Mapping Leaders Forum 2026

Clare is a cartographer who has over 25 years' experience in mapping. She is a Chartered Geographer through the Royal Geographical Society, and was one of the inaugural GEO100 last year. As part of her freelance business, where she specialises in wayfinding and major sports and events mapping, she also delivers cartographic training at UEL and to other businesses. Clare has been a volunteer with the British Cartographic Society since 2007, where she now sits on Council and manages the BCS' social media, and can be found at their stand.

Mark works with National Mapping, Land Administration, Imagery and Statistical Geospatial Authorities. He has over 35 years of experience working in GIS and mapping, including management positions at Esri, NAVTEQ (now HERE) and Rand McNally & Co. and Cartography Dept. in the Automobile Club of Southern California. Mark is on the board of directors of the International Map Industry Association, actively participating on the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM), board member of UN-GGIM Geospatial Societies, and Executive Secretary of the User Community for Geospatial Authorities.

William (Bill) Cartwright is Honorary Professor in the School of Science at RMIT University. Before becoming an academic he spent 11 years in the mapping industry. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Melbourne and a Doctor of Education from RMIT University. He has six other university qualifications – in the fields of cartography, applied science, education, media studies, information and communication technology and graphic design – and is the author of over 300 academic papers. His major research interest is the application of integrated media to cartography for the depiction geographical information. He was President of the International Cartographic Association (2007–2011) and Chair of the Joint Board of Geospatial Information Societies (now UN-GGIM: Geospatial Societies) (2011–2014). In 2013 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to cartography and geospatial science as an academic, researcher and educator.

Alina is a geographer with a Master’s degree in Geomorphology and Cartography at the University of Bucharest, 2010, and has been active in the geospatial professional field since 2006, combining university courses with practical application in the private sector. While working for Eurosense (2010–2014), Alina worked on projects under the World Bank and European Investment Bank umbrellas, while working for Eurosense, including malaria control in Swaziland, motorway impact in Poland, and flood assessments in Indonesia and French Guyana. In 2014 she had a leap of faith, to continue her passion for working with geospatial and earth observation data in the UK. She currently works for Affinity Water UK (formerly Veolia) in the IT Service Delivery department, overseeing the day-to-day activities for the Business Wholesale systems.

Alex is Reader in Cartography and Geographic Information Science at Canterbury Christ Church University (UK), where he lectures in cartography, GIS and in European and political geography. He has published widely, particularly on the aesthetics of cartography and on topographic mapping, and his recent books include The Red Atlas: How the Soviet Union Secretly Mapped the World (University of Chicago Press), the Routledge Handbook of Mapping and Cartography and Mapping Empires: Colonial Cartographies of Land and Sea (Springer Nature). Always seeking to advance cartography, Alex served as President of the British Cartographic Society (2015–2017) and is currently the Editor-in-Chief of The Cartographic Journal, the Chair of the International Cartographic Association (ICA) Commission on Topographic Mapping, and the Chair of the ICA World Cartographic Forum – an initiative for national mapping societies to share best practice.

Nick, previously in the financial services industry, joined Ordnance Survey in October 2012 and was responsible for delivering the first mobile applications for OS, now leading a suite of 5 applications. Nick leads all consumer activity with the focus on helping more people to get outside more often. This includes the multi award winning OS Maps application which is the market leading navigation application in the UK with around 5 million users and topping the app store charts consistently for the past 7 years.

With over 10 years experience in the GIS and mapping industry, Pierre leads a small thriving and extremely passionate team of cartographers and GIS specialists at Hema Maps (Emprise Group Holdings) to deliver a variety of innovative, high-quality technology-based mapping and data solutions for desktop web browsers and mobile devices. Pierre was responsible for delivering the first Hema Digital Explorer Multi-scale Layer vector map solution Hema Maps launched successfully last year. Pierre and his team are always looking for automated, repeatable workflows to deliver new and updated map products efficiently and in a timely manner.

Daniel prides himself in delivering innovative solutions that leverage the power of geomatics and of the modern web. Daniel has been one of the main architects of the MapServer web mapping engine and was one of the founding members of the international Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo).

Louisa has been working in cartography for all her adult life, having graduated from Kingston College of Further Education (as it was then) with an HND in Cartography and Surveying. She spent 13 years at DGC in Feltham, learning all the ‘old school’ skills of scribing, duffing and photogrammetry, as well as map compilation and editing. Her next move was to Imray, publishers of nautical charts where she managed the drawing office during the period of change from conventional to digital cartography. She has worked at Lovell Johns for 14 years, where as Publishing Manager she supervises a team of seven, dealing with map production, design of new products, stock and dispatch.

Dr. Nadine Alameh is the CEO of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) – a collective problem-solving body convening the global community of geospatial experts and users to make Location information Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) via open consensus-based standards, collaborative innovation projects, and industry partnerships. Nadine graduated from MIT with a Ph.D. in Information Systems Engineering, and 2 Master’s Degrees in Civil Engineering and Urban Planning with a concentration in Geospatial Information Systems. She holds a BS degree in Computer Engineering from the American University of Beirut.

Paul Naylor is a Senior Geospatial Consultant with extensive experience in geospatial analysis, cartography, and spatial data leadership. Based in Southampton, Paul works across complex geospatial challenges, helping organisations unlock the value of location-based insight. He is the current President of the British Cartographic Society, where he has introduced initiatives such as GeoViz, and regularly delivers workshops and presentations to schools, professionals, and external organisations to promote best practice in geographic data visualisation. He is passionate about developing people, strengthening the geospatial profession, and ensuring maps remain relevant, ethical, and impactful.

Francesco is a seasoned navigation, mapping and geo-localized solutions professional with over 25 years of experience primarily within the marine electronics industry combined with comprehensive insights into business strategy and development. Today, Francesco is the Chief Business Officer at GeoJunxion BV, formerly known as AND Products (Automotive Navigation Data), a Dutch publicly traded Company specialized in geospatial and location intelligence. GeoJunxion’s main focus is on building high value, dynamic content and solutions, which enrich safety and sustainability in everyday life. In this current role, Francesco leads and oversees the company’s ongoing expansion efforts into new markets and industry verticals.

Dan is the Vice President and General Manager for National Geographic Maps, which is now part of The Walt Disney Company’s global publishing division. He leads a team responsible for developing and executing publishing strategies for a broad range of print and digital products targeted towards diverse market segments including reference, outdoor recreation, and travel. His responsibilities also include managing and directing sales, operations, and business development for the division. Formerly the Vice President of Products, Marketing and Operations, he managed all aspects of the commercial map products business for many years. He has been employed with National Geographic for 36 years, holding positions in cartographic research, production, business management, and executive leadership. Dan has split his tenure between the headquarters office in Washington, D.C. and his current location in Evergreen, Colorado. He is an active participant in map industry conferences and served on the IMIA Board from 1998 – 2001 and as the association’s President from 2000 – 2001. He currently serves as an Advisory Board member on the current IMIA Board.

Alexander is Reader in Cartography and Geographic Information Science at Canterbury Christ Church University (UK), where he lectures in cartography, GIS and in European and political geography. He has published widely, particularly on the aesthetics of cartography and on topographic mapping, and his recent books include The Red Atlas: How the Soviet Union Secretly Mapped the World (University of Chicago Press), the Routledge Handbook of Mapping and Cartography and Mapping Empires: Colonial Cartographies of Land and Sea (Springer Nature). Always seeking to advance cartography, Alex served as President of the British Cartographic Society (2015–2017) and is currently the Editor-in-Chief of The Cartographic Journal , the Chair of the International Cartographic Association (ICA) Commission on Topographic Mapping, and the Chair of the ICA World Cartographic Forum – an initiative for national mapping societies to share best practice.