Katherine Courtney

Katherine is the Chair of the Global Network for Sustainability in Space and former CEO of the UK Space Agency with over 20 years’ experience in innovation, critical national infrastructure and economic growth. During her tenure, she opened the UK market to commercial satellite launch, led €1.4bn investment in collaborative European space missions, and supported Major Tim Peake's highly successful Principia Mission to the International Space Station - inspiring a future generation of scientists and engineers. Katherine’s early career was spent developing new products and services in the global telecoms industry as a senior executive with both major multinationals and a series of start-up companies. She moved to the public sector in 2003 to lead the UK government’s National Identity Scheme Programme and then went on to lead a number of other flagship programmes including the development of Universal Credit, Growth Vouchers, Business Growth Service and UK Small Business Commissioner - steering four cross-cutting pieces of legislation through Parliament. The theme running throughout her career has been creating growth and efficiencies through technological innovation. She holds a Master of Business Administration from London Business School.