European Space Agency (ESA)
Simonetta.Cheli@esa.int
ESA Headquarters
EDUCATION AND TRAINING:
1977-1982: High School “Dante Alighieri” (Florence, Italy)
1982-1983: Undergraduate student at Yale University (CT,USA). Studies in Law and Economics
1983-1987: Political Sciences Degree with focus on International Law – University “Cesare Alfieri” (Florence, Italy); Thesis on International Law “Principles of International Law in the field of Direct Broadcasting Satellites” Vote 110 cum laude
Oct-Dec 1985: Research at United nations (New York) and COMSAT (Washington, U.S.A)
April 1987: Course on Management and marketing at Procter and Gamble (Rome, Italy)
August 1988: CEC/Japan Study Programme for CEC trainees. Drafting of a report on high definition television (HDTV) in Europe and Japan
April 1991: Course on effective presentation techniques in English by Phoenix Training Limited
1994-1996: Diploma of advanced Studies (DEA) – Centre d’Études Diplomatiques et Stratégiques (Paris, France) ; Thesis on Information Society and the role of Europe
Oct. 1996: Course on leaders in the information Age: roles and responsibilities; Aspen Institute (Italy)
June 2002: Selection, Interview Training – ESA
Apr-June 2002: ESA management Development Programme – Oxford Limited (Brussels, Belgium)
Oct 2005: ESA Leadership I Course
April 2006: ESA Leadership II Course – Powerful Self Awareness and Communication
May 2007: Women Leadership Course – ESA
WORK EXPERIENCE:
June 2015 – Present
European Space Agency (ESA)
Headquarters
8-10, rue Mario Nikis – 75015 Paris, FRANCE
March 2007 – June 2015
Head of Coordination Office, Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes
ESA ESRIN (Frascati, Rome)
June 1999 – March 2007
Head of the Public and Institutional Relations Office
ESA ESRIN (Frascati, Rome)
Oct. 1988 – Oct. 1997
Responsible for International Relations
Director General’s Cabinet – International Relations
ESA Headquarters (Paris, France)
Jan. 1988 – Sept. 1988
Research Contract with CNR
Research for a comparative study on the Italian Administration and the administrative system of the European Union
Sept. 1987 – Jan. 1988
Commission of the European Communities – Brussels
Remunerated stage at the Commission of European Communities,
Cabinet of Commissioner Ripa di Meana and General Directorate
(Culture, Information, Communication) (Brussels, Belgium)
LIST OF AWARDS:
2014 Special team recognition award on Sentinel-1 satellite
2013-2012 Certificate of Appreciation by ESA for Contribution to SMOS Satellite
2013-2012 Special Prize for professional contribution to Master Satellite Programme – University of Rome
2012 ESA Team achievement award – ERS-2 16 Years of Operations
2112 ESA Award for Corporate Team Achievement – Envisat Operations and Exploitation Phase
2011 Special team recognition by ESA on the occasion of the launch CRYOSAT satellite
2010 Special team recognition by ESA on the occasion of the launch GOCE satellite
2009 ESA Award for Teamwork on the International Charter ‘Space and Major Disasters’
2006 ESA Team achievement award for professional dedications to the successful ENEIDE Mission
2005 ESA Award for Outstanding performance, for significant contribution at ESA
2005-2004 Selected in the finals of the ROSA Prize. “Special prize for women in difficult careers” in Rome, Italy
2004 World Water Day decennial (1994-2004) award by Provincia of Bari, Italy
2003-2001 Certificate of appreciation for the creation of the new quality management systems of the Earth Observation Application Department of ESA (ISO 9001)
2001 Special team recognition by ESA on the occasion of the launch ENVISAT satellite
1995 Special team recognition by ESA on the occasion of the launch ERS-2 satellite
1991 Special team recognition by ESA on the occasion of the launch ERS-1 satellite