The HAPS Alliance is pleased to announce the appointment of its newly elected Officers for the 2025-2026 term. These leaders will help drive innovation and collaboration across the high altitude platform ecosystem, advancing global connectivity solutions and strengthening partnerships across industries.
Our newly elected leadership team brings a wealth of experience and fresh perspectives to guide the Alliance into its next phase of growth. With expertise spanning technology development, regulatory advocacy, and strategic partnerships, they are well-positioned to accelerate our mission of enabling global, sustainable connectivity.
The newly elected Officers are:
- President: Russ Van Der Werff, Aerostar
- Vice President: Antje Williams, Deutsche Telekom AG
- Secretary: Ayako Sato, SoftBank Corp.
We extend our gratitude to our outgoing leaders for their valuable contributions and look forward to the exciting opportunities ahead under our renewed leadership.
Supporting Quote
“I’m honored and excited to lead the HAPS Alliance at this pivotal time. As the industry commercializes, our membership is expanding beyond telecommunications into disaster response, defense, earth observation, and more. As a leadership team, we are doubling down on member engagement to attract new members and deliver real value across these crucial areas!”
- Russ Van Der Werff, President, HAPS Alliance, and VP Stratospheric Solutions, Aerostar
Stay tuned for more updates on upcoming initiatives, events, and collaborative efforts as the Alliance continues shaping the future of HAPS technology.