Dr Heidi Thiemann is the director and co-founder of the Space Skills Alliance, a think tank, consultancy, and backbone organisation addressing the space skills gap. Since co-founding SSA in 2019, Heidi has become recognised as a leader in the space skills landscape, having successfully delivered a number of regional and national projects. Previously, she led the Cornwall Space and Aerospace Technology Training programme, developing the first national HNC and HND curriculum for the space sector, and delivering the Level 4 Space Engineering Technician Apprenticeship for the South West. She also supported local space businesses to identify and fill their skills gaps through tailored training provision through a £1.73m programme funded by the European Social Fund. Heidi holds a PhD in Astrophysics from the Open University, and a MPhys in Physics with Space Science and Technology from the University of Leicester.