Jim Volp, MSc, MBA
Jim Volp, MSc, MBA is the CEO of VOLP Strategy and Leadership Coaching from Bonn, Germany. Through VOLP Coaching, he is, among others, the Executive Director of the Global Art Contest in honor of the Moon, Apollo, and Space Exploration, Member of the Board of Directors for Space in Africa, the primary source of space-related information from Africa, the Coordinator and Advisor to the President of Space Renaissance International, and Member of the Board of Directors at Space Agenda.
Jim is also the Founder and CEO of PCs 4 KIDS Education, donating educational software worldwide, including the best content for kids aged 4–14 — books, games, informative websites, videos, music, etc. All content is deliberately in English to foster English skills at an early age.
Jim is a “meta-connector” and maintains high-level relationships in the space industry and welcomes any chance to contribute to Strategic & Leadership challenges. He served as Governing Member of International Space University (ISU), Director of Educational Relations for UN-declared World Space Week, and global Chair of Space Generation.
Jim is active in multiple IAF (International Astronautical Federation) committees, GLEC IPC, and the Working Group for Emerging Countries and Developing Nations. Among these, he is also volunteering in the Committee for Liaison with International Organisations & Developing Nations, Space Societies Committee, Space Education and Outreach Committee, and until 2010 he volunteered for Workforce Development & Young Professionals.
Jim is an expert in the International Space Station (ISS) and interplanetary mission operations as well as ground segment development. He also worked in human capital management and training, for both current and future workforces. He has also volunteered for Harvard Business Review Advisory Council since 2012.
Previously, Jim worked as the International Space Station Operations Engineer and Ground Controller at MUSC with Telespazio VEGA Deutschland for more than 5 years, until the end of 2018. Before that he was the Erasmus USOC Certified Operations Engineer and Ground Controller for Space Applications Services which ceased to exist in 2013, hence he transferred to MUSC.
Jim earned his Master’s of Science degree in Astrophysics from the University of Amsterdam in 2001. He earned his second Master’s degree in Space Studies at the Space Odyssey Institute from International Space University in 2001. In 2011, after taking a sabbatical, Jim studied and earned his MBA from Business School Netherlands.
JIm started his career as Counsellor of Mentally and Physically Challenged Children at De Kleine Johannes, where he continued working with mentally and physically challenged children, after his experience in the US. It gave him a balance in life next to his studies, and continued this work for 6 years, until 2000.
In 2002, he became Young Graduate Trainee for Smart-1 STOC at the European Space Agency for a year. He then became Coordinator of Virtual Institutes in 2002, and continued as Smart-1 Science Engineer at the Operations Department.
In 2007, Jim became ESA Mars Express Science Planning Coordinator until October 2009, when he took his Sabbatical to study MBA at Business School Netherlands. While working on his MBA, he was a freelance consultant at the Arab Youth Venture Foundation, where he developed and delivered Science, Technology, Engineering, Aeronautics, and Maths (STEAM) Teacher Training workshops.
Jim and his colleagues were awarded Crown for the work of developing Operations Procedures for the integration of EML on-board ISS (International Space Station) at the ISS Awards 2015.
As a sought-after consultant in the areas of education and outreach, Jim’s strategic STEM educational initiatives have won him much praise within the industry. For UNESCO, IAF, ESA, and AYVF, Jim traveled to many European countries, Nigeria, South Korea, UAE, and Qatar. He is very passionate about Africa and wants to save lives.
Read SOPS: The Science Operations Planning System for the ESA Lunar Mission SMART-1. View the Space Generation Advisory Council Alumni page, where Jim gives talks and presentations. View the Africa News team page, and PCs4KIDS Indiegogo page.
Visit his LinkedIn profile, LinkedIn Activity, his ResearchGate profile, and his Quora contribution page. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.