Director of Connectivity and Secure Communications

Laurent Jaffart is expected to join ESA in the first semester of 2024 from Airbus, where he is currently Vice President and Head of Strategy, Corporate and New Business Development for Space Systems. He leads transnational teams across France, Germany and the UK, bringing new solutions and innovation to the market. He holds a Master’s degree in National Resources Strategy from the National Defense University in Washington DC, a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the former ESC Reims (Reims Management School – France) and another one from Dublin City University, and a degree in European Business and Technology from the University of Brighton in the UK.

Director of Internal Services

Marco Ferrazzani is currently Senior Legal Counsel at ESA, a post he has held since 2021. He is due to take up his new position on 1 April 2024, having held various posts within ESA since joining the agency in 1988. Dr Ferrazzani has a PhD in law from the University of Naples and has completed periods of postdoctoral studies at Georgetown University and Harvard Law School. Between 2005 and 2006, he undertook further studies at the Institut des Hautes Études de la Défense Nationale IHEDN, École militaire, Paris. He is the author of numerous publications, and has lectured at various conferences and universities on the laws of outer space.

Laurent Jaffart will replace Francisco Javier Benedicto Ruiz, who is currently the acting Director of Connectivity and Secure Communications, and Marco Ferrazzani will replace Jean Max Puech, who is retiring from his position.

The ESA Council has also approved the renewal of Mr Josef Aschbacher’s mandate as Director General of ESA for a further period of four years as from 1 March 2025. Josef Aschbacher was appointed by Council, on 17 December 2020, as Director General for an initial period of four years that started on 1 March 2021. With this extension of his mandate, the Council renews its trust in Josef Aschbacher’s capacity to lead ESA to face current challenges for Europe in space, as well as to accompany the ESA transformation to reinforce its ability to tackle those challenges.