As WGIC enters the fourth year, it welcomes new Members, Executive Board, Office Bearers, and Committee Chairs

The recently held Annual and Executive Board Meetings came out with announcements on new Members, the incoming Executive Board, and newly elected Office Bearers and Committee Chairs

Amersfoort, The Netherlands, May 27, 2021 – The World Geospatial Industry Council (WGIC) is pleased to inform the geospatial Community and its Partners of the following key outcomes from the 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on May 18 and the Council’s Executive Board Meeting (EBM) on May 19. In August 2021, WGIC will enter its fourth year after industry leaders from across the world came together to announce the formation of WGIC on August 1, 2018, at the 8th session of the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management (UNGGIM).

WGIC welcomes five new Members

During the AGM, WGIC welcomed the following five new Members:

• Corporate Member:

1. GHGSat, Canada, represented by Ms. Adina Gillespie, Director of European Business Development, was also nominated as an Executive Board Member.

• Associate Members:

2. GeoSAS Consulting, Ethiopia, represented by Dr. Menghestab Haile, Director;
3. Satellogic, Uruguay, represented by Mr. Thomas VanMatre, Vice President Global Business Development;
4. SI Analytics (SIA), the Republic of Korea, represented by Taegyun Jeon, CEO and Founder; and
5. Voxelmaps, United States, represented by Peter Atalla, CEO and Founder.

Welcoming the new Members, WGIC Executive Director Barbara Ryan said, “At WGIC, we believe in Diversity of Thought and representation across the Board. As part of this philosophy, WGIC identifies the need to recruit members from small and large enterprises from different geographies and ensure racial and gender diversity. Having these new geospatial companies
with unique offerings from Africa, Asia, and North and South America joining WGIC is very rewarding, and we look forward to their active contributions to WGIC’s Mission and Programs.”

WGIC appoints a new Executive Board for 2021-2023

WGIC is also pleased to announce a new Executive Board that will be in place from May 2021 through April 2023. The new Board consists of sixteen Members – eleven from Patron Members, three from Corporate Members, one from Associate Members, and one Honorary Member.

1. AAM – Brian Nicholls, Executive Director
2. Autodesk – Theo Agelopoulos, Senior Director, Architecture & Engineering Design Strategy
3. Bentley Systems – Benoit Fredericque, Senior Director of Product Management – Reality & Spatial Modeling
4. Cyient – John Renard, Geography Head – Europe
5. Esri – Dean Angelides, Corporate Director – International
6. GHGSat – Adina Gillespie, Director of Business Development – Europe
7. Hexagon Geosystems – Ken Mooyman, Executive Vice President
8. IIC Technologies – Steven Sawdon, Managing & Operations Director, Europe
9. Maxar Technologies – Andrea Bersan, Vice President Global Industry Business Development
10. RIEGL International – James Van Rens, Senior Vice President
11. Rolta – Shafik Jiwani, President – Canada, UK, and Middle East
12. Spatial Vision – Zaffar Sadiq Mohamed-Ghouse, Executive Director
13. Terra Analytics – Willy Govender, CEO
14. TomTom – Arnout Desmet, Vice President – Maps
15. Trimble – Ronald Bisio, Senior Vice President, Geospatial
16. Honorary Member – Sanjay Kumar, CEO, Geospatial World

The Executive Board elects new Office Bearers and Committee Chairs

The Executive Board elected three new Office Bearers – President, Secretary-General, and Treasurer, and seven Member representatives as Chairs for WGIC Committees.

The incoming Office Bearers are:

1. President – Ken Mooyman, Hexagon Geosystems
2. Secretary-General – John Renard, Cyient
3. Treasurer – James Van Rens, RIEGL International

The incoming Chairs of the WGIC Committees are:

1. Finance & Audit Committee – James Van Rens, RIEGL International
2. Industry/Academia – Zaffar Sadiq Mohamed-Ghouse, Spatial Vision
3. Marketing & Communications – Pier Francesco Cardillo, e-GEOS
4. Membership – Dean Angelides, Esri
5. Partnerships & Industry Engagement – Robert Hoddenbach, Fugro
6. Policy Development & Advocacy – Arnout Desmet, TomTom
7. Public-Private Partnerships – Willy Govender, Terra Analytics

Further, the Executive Board endorsed a new Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). This Committee will assess the current scenario and targeted actions whereby organizations and the Council can help grow the next generation of industry leaders that reflect the diversity of the communities served.

On completing his tenure, the outgoing President Ronald Bisio said, “I extend my sincere thanks to the past Executive Board and Member companies and their representatives for contributing to WGIC programs – your commitment is inspiring. I also welcome the new Board, Office Bearers, and the Committee Chairs, as they will lead the organization into the future. I am pleased to see the continued dedication and support from our industry leaders to WGIC, our sector, and, in turn, to society at large.”

Sanjay Kumar, Founder and Board Member of WGIC, said, “It has been an honor and privilege to have been part of the formative phase of WGIC. It would not have been possible without the enormous trust and confidence shown by geospatial leaders across the entire geospatial ecosystem, including commercial industry, government agencies, and the United Nations, that facilitated the inaugural launch ceremony of WGIC on August 1st, 2018, in its premises at the UN Headquarters.’ Sanjay further expressed his gratitude, especially to Jack Dangermond, Chair of the WGIC Patrons, who continues to provide inspirational leadership to its mission, and Ron Bisio, outgoing President, who laid the foundation of good governance, transparency, and inclusiveness while keeping objectivity at its core. Today, I take pride in welcoming the new leadership, enriched with wisdom, experience, and commitment, duly supported by the well-established Secretariat led by Ms. Barbara Ryan.

On being elected as the President, Ken Mooyman expressed, “There is a growing recognition of geospatial value in addressing political, social and environmental issues. WGIC Members’ work is imperative in articulating this value proposition and creating an enabling environment for harnessing the geospatial Industry’s commercial potential. I am honored and look forward to advocating on behalf of WGIC Members and the global geospatial Community.”

Expressing his views, Secretary-General John Renard said, “With a growing and diverse membership in an industry that is rapidly evolving, the next couple of years promises to be an inspiring time for the WGIC. I feel very privileged to be part of the Executive Leadership, and I am committed to building on the ground-breaking work done by the founding team and helping the WGIC realize its full potential.”

On this occasion, Treasurer Jim Van Rens said, “It is my honor to serve as Treasurer for the WGIC.  It is an exceptional opportunity to work alongside Ken Mooyman, John Renard, and Barbara Ryan as they continue to provide strong management continuity to WGIC. The WGIC Executive Board is well-positioned to move forward with great collaboration, ensuring the Geospatial Industry is met with the thought leadership necessary to enhance the potential for our Industry.”

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