Korn Ferry Assists the Universities Space Research Association with CEO Search
January 9, 2025 – Following an extensive national search Korn Ferry has assisted in the recruitment of Elsayed Talaat as president and CEO of the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) in Washington, D.C. “We are excited to welcome Dr. Talaat as the next CEO of USRA,” said Gen Lester Lyles, chair of the board of trustees. “We firmly believe he is the ideal leader to guide the organization into its next phase of growth and success. Dr. Talaat brings extensive leadership experience and a strong track record of success from his time at NOAA, NASA, and APL, which will enhance USRA’s credibility and collaboration with these key agencies and with our University Association.”
“He has demonstrated an exceptional ability to build coalitions with both existing and prospective partners, always with a focus on addressing future customer needs,” Mr. Lyles said. “Additionally, his forward-thinking vision for leveraging USRA’s unique University Association value proposition positions the organization for continued success. We are excited to see how Dr. Talaat will build upon Dr. Isaacson’s remarkable legacy and drive USRA towards an even brighter future.”
Dr. Talaat is an accomplished leader with a strong background in Atmospheric and Space Science and well-rounded experience with NOAA, NASA, and JHU/APL. He has been responsible for programmatic and technical coordination with OSTP, the Department of Defense, other federal agencies, non-Federal agendas/industries, and international partners. Currently, Dr. Elsayed Talaat is the director of the office of space weather observations at NESDIS, where he provides leadership and oversight in the development, acquisition, integration, installation, and acceptance of major system elements (spacecraft, instruments, launch services, and ground systems) for NOAA’s operational environmental satellite systems.
Before joining NOAA, Dr. Talaat was the chief scientist of the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters. In this role, he directed overall development efforts for the Heliophysics space science program in solar, heliospheric, magnetospheric, and ionospheric, thermospheric, and mesospheric physics. Previously, he was a program scientist at NASA Headquarters where he served as program scientist for the Living with a Star mission and science line, grant research lines, and heliophysics and planetary missions. Prior to joining NASA, he was supervisor of the Earth and Planetary Atmospheres Section at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), where his research focused on developing remote sensing techniques and data analysis and modeling of geophysical and planetary phenomena.
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Founded in 1969, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences at the request of the U.S. Government, the Universities Space Research Association is a non-profit corporation chartered to advance space-related science, technology, and engineering. It operates scientific institutes and facilities and conducts other major research and educational programs. It is an association with 121 university members. It engages the broader university community, employs in-house scientific talent, and offers innovative research, development, and project management expertise.
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Korn Ferry is a Los Angeles-headquartered executive recruiter and leadership consultant and the largest globally and in the Americas. The firm’s 8,600 colleagues serve clients in more than 50 countries.
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Korn Ferry’s non-profit, philanthropy, and social enterprise practice has a deep understanding of non-profit organizational culture and sector challenges. Its consultants have experience working with boards and teams to achieve alignment and build consensus.
Charlies Ingersoll, who is located in Korn Ferry’s Washington, D.C. office, is co-leader of the non-profit practice. He specializes in the recruitment of senior-level executives for associations and non-profit organizations globally and is a member of the firm’s Africa Center of Expertise. With 22 years of executive recruiting experience, Mr. Ingersoll has an understanding of mission-driven organizations and the trends, opportunities and challenges facing the non-profit sector. He has experience working with boards and search committees delivering executive search and integrated talent management solutions.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
