuses pour sa contribution à la défense et au service public.

Véronique Christory is the Senior Arms Adviser for the International Committee of the Red Cross to the United Nations. Since 1997, she develops and promotes laws regulating the use of weapons and new technologies, e.g. autonomous weapons systems. She negotiated the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Véronique holds a master’s in international relations and Russian (INALCO) in Paris. She serves as an Ambassador on the Advisory Council of the Albright Institute. She has served as an inspiration for a theater play A Family Business by Christ Thorpe and received the 2024 NAPF Women Waging Peace Award. She is the proud mother of four children.

Amelie Schoenenwald is a member of ESA’s astronaut reserve, selected in 2022 from over 23,000 applicants across Europe. In 2024, she began astronaut reserve training at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre. With degrees in biotechnology, biochemistry, and a PhD in structural biology, she has conducted research across Europe, Asia, and the U.S. Amelie also holds an MBA and completed the MIT Bootcamp in leadership and innovation. She works in corporate strategy at a pharmaceutical company in Munich and is actively involved in STE(A)M outreach. A certified project manager and expedition enthusiast, she enjoys diving, mountaineering, and motorcycling.

Charles Beigbeder, né le 20 avril 1964 à Neuilly-sur-Seine, est un entrepreneur, investisseur et homme politique français. Diplôme de Centrale Paris en 1985, il commence sa carrière chez Matra Marconi Space, avant de rejoindre le monde de la finance, occupant successivement plusieurs postes chez Paribas Affaires industrielles, Crédit Suisse First Boston et MC-BBL Securities. En 1997, il fonde Selftrade, un site de courtage en ligne. En 2000, il cède l'entreprise à DAB Bank et la quitte en 2002.En juin 2002, avec la fin du monopole d'EDF en France, il lance l'opérateur d'électricité Poweo. Il cède par la suite les actions de cette entreprise à Verbund en 2004. En 2018, il fonde le fonds Quantonation spécialisée dans les technologies quantiques. Il a récemment été à l’initiative de la création d’Expansion, un fonds privé français de capital-risque, dédié au New Space européen.

Patrice Cros began his career at the Conseil des Ministres de l’Union européenne (section “Transport aérien”) and researched for a survey initiated by SNECMA (formerly SAFRAN) on aircraft noise reduction. As Conference Director at daily economic and financial daily Les Echos (Financial Times Group), he operated various marketplace conferences on media, telecoms and defense and a landmark one on Euro currency with President and Prime Minister of the French Republic. He then served as a Partner at Benchmark Group before taking on the role in 2022 of Group Managing Director at Air & Cosmos Groupe. For now over 22 years, Patrice Cros has been a Board Member of Premier Cercle, a Brussels-based think tank focused on aerospace, defense and IP issues.