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Aarti Holla-Maini is a British-Belgian satellite industry expert of Indian origin who was appointed Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) on 26 June 2023.
Wiki/Biography
Aarti Holla-Maini hails from the United Kingdom. She pursued a course in Anglo-German Law at King’s College London (1988-1992). She obtained a Diploma in German Law from the University of Passau in Passau, Germany (1990-1991). Later, she attended The University of Law in Moorgate, England, where she pursued a Legal Practice Course (1992-1993). She pursued an MBA Exchange Program at NYU Stern School of Business in New York, US from 1995 to 1996. She obtained an MBA from HEC Paris in Jouy-en-Josas, France. In 2021, she did an Executive Space Course at International Space University Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France. Later, she started living in Brussels with her husband and children.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 5″
Hair Colour: Brown
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Aarti Maini belongs to a Punjabi family.
Parents & Siblings
Her father, Kunj Lal Maini, was a retired pharmacist; he died in 2022. Her mother’s name is Shobha Maini. She has three brothers Naveen Maini, Bhooshan Maini, and Bharat Maini.Â
Aarti Holla-Maini’s parents
Aarti Holla-Maini’s brother Naveen Maini with his wife, Punam Maini
Husband & Children
Aarti Holla-Maini is married to a Rogier Holla, who is Dutch. He works at the European Commission in Brussels. Together, they have three sons, Sameer Holla, Siddhartha Holla, and Satyam Holla.
Aarti Holla-Maini with her husband, Rogier Holla
Aarti Holla-Maini with her husband and children
Career
In September 1993, she joined Pritchard Englefield law firm as a trainee solicitor; she worked there till 1995. She qualified as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court in the UK in 1995. In January 1997, she started working at Daimler-Benz Aerospace/EADS (now Airbus) in Germany. In 2000, she moved to Munich, Brussels representing Airbus’ interests in the European satellite navigation program: Galileo. In May 2004, she resigned from Airbus as a Business Development Manager. In September 2004, she joined EMEA Satellite Operators Association (ESOA), which was rebranded as Global Satellite Operators’ Association (GSOA) in 2021, and retired as its Secretary General in January 2023. At GSOA, Aarti led its expansion from a European association to one that represents the interests of 22 global and regional satellite operators.
From left to right, GSOA’s Secretary-General, Aarti Holla-Maini; Rwanda’s Minister of ICT, Paula Ingabire; and RSA’s Director-General, Colonel Francis Ngabo
In September 2004, she became the Founder President of Orbitz Consulting in Brussels. Orbitz Consulting provides consulting services for clients involved in or with the space and satellite industry. In April 2023, she became the Executive Vice President Sustainability, Policy & Impact at NorthStar Earth & Space in Brussels. Aarti has a wealth of experience in various space-related roles. She has served as a member of the WEF Global 5G Coalition Network, WEF Essential Digital Infrastructure & Services Network, and WEF’s Global Future Council on Space. She has also been a member of the Advisory Group of the Space Sustainability Rating, which is managed by eSpace at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Space Center. Additionally, she has been part of the Advisory Board of the Satellite Industry Association of India. She has worked as a Senior Space Policy Advisor to Forum Europe and served as an Expert Advisor on Space Traffic Management for European Union studies from 2021 to 2023. She played a significant role in the development of the Crisis Connectivity Charter in 2015. This charter focused on emergency telecommunications via satellite with the World Food Programme’s Emergency Telecommunications Cluster.
Aarti Holla-Maini as a moderator Ministerial Alliance for Digital Nations 2023
On 26 June 2023, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointment of Aarti Holla-Maini of the United Kingdom as Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), based in Vienna. UNOOSA is an office of the U.N. Secretariat that works to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of space and in the utilization of space science and technology for sustainable economic and social development.
Facts/Trivia
- A polyglot, she is fluent in English, French, German, and Punjabi. She also has a moderate knowledge of Dutch.
- She was named one of the Faces of Satellite of 2014 by the Society of Satellite Professionals International.
- She holds British and Belgian nationalities.