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Aarti Holla-Maini Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 15, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

BirthplaceUnited Kingdom

ProfessionSatellite Industry Expert

NationalityBritish and Belgian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseRogier Holla

FamilyThree sons: Sameer, Siddhartha, Satyam; Parents: Kunj Lal Maini (deceased) and Shobha Maini

Aarti Holla-Maini Biography

Aarti Holla-Maini is a British-Belgian satellite industry expert with a long career spanning law, satellite corporations, industry associations and United

Early life and background

Aarti Holla-Maini was born in the United Kingdom and has family roots in Punjab. She holds dual British and Belgian citizenship and grew up with ties to Brussels, which she lists as her hometown.

She pursued a multi-jurisdictional legal and business education. Her degrees and professional training include an LLB with German law from King’s College London and a diploma in German law from the University of Passau. She completed the Legal Practice Course at The University of Law in Moorgate and later expanded her studies into business with an MBA from HEC Paris, including an MBA exchange at NYU Stern. In 2021 she undertook an executive course at the International Space University.

Career

Holla-Maini began her professional life in law, qualifying as a solicitor of the Supreme Court in the United Kingdom and working as a trainee solicitor in the early 1990s. She transitioned into the aerospace and satellite sector in the late 1990s, joining Daimler‑Benz Aerospace (later part of EADS/Airbus) in Germany in 1997. While with Airbus she represented the company’s interests in the Galileo satellite navigation programme and later held business development responsibilities before leaving the company in 2004.

In September 2004 she helped establish Orbitz Consulting in Brussels and served as its president, providing consulting services to clients involved in space and satellite activities. That same year she joined the EMEA Satellite Operators Association (ESOA), which later became the Global Satellite Operators’ Association (GSOA). As Secretary General of that association, Holla-Maini played a leading role in its expansion from a European-focused organisation to one representing a broader set of global and regional satellite operators. She served in that capacity until retiring from the position in January 2023.

During her career she has combined industry leadership with policy and advocacy work. In 2015 she was instrumental in developing the Crisis Connectivity Charter, a collaborative initiative to use satellite capabilities to provide emergency telecommunications in humanitarian crises. She has also held advisory and expert roles on space policy and sustainability topics, including membership of several World Economic Forum networks and councils focused on digital infrastructure, 5G and the future of space.

In April 2023 Holla-Maini joined NorthStar Earth & Space in Brussels as Executive Vice President for Sustainability, Policy & Impact. From 2021 to 2023 she served as a senior policy advisor and expert advisor on space traffic management for European Union studies and related organisations.

Appointment to UNOOSA

On 26 June 2023 the United Nations Secretary‑General appointed Aarti Holla-Maini as Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna. UNOOSA is the UN entity charged with promoting international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of outer space and applying space science and technologies to support sustainable development.

Public profile

Holla-Maini’s work has been recognised within the satellite sector: she was named among the Faces of Satellite by the Society of Satellite Professionals International in 2014. She has contributed to advisory groups such as the Space Sustainability Rating at EPFL’s Space Center and has been involved with the Satellite Industry Association of India’s advisory board.

She is multilingual, speaking English, French, German and Punjabi, and has a moderate knowledge of Dutch.

Personal life

Aarti Holla-Maini is married to Rogier Holla, who works at the European Commission in Brussels and is Dutch. The couple have three sons: Sameer, Siddhartha and Satyam. Her late father, Kunj Lal Maini, worked as a pharmacist; her mother is Shobha Maini. She has three brothers: Naveen, Bhooshan and Bharat Maini.

Latest updates

After a long career spanning law, industry and policy, Holla-Maini moved into the UN system in mid‑2023 when she became Director of UNOOSA. Prior to that appointment she held leadership roles at GSOA and NorthStar Earth & Space and continued to serve on multiple advisory bodies related to space policy and sustainability.
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Recent Work

Director, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)

Appointed Director of UNOOSA, the UN office responsible for international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of outer space.

2023
Executive Vice President, Sustainability, Policy & Impact — NorthStar Earth & Space

Senior executive role in Brussels focusing on sustainability, policy and impact for a commercial Earth and space company.

2023
Secretary General — Global Satellite Operators’ Association (formerly ESOA)

Led the association through its expansion from a European to a broader global and regional operators’ organisation; retired from the role in January 2023.

2004-2023
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Career Highlights

  1. Appointed Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in June 2023
  2. Served as Secretary General of the EMEA Satellite Operators Association / Global Satellite Operators’ Association (2004–2023)
  3. Helped found Orbitz Consulting in Brussels and served as its President
  4. Named a Face of Satellite by the Society of Satellite Professionals International in 2014
  5. Played a key role in creating the Crisis Connectivity Charter to use satellites for emergency telecommunications
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Aarti Holla-Maini known for?

Satellite Industry Expert

What is Aarti Holla-Maini’s marital status?

Married

Who is Aarti Holla-Maini married to?

Rogier Holla