- March 8, 2024
- Posted by: EARSC
- Categories: EARSC News, Uncategorised
As we celebrate Women’s Day, we’re thrilled to announce our latest campaign! We’ve reached out to two distinguished EARSC Directors, Betty Charalampopoulou, (CEO of GEOSYSTEMS HELLAS) and Monika Krzyżanowska (Director Of Business Development at CLOUDFERRO) inviting them to share their insights and experiences. We feature here their responses to three questions about their careers and mentors. Join us in celebrating the contributions of women in our industry and gaining valuable insights from their diverse experiences. Share our X and LinkedIn posts and comment with your responses!
What would have helped you during your early career in the industry?
Betty: I would have appreciated more opportunities to work in the EO industry in my country. I’ve never left Greece for a job opportunity, so I consider myself lucky to have started working with Cadaster Imagery Coverage interpretation, which was an innovative field at that time.
Monika: Coming from Poland, I initially didn’t realize that there was a whole industry centered around space. As a student of Physics specializing in Geophysics at Warsaw University, I viewed space as purely a scientific field led by space agencies and universities. In the context of Poland, my perception was correct as our space industry only began to develop around 2010. However, I now realize that a better understanding of the market and its possibilities could have been beneficial.
Who is a woman in the EO industry that inspires you, and what qualities about her do you find particularly inspiring?
Betty: Catherine Kavvada is a Greek woman who has been working in the field of space for over 25 years. She has faced similar difficult situations as I have, as the space industry is generally male-dominated. However, she managed to enter this field smoothly and has achieved a high position. I admire her for being calm even when her job is extremely demanding and she has many responsibilities, especially when the workload is particularly heavy.
Monika: Dr Ursula Benz, founder and COO of successful companies Cloude and Urbetho. I have always admired her achievements, focus, and perseverance. Additionally, she is a wonderful person to talk to, with a great sense of humor.
She led a specialist group on automated SAR signal processing at the German Aerospace Centre, contributing to many patents. As managing director of Definiens Imaging, she promoted object-based data analysis, which is now the basis of major remote sensing software products. Her experience in management, marketing, and business development includes supporting service providers for efficient introduction and marketing of geoservices.
What brought you into the Earth Observation industry?
Betty: I began my journey during my university studies, my passion for Earth Observation started particularly in the final year. I then continued with high-level seminars that led me to a position in the first pilot cadaster phase. Very soon after that, I secured a position at the Cadaster Imagery Coverage Interpretation, where I have been working for the past 25 years with GeoAI.
Monika: When I was 16 I watched documentaries about Haroun Tazieff and became fascinated with volcanoes and seismology. Consequently I graduated in geophysics at Warsaw University and started to work on earthquakes. So the transit to space and the Earth Observation domain was natural. It happened when Poland joined ESA ad Europe was launching the Copernicus constellation.
Comment our posts and share your stories and mentors!
