Since the start of the year, we have welcomed a fantastic group of new colleagues to our Vienna-based team. These arrivals follow our first International Recruitment Campaign and reflect the continued growth and dynamism of the ESPI community.
To celebrate this milestone, we will be introducing each of our new team members, learning more about their backgrounds, and hearing what they are most looking forward to as they begin their journey at ESPI.
We are happy to welcome five new fulltime members to our team:
- Gillian Chin, Education Officer
- Jérôme Barbier, International Affairs Fellow
- Elisabeth Clemmons, Research Fellow
- Ieva Kalnina, Junior Research Fellow,
- Virginio Dotto, Research Intern
Engagement
Gillian Chin did her master’s at the International Space University in Strasbourg, specialising in space policy and entrepreneurship. Before ISU, she worked with a Singapore-based space consultancy focused on raising awareness of Southeast Asia’s space ecosystem and nurturing a strong talent pipeline for the region’s growing industry. Enthusiastic about knowledge sharing, Gillian thrives on engaging with others and contributing to the global conversation around space and its role in shaping our collective future. Her passion for education goes beyond her work and she describes herself as someone who is eager to learn everything about everything. In her free time, she dabbles in a variety of hobbies; Her current two favourites are sport climbing and tabletop RPGs!
Jérôme Barbier is a policy expert in technology governance and diplomacy. A graduate from Sciences Po in international public policy and from Paris 1 – Pantheon-Sorbonne University in law, he previously worked for the French ministry for Europe and foreign affairs before joining the Paris Peace Forum. There, he led the Outer Space and Digital programmes between 2020 and 2024, overseeing the permanent secretariat of both the Net Zero Space initiative for the protection of Earth’s orbital environment and of the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace. After working as an independent consultant for public and private clients in cyber, AI and space affairs and Senior AI Governance Analyst at the French Centre for AI Safety, he is joining ESPI as the International Affairs Fellow.
Research
Elisabeth Clemmons is from the United States and holds a master’s degree in public policy from Central European University, a post-graduate certificate in international studies from the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, and a bachelor’s in French and Japanese from Wellesley College. She previously worked at the International Data Corporation, where she led research on technology priorities of small and medium businesses (SMEs), as well as the intersection of geopolitics, macroeconomics, and technology.
Ieva Kalnina is joining ESPI from the OECD, where she worked in the intersection of investment and innovation policies. She holds a double master’s degree from Sciences Po Paris and University of St. Gallen in International Economic Policy and International Affairs and Governance. During her studies, she completed various traineeships in the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), European Commission and the European Central Bank.
Virginio Dotto is originally from Treviso, Italy, Virginio studied International Relations and European/International Security between Trento, Barcelona, Madrid, and Rome. Following this, Virginio completed a specialisation course in Institution and Policies of Space Enterprises at SIOI (Società Italiana Organizzazioni Internazionali) in Rome. He then joined Thales Alenia Space Italy in the Strategy and Innovation unit, where he performed market intelligence and business planning duties, before moving to Vienna for his ESPI internship. Virginio is particularly fond of his pets – four cats and a dog – as well as cooking, history, and DJing for his friends.
This year we also welcomed visiting trainee, Jessie Hill, from Flinders University as part of a broader collaboration between the two institutions.
