Mr. Ikin is the Managing Director of
Asia Pacific Aerospace Consultants (APAC), located in Sydney, Australia.
APAC offers broad consulting services to the commercial space industry
including market analysis, industry analysis, risk management and insurance
advice.
Prior to his role with APAC, Mr. Ikin worked
directly in the space insurance, risk management, and commercial space
fields for the past 14 years. For ten years, he worked as a space insurance
underwriter at GIO in Australia and in 1998 was appointed Managing Director
of the newly created GIO Space. GIO Space was one of the largest space
insurance underwriters in the world with annual premium income of over
A$175m (approximately US$110m at the time).
After GIO, Mr. Ikin then worked as the Director of Commercial Operations at the
Asia-Pacific Space Centre (APSC). At APSC, he was responsible for all
aspects of its planned commercial operations with a special emphasis on risk
management for the venture, which aims to introduce the Russian Aurora launch vehicle
to the commercial launch market. He was directly responsible for managing
the insurance requirements for both APSC and its launch customers.
Kirby Ikin has
a long and varied involvement within the Australian Space Industry and
has held executive positions with various space interest groups. Currently
he is the Chairman of the Board of the U.S. based, worldwide National Space
Society (NSS), having succeeded Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin in this
position.
Kirby Ikin's professional career has seen him working in the areas of
corporate advisory services, insurance and risk management,
and commercial launch services. As an accounting professional in the late
1980's he instigated the formation of Ernst & Young's Space Industry
Services Group in Australia. His work in this area included evaluation
of opportunities to commercialise space research and provision of strategic
advice to large United States aerospace corporations.
Mr. Ikin presently serves as a member of the Australian Government's
"International Space Advisory Group", which is advising the Prime Minister's
office on space policy and industry development. He also serves on the
corporate boards of KITComm (Bermuda) and Australian S2COM.
Through the National Space Society of
Australia, Mr. Ikin instigated the establishment of the 'Australian Space
Industry Chamber of Commerce' (ASICC), which meets regularly to discuss business,
legal and commercial space related issues. He continues to serve as its
Chairman as he has done since its foundation in 1992.
In his capacity with the National Space Society, Kirby Ikin
was Chairman of the 1st to 8th Australian Space Development
Conferences.
In 1990, Mr. Ikin was appointed to the NSW State Government
Task Force on Aerospace, Space, and Defence Industry Development. His
professional qualifications include a Bachelor of Law degree and Bachelor of
Commerce degree (in accounting and financial management) from the University of
New South Wales.
In 1999, Kirby Ikin was the recipient of the National Space Society of
Australia's highest award, the Australian Space Pioneer Award.