An American-born man with an impressive resume in telecommunications and research institutions is ``thrilled'' to be joining the Alexandra-based Centre for Space Science Technology (CSST) as its chief executive.
Steve Cotter will return to New Zealand to fill the position after serving as chief executive of Netherlands-based research and education network Geant, which has nearly 50million users.
Before working for Geant, Mr Cotter was chief executive for four years of the Kiwi Advanced Research and Education Network, an education network serving universities and Crown Research Institutes, based in Wellington.
He has also worked for Google, ESnet and the United States Department of Energy's Energy Sciences Network.
Mr Cotter has been a helicopter pilot in the United States Marine Corps, an engineer and held positions of senior management at telecommunications companies. He has managed both small and large science-based and shared research institutions.
In a statement Mr Cotter said he was ``thrilled to be back in New Zealand, partnering with Government, industry and the public, driving sound science innovation that will empower decision-makers to make informed decisions''.
``The New Zealand economy is heavily influenced by climate, weather, and natural hazards and CSST will pioneer the use of space-borne measurements to enhance our economic security and improve environmental stewardship, delivering tangible benefits to society.''
Mr Cotter is expected to move to Alexandra in early August, when additional staff will be employed and research programmes will launch.
CSST Board Chairman Stephen Davies Howard said it was ``delighted'' to have found a chief executive with the skills, experience and global network Mr Cotter would bring to the organisation.
The centre's main office in Alexandra opened yesterday, and operations were expected to ramp up in the coming months. It will eventually have offices in New Plymouth, Lincoln and Dunedin.
The $14.7million of government funding for the project was announced in November.
CSST will become New Zealand's space data hub. It will enable access to new and existing satellite measurements, and will develop products and solutions tailored to New Zealand's regional industries. As part of this it plans to launch small low-cost satellites known as CubeSats.
