Retired Major General (M Sc Eng) Albert HUSNIAUX (Belgian )

Retired Major General (Air Force) Albert Husniaux, born in Genk () on 7 July 1957, is a Master of Science in Engineering, specialized in mechanics, ballistics, aeronautics and astronautics. He has been NATO’s Chief Scientist from 1 July 2012 to 1 October 2016, also chairing the Board of NATO’s Science and Technology Organization, NATO’s premier forum for Science and Technology co- operation among its Member Nations. He served the from September 1975 to October 2016. Retired Major General Husniaux has both a scientific background (Physics and Science and Technology management) and a military officer’s background. The common threads in his multidisciplinary career are aerospace, innovation, change management and science and technology. He is an experienced executive manager of Science and Technology, having served his Nation, in a National, , and NATO context, and NATO. He is the last Director of NATO’s Research and Technology Agency and the first Chief Scientist of NATO. Albert Husniaux is a Belgian Air Force flag officer with a career in a wide array of domains: integrated management and technical-logistic support of training aircraft, transport aircraft, , weaponry, and rocket launchers (Ariane), teaching and education, strategic affairs and Human Resources. Retired Major General Husniaux served in operational units, Staff and industry, supporting the operations of the training aircraft, the transport aircraft, the helicopters and the combat aircraft of the Belgian Air Component, both in national and multinational frameworks. Albert Husniaux has been elected member of the “Académie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Classe Technologie et Société” in May 2012. He has been awarded the 2016 Engineering Manager of the Year Award or the American Society of Engineering Management and will be granted an Honorary Doctorate of the Polytechnic University of Bucharest (Romania) in July of this year. Retired Major General Husniaux is the Chairman of the Board of the Belgian Royal High Institute for Defence and the president of the Branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Albert Husniaux is married to Ann Vermeire. They are blessed with two children, a daughter, Nele (°1986) and a son, Stijn (°1988). His hobbies are studying, music (classical guitar) and all-terrain cycling.