Speakers
Adam Gilmour
Session
Australian sovereign space capability told by the Founder couple building it.
Purpose: To close Day 1 with an Australian story at the frontier — Co-Founders building sovereign launch capability for Australia, the partnership behind it, and what 'pioneer' means in practice.
Discussion: Adam and Michelle will speak to what Gilmour Space is building and why, the Co-Founder partnership that holds the company together, what Australian sovereign space capability looks like from the inside, and what families backing pioneer-grade work should look for.
Outcomes: A grounded view of one of Australia’s most ambitious deeptech enterprises, a model of Co-Founder partnership at scale, and a closing note for Day 1 that carries forward into the Welcome Reception conversation.
Adam Gilmour is CEO and Co-founder of Gilmour Space Technologies, a homegrown company developing new space technologies in launch vehicles, satellite platforms, hypersonic testing, and commercial access to space.
Before founding Gilmour Space, Adam spent two decades in banking, managing a billion-dollar global derivatives business. A lifelong space enthusiast, his inspiration for change came after the 2004 X-Prize competition, which showed how private companies could make spaceflight far more affordable.
Today, Adam leads a growing team in Queensland, Australia, working to deliver reliable, low-cost launch services and build sovereign space capabilities to serve domestic and international customers.
Michelle Gilmour is a Director and Head of Marketing & Communications at Gilmour Space Technologies. As part of the founding team, Michelle has helped guide the company's growth from a three-person startup in 2015 to one of the largest space employers in the country.
Michelle spent two decades in wealth management and financial media in Singapore before joining the company. She holds degrees in Banking & Finance at Monash University, and an Honours degree in Finance & Economics from University of Technology, Sydney. She now works to build understanding and support for Australia’s emerging space industry among customers, partners, policymakers, and the wider public.