Gregory Robinson

Gregory Robinson is the former Director of the James Webb Space Telescope. Admired for his leadership skills, he played an instrumental role in NASA’s greatest achievement of the 21st century. Praised for his ability to coordinate the project with various stakeholders seamlessly, Gregory oversaw the development of a telescope 100 times more powerful than the Hubble Telescope. An astonishing feat that will enable scientists to record the very origins of the universe and capture galaxies being born! A distinguished leadership expert, Gregory delivers captivating speaking sessions.

The ninth member of 11 children, he was born in rural Virginia and attended a segregated elementary school. Exhibiting great academic talent, after graduating from high school, he received a full scholarship to Virginia Union University, earning a degree in Mathematics. He then completed a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering at Howard University. Later earning an MBA from Averett College and attending the Harvard Kennedy School as a Senior Executive Fellow, he joined NASA in 1989. Rapidly gaining a leadership role at the Goddard Space Flight Center, Gregory spent the next 11 years working in various positions.

Some of the roles held by Gregory include Deputy Chief Engineer and Deputy Assistant Administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National and Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service. He also served as a Deputy Center Director of NASA’s Glenn Research Center, overseeing 114 missions between 2005 and 2013 and was involved with the launch of 21 shuttles. Recently invited to join Columbia University’s faculty of the School of Professional Studies, Gregory currently lectures on leading large, complex projects and information and knowledge strategy.

Recognising his leadership skills and profound contributions to NASA, Gregory received the TIME 100 Impact Award and the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award. He was named on TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People 2022 and EBONY’s 2022 Power 100 lists. A NASA veteran of over three decades, Gregory is admired for managing 20,000 engineers, scientists and support staff in 29 countries and raising the efficiency level from 55% to 95% on the Webb Telescope Program. Revealing the secret behind his cutting-edge leadership skills, Gregory is a highly sought-after speaker, providing engaging speaking sessions and leaving audiences with valuable takeaways.