Tech & Society Debate: “Tech and Values in Aerospace”
Aspen Institute España, in collaboration with Fundación Telefónica, held the third session of the VIII Edition of the Tech & Society Program about “Tech and Values in Aerospace” with Catherine Jestin, Vice President Digital at Airbus, last Tuesday, 19 November from 14.00h to 16.00h. The debate was moderated by Noelia Amoedo, Founder of mediasmart mobile & Advisor specialising in Responsible Tech and Aspen España Fellow.
Tech and Values in Aerospace
A topic that stands at the intersection of innovation, security, and ethics Catherine Jestin will share insights of today´s complex geopolitical landscape, advancing social and economic commitments, and aligning with Europe’s digitalization goals. Aerospace has always been more than just an industry. It is a pillar of national security, economic strength, and international collaboration. But today, the geopolitical context is more dynamic than ever. The increasing need for European strategic autonomy, shifts in global alliances, and the need for digital resilience underscore the aerospatial sector’s responsibilities and opportunities. The decisions we make today about aerospace technology, data security, and workforce development will influence Europe’s role in the global arena for decades.
Catherine Jestin
She has been Executive Vice President Digital at Airbus since 1 July 2021 and is a member of the Company’s Executive Committee. The main focus of Catherine’s organisation is to foster digital innovation across Airbus’ industrial ecosystem and its products and services portfolio, accelerating data analytics, artificial intelligence, automation and services for customers as well as digital security for the Company. Catherine works to reinforce the transversal cooperation across Airbus functions company-wide in order to continue the successful deployment of the Digital Design, Manufacturing & Services (DDMS) programme, established to enable co-design capabilities and digital continuity system-wide. Catherine had previously held the position of Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Airbus since March 2020. In this role, she was responsible for driving state-of-the-art Information Technology systems and solutions in support of Airbus employees, customers and suppliers. Prior to this position, Catherine was Chief Information Officer at Airbus Helicopters, a role that she held from July 2013 to February 2020. Before joining Airbus, Catherine held a variety of positions, between 2007 and 2013, at Rio Tinto in Montreal, Canada within the field of Information Systems & Technology (IS&T). Catherine also spent 17 years at Accenture and was nominated Partner in 2002, a position that she held for five years.
Noelia Amoedo
She is a visionary leader and successful entrepreneur in the digital technology sector, recognised for her ability to drive innovation and leverage disruptive technologies to create profitable businesses. Throughout her 24+ year career, she has pioneered significant technological change, including micro-payments for digital goods, mobile services, social media and programmatic advertising. Today, she is especially motivated by the challenge of ensuring that technological progress serves humanity and contributes positively to our society. With a global perspective, Noelia has managed dynamic teams and markets across five continents, always leading with integrity and transparency. She founded and led Mediasmart Mobile as CEO, an AI-powered SaaS platform in the AdTech space, and orchestrated its acquisition by Affle Group in Singapore, successfully completing a 4-year post-transaction earn-out period and serving on the boards of publicly listed Affle (India) Limited and Ireland-based subsidiary Jampp. Noelia’s rich background in executive roles includes serving as VP of Marketing and Business Development for webOS at Palm (a subsidiary of HP), as VP of Mobile at the hi5 social network, and as Director of Mobile at the hi5 social network. Palm (a subsidiary of HP), as VP of Mobile at the hi5 social network, and as Managing Director of Buongiorno USA, a leading provider of mobile value-added services. General Manager of Buongiorno USA, a leading provider of mobile value-added services. She began her career at iPIN Transaction Systems in San Francisco in 1999,gaining very early exposure to Internet-based businesses that laid the foundation for her future work in foundation for her future work in emerging technologies. A Fulbright Scholar, Noelia holds a B.Sc. in Physics (with a specialisation in optical communications) from the University of California, Berkeley.communications) from the University of Santiago de Compostela, an MSc in Electrical Engineering from Stanford UniversityElectrical Engineering from Stanford University and a certificate in Corporate Governance from ESADE. Governance from ESADE.
VIII Edition of the Tech & Society Program
Aspen Institute España and Fundación Telefónica launched the VIII Edition of the Tech & Society Program.
