Dec 12, 2016 -- In closing the 2016 Annual Conference for the  Geologic Remote Sensing Group (GRSG), Chairman Luke Bateson, of the British Geological Survey, also stood down from his post, after serving his three year term. Following an overwhelmingly popular and unanimous vote at the Annual General Meeting that took place during the conference, he handed over the running of the Group to Charlotte Bishop. Not only is Charlotte one of the youngest Chair’s the GRSG has ever had, she is also the first woman to ever hold the position.

Charlotte, who works as the Remote Sensing Projects Manager for CGG’s NPA Satellite Mapping, has served on the committee since 2008 and became Secretary in 2013. In passing the baton to her, Luke made clear to the assembled international audience of geologists, engineers and remote sensing experts, the remarkable amount of work Charlotte had put into making the Group so successful and the leading role she had in organising, what turned out to be a hugely enjoyable and informative conference.
 
Held over three days at the London offices of engineering consultants Arup, the conference; The Future of Geological Remote Sensing, Innovation and Challenges drew presentations from as far afield as Australia, Canada, the United States, Japan, Chile, Brazil, Israel and South Africa, as well as from many European countries. Topics of interest were incredibly diverse and applications of advanced earth observation techniques within the oil & gas, mining, engineering, environment and transport industries, were explored.
 
Given the calibre of speakers and attendees, the number of commercial companies supporting this event was equally notable and the organisers were delighted that Arup, Atkins, DigitalGlobe, Geosense, CGG, Earth-i, SpectTIR & TerraCore, Spectral Evolution, Sterling GEO, TRE Altamira, VIRTALIS, Planet, LOT-QD and the Earth Observation Broker Energy Project were all sponsors.  With the end of year rapidly approaching, Charlotte now looks forward to a full calendar of activities and repeating the success of this conference in December 2017.

Commenting on her election as Chair of the GRSG, Charlotte said; “I’m honoured to have been elected to the Chair of the GRSG by so many people, many of whom I count as my friends. The Group means a huge amount to me and to be leading it for the next three years, is a thrill. There are huge challenges in what have been typically very stable markets, not least of which is oil and gas but as we have seen in this conference, using remote sensing provides huge benefits to so many geology-based (and other) industries that I know we will continue to grow our membership. I am very much looking forward to our next conference and my first as Chair.”