Gwynne Shotwell

President, SpaceX

Tuesday Opening Keynote and Continental Breakfast: Rocket Science, Political Science And A Bit Of Elbow Grease

Gwynne Shotwell is President of Space Explorations Technology Corporation (SpaceX), responsible for day‐to‐day operations and for managing all customer and strategic relations to support company growth. She joined SpaceX in 2002 as Vice President of Business Development and built the Falcon vehicle family manifest to over 40 launches, representing over $3 billion in revenue. Ms. Shotwell is a member of the SpaceX Board of Directors.

Prior to joining SpaceX, Ms. Shotwell spent more than ten years at the Aerospace Corporation. There she held positions in Space Systems Engineering & Technology as well as Project Management. She was promoted to the role of Chief Engineer of an MLV‐class satellite program, managed a landmark study for the Federal Aviation Administration on commercial space transportation, and completed an extensive analysis of space policy for NASA's future investment in space transportation. Ms. Shotwell was subsequently recruited to be Director of Microcosm's Space Systems Division, where she served on the executive committee and directed corporate business development.

In 2004, she was elected statewide to the California Space Authority Board of Directors and served on its executive committee. She has also served as an officer of the AIAA Space Systems Technical Committee. Ms. Shotwell participates in a variety of STEM (Science, Engineering, Technology, and Mathematics)‐related programs, including the Frank J. Redd Student Scholarship Competition; under her leadership the committee raised over $350,000 in scholarships in six years.

Ms. Shotwell received, with honors, her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from Northwestern University in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mathematics. She has authored dozens of papers on a variety of subjects including standardizing spacecraft/payload interfaces, conceptual small spacecraft design, infrared signature target modeling, shuttle integration, and reentry vehicle operational risks.