NEW DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR BRITISH NATIONAL SPACE CENTRE

2 Feb 2006 11:45 AM

BRITISH NATIONAL SPACE CENTRE (BNSC) PRESS RELEASE

Lord Sainsbury, Minister for Science and Innovation, announced today that Dr David Williams had been appointed to be the next Director General of the British National Space Centre (BNSC).

David Williams has been Head of Strategy and International Relations with EUMETSAT since 1996. His previous experience includes working in the UK with BNSC and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

Welcoming the appointment, Lord Sainsbury said: "I am delighted we have managed to attract David Williams back to the UK to take up this important post. He brings us extensive experience of how space is used internationally for 'down-to-earth' benefit."

David Williams is the first Director General to be recruited by open competition since BNSC was created in 1985.

He will be responsible to the UK Space Board, chaired by Professor Keith Mason, Chief Executive of the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC). The UK Space Board is responsible for the overall direction and performance of the BNSC partnership.

The UK Space Board was set up in April 2005 as part of a reorganisation of the BNSC partnership. One of its first decisions was to break with tradition by appointing the new BNSC Director General by open international competition. Prof. Mason said:" It is vital that we recruit the very best person for this role, someone who embodies the breadth of international experience that will be necessary to maximise the assets of the BNSC partnership for the benefit of UK. In appointing David Williams to this post we have achieved that objective. I look forward to working with David in what is an extremely exciting and challenging time".

Accepting the appointment, David Williams said: "I believe that this is a time of opportunity for the UK space community. International space investments made over many years are now driving innovation and bearing fruit in changing people's lives. Satellite navigation is just one example, but even here we are only at the start of what will be an ongoing revolution."

David Williams will take up post on 1 May 2006. The appointment will be for a four-year term. He succeeds Dr Colin Hicks who retires at the end of April after serving as BNSC Director General since October 1999.

Notes to editors
1. BNSC
BNSC is the UK Government body responsible for UK civil space policy, to help gain the best possible scientific, economic and social benefits from putting space to work. BNSC is a partnership of 11 Government Departments and Research Councils with an interest in the development or use of civil space technology. These are:

CCLRC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Department for Education and Skills
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Department for Transport
Department of Trade and Industry
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Met Office
Ministry of Defence
Natural Environment Research Council
Office of Science and Technology
Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council

2. EUMETSAT
The European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, is an intergovernmental organisation that establishes and maintains operational meteorological satellites for 19 European States (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the UK). EUMETSAT has signed 11 Cooperating State Agreements. Those with Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and the Czech Republic have entered into force whereas the Agreements with Serbia and Montenegro and Iceland are to be ratified in the near future.

EUMETSAT currently operates Meteosat-6, -7 and -8 over Europe and Africa, and Meteosat-5 over the Indian Ocean. Meteosat-9 has just been launched and will enter service in the summer of 2006 when commissioning is complete. Meteosat -7 will then be moved to the Indian ocean slot

Data, products and services from EUMETSAT's satellites make a significant contribution to weather forecasting and to the monitoring of the global climate and environment.

www.eumetsat.int

3. Brief Career Details
David Williams has been Head of Strategy and International Relations at EUMETSAT since 1996.

From 1989 until 1996 he was responsible for the UK Earth Observation programme in BNSC. As Head of the UK delegation for Earth Observation at the European Space Agency and with the European Commission, he was involved in decision-making for ERS, Envisat and the MSG programmes. He was also involved in the development of the EC participation in space as well as the EC EU Research Programme.

Prior to BNSC he worked for the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) from 1982-1989. He also worked for four years in industry on a wide range of European, African and Asian environmental projects, and was a lecturer for a short time at the University of Reading.

He was awarded his Doctorate from the University of Reading in 1978.

4. Contact
British National Space Centre
www.bnsc.gov.uk