Chris Blackerby is Group Chief Operating Officer for Astroscale Holdings, the global leader in securing the safe and sustainable development of space for the benefit of future generations. In the role of COO, Chris oversees the operations and expansion of the growing international company, including strategic planning and internal coordination of entities spread across five countries. Prior to joining Astroscale, Chris was the NASA Attaché in Asia and the senior space policy official at the U.S. Embassy Tokyo from 2012-2017. In that capacity he identified opportunities for cooperation, served as strategic space advisor to the U.S. Ambassador to Japan and negotiated agreements and resolved disputes with partners. Chris began working for NASA as a Presidential Management Fellow in 2003. While at NASA he was a leader in forging international cooperative partnerships around the world in the fields of Earth science, space science and human space exploration. From 2005- 2007 Chris was the Executive Director of the NASA Advisory Council, a group of senior officials that provides feedback to the NASA Administrator on future policies and plans. Chris received a B.A. in History and Education from the University of Richmond (Va.) in 1995 and an M.A. in International Relations from the University ofRhode Island in 2002. In 2009 Chris earned an MBA from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.