ESA top management
ESA’s Director General is assisted by 11 Directors, each of whom is responsible for one of ESA’s programmes or for administering part of the Agency.
Josef Aschbacher - ESA Director General
Dr Josef Aschbacher became the ESA Director General on 1 March 2021.
Full story
Dietmar Pilz - Director of TEC
Dr Dietmar Pilz is the Director of Technology, Engineering and Quality (D/TEC), and Head of ESTEC in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
Full story
Toni Tolker-Nielsen - Acting Director of STS
Toni Tolker-Nielsen is acting Director of Space Transportation as of 1 July 2023.
Full story
Eric Morel de Westgaver - Director of SLE
Eric Morel de Westgaver is the Directorate of Strategy, Legal and External Affairs (D/SLE), and Head of ESA HQ, Paris, France.
Full story
Daniel Neuenschwander - Director of HRE
Daniel Neuenschwander is the Director of Human and Robotic Exploration (D/HRE).
Full story
Simonetta Cheli - Director of EOP
Simonetta Cheli is the Director of Earth Observation (D/EOP) and Head of ESRIN, Frascati, Italy.
Full story
Francisco-Javier Benedicto-Ruiz - Director of NAV
Francisco-Javier Benedicto-Ruiz is the Director of Navigation (D/NAV)
Full story
Laurent Jaffart - Director of CSC
Laurent Jaffart is the Director of Connectivity and Secure Communications (D/CSC) and Head of ECSAT, Harwell, UK.
Full story
Carole Mundell - Director of SCI
Prof. Carole Mundell is the Director of Science (D/SCI), and Head of ESAC, near Madrid, Spain.
Full story
Marco Ferrazzani - Director of RES
Marco Ferrazzani is the Director of Resources and Services (D/RES).
Full story
Rolf Densing - Director of OPS
Rolf Densing is the Director of Operations (D/OPS), and Head of ESOC, in Darmstadt, Germany.
Full story
Géraldine Naja - Director of CIC
Géraldine Naja is the Director of Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness (D/CIC)
Full story
