Chris Hadfield
Arguably the most famous astronaut since Neil Armstrong, Colonel Chris Hadfield is a heavily decorated astronaut, engineer, and pilot, who has become a worldwide sensation. His rendition of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” has been viewed by over 75 million people online and was called “possibly the most poignant version of the song ever created,” by Bowie himself. Hadfield is a uniquely experienced leader who shares best practices and tactics on leading teams through complexity and change, while also sharing the marvels and wonders of science and space to everyone he encounters.
Formerly NASA’s director of operations, Hadfield spent more than three decades working for NASA and the Canadian Space Agency. Throughout his distinguished career, he has flown three space missions, built two space stations, performed two spacewalks, crewed the Shuttle and Soyuz, and, in 2013, commanded the International Space Station for six months. His many awards and recognitions include the Order of Canada, the Meritorious Service Cross, and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal.
Hadfield is the author of five internationally bestselling books: two non-fiction books, An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth and You Are Here; a children’s book, The Darkest Dark; and two fiction books, The Apollo Murders and The Defector. He has also released a musical album, Space Sessions: Songs from a Tin Can — the first album to be recorded in space. In 2023, The Darkest Dark was turned into a play for young audiences about overcoming fears and embracing the unknown.
Hadfield is acclaimed for making outer space accessible to everyone. He is frequently featured on national and global media outlets, and is the co-creator and host of the internationally acclaimed BBC series Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes? He is also the co-host of National Geographic’s One Strange Rock, directed by Darren Aronofsky.
An advisor to SpaceX and Virgin Galactic, and chair of the board of the Open Lunar Foundation, Hadfield was also asked to advise and assist King Charles III in exploring sustainability in space in 2023. He is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Waterloo.