Dr David Williams, former Chief Executive of the United Kingdom Space Agency and Chairman of the European Space Agency, has been appointed as CSIRO Group Executive, Information Sciences.

 

Information Sciences is one of five groups in CSIRO, and brings together research in astronomical and space sciences, digital productivity and services, information and communication technologies and mathematical and statistical sciences.  The group has about 1200 staff and a budget of more than A$120 million. Dr Williams will be a member of the CSIRO Executive Team and will be based in Sydney.

 

As Chief Executive of the United Kingdom Space Agency and Chairman of the European Space Agency, Dr Williams has led space strategy  within the UK and internationally, including bilateral and cooperation agreements with India, China, Russia and the US. The UK Space Agency funds UK involvement in civil space programs, from the science of the Universe to broadcast satellite developments.

 

Dr Williams’ role has included the introduction of a strategy setting out the long term role for UK space research, the relocation of the agency out of London, and the establishment of complementary European Space Agency and national facilities at Harwell, England.

 

Dr Williams holds a Bachelor of Science and a PhD from the University of Reading. He has worked at the University of Reading, the Natural Environment Research Council, the British National Space Centre and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT).