\tAgency<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t01\/04\/2026
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G\u00e9raldine Naja took up duty as Director of Space Transportation (D\/STS) at the European Space Agency on 1 April 2026. She will continue to serve as head of her former directorate, now called the Commercialisation and Industry Partnership directorate (D\/CIP), as acting director.<\/p>\n
On taking up her new role, she stated: \u201cAs I step into this position, I intend to build on the solid foundations already in place, while strengthening Europe\u2019s competitive edge in access to space and shaping its future transportation landscape.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prior to stepping into her new role, G\u00e9raldine Naja led the Directorate of Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness (D\/CIC), now evolved into the Directorate of Commercialisation and Industry Partnership (D\/CIP). In that capacity, she advanced commercialisation and competitiveness as a strategic priority for ESA, developing new approaches and instruments to strengthen the European space sector and foster a more dynamic, market-oriented ecosystem.<\/p>\n
A French national, Ms Naja is a graduate of \u00c9cole Polytechnique and \u00c9cole Nationale Sup\u00e9rieure de Techniques Avanc\u00e9es (ENSTA), and holds a Master\u2019s degree in political science from the Institut d\u2019Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po).<\/p>\n
She joined ESA in 1987 as a Payload Operations Engineer in the Space Station Directorate. Over the course of her career, she has held a number of senior strategic and programmatic positions across the agency, including Head of Long-term Space Policy Office, Head of Strategic and Institutional Matters in the Director General\u2019s Cabinet, Head of EU Relations Office, Senior Advisor to the Director of Launchers, and Head of the Industrial Policy and Audit Department.<\/p>\n
\tA distinguished career: Toni Tolker-Nielsen<\/p>\n