Antonio is the MNAP for the Spanish national Antarctic programme through Spain’s lead agency for the purposes of COMNAP, the Comité Polar Español (CPE). Antonio was elected to the role as Chair in 2021 and will serve a 3-year plus 1 term of office. Antonio is a Professor at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid whose research focuses mainly on non-marine aquatic ecosystems. He has led several research projects in the Arctic and the Antarctic since 2001, and has participated in over a dozen Polar expeditions. Antonio was the scientific manager of the Spanish Polar Program from 2011 to 2017, and became Executive Director of the CPE in 2017. He is the representative of Spain to the Committee for Environmental Protection, International Arctic Science Committee, the European Polar Board and deputy representative at the annual Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings.

Ollie Darke, MNAP from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), was elected to the role of Vice Chair in 2024. Since joining BAS in 2015, Oliver has gained broad experience delivering challenging projects across Antarctica, including the relocation of Halley VI research station. He has led the BAS buildings and engineering team and supported the early establishment of the UKs Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme (AIMP). Today, he is the BAS Director responsible for Operations & Engineering, a member of the UK Delegation to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings, a UK Antarctic Heritage Trust trustee, and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

Pavel Kapler, MNAP from the Masaryk University, Czech Republic, was elected to the role of Vice Chair in 2021. Pavel is the manager of the Czech Antarctic Research Programme (CARP) since 2010. He has been involved in all of the major changes the programme has undergone, including the construction of the J.G. Mendel Czech Antarctic Station (2004-07); Gaining Membership in COMNAP (2013); Associating CARP into the SCAR (2013); and gaining Antarctic Treaty Consultative State status of the Czech Republic (2014). He was in charge of the hosting of the COMNAP AGM XXIX in Brno (2017) and he was the head of Host Country Secretariat for 42nd Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting and Committee for environmental Protection Meeting in Prague (2019). From 2014 to 2021 he served as Co-leader of the COMNAP Technology and Energy Expert Working Group (now Advancing Critical Technologies Expert Group). He also serves as an advisor to the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Czech Ministry of Environment with regards to Antarctic issues. He has been the leader of eight scientific expeditions to Antarctica. His professional background is in climatology and environmental impact assessment.

Walter Mac Cormack, DMNAP from the Argentine Antarctic Institute (IAA), was elected to the role of Vice Chair in 2024. For several years, Walter has been the Coordinator of the Life Science Area of the Instituto Antártico Argentino (IAA). Since 2020, he is Scientific Director at IAA. Walter is a biologist, specializing in Antarctic Microbiology, and he has studied for almost four decades the biology and the biotechnological potential of adaptation to cold of Antarctic microorganisms. Walter has been part of the Argentinean delegation at the annual Latin American Antarctic Programs Administrators (RAPAL) Meetings and he is the SCAR delegate for Argentina. With a PhD in Biotechnology, Walter continues to be involved in microbiological research in Antarctic ecosystems and also in the development of in situ bioremediation processes to restore hydrocarbon affected Antarctic soils.

Wendy Rubio, DMNAP for the Insituto Antartico Chileno (INACH), was elected to the role of Vice Chair in 2023. Wendy is the Head of Operations at INACH, an engineer with over two decades of experience, overseeing the planning of scientific and logistical activities carried out by Chile in the White Continent. She has been a member of the National Committee for Antarctic Geographical Names (CNNGA) for over 15 years. She has served as a coordinator for the national Antarctic programs (NAPs) using Punta Arenas as the gateway to Antarctica for over 10 years. Since 2013, she has been part of the Chilean delegation at the Latin American Antarctic Programs Administrators Meeting (RAPAL), and since 2019, she has been a member of the delegation attending COMNAP meetings.

Shailendra Saini, DMNAP of the Indian National Antarctic Programme was elected as the COMNAP Vice Chair in 2024. Shailendra is the Group Director at National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), and leads the Indian Antarctic Operations. With over two decades of experience in polar research, he has been instrumental in managing the Indian Antarctic Programme for the past 15 years. Shailendra is an Indian representative at DROMLAN and COMNAP. With Ph. D. degree in Electronics, Shailendra is actively involved in the space weather and atmospheric research in the polar regions.

Chair: Uwe Nixdorf
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), Germany

Chair: Matt Filipowski
Australian Antarctic Division (AAD), Australia

Chair: Margaret Knuth
National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs, United States of America

Chair: Mandi Livesey
Australian Antarctic Division (AAD), Australia

Chair: Agnieszka Kruszewska
Biophysics Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland

Chair: Gianluca Bianchi Fasani
Programma Nazionale Di Ricerche in Antartide (PNRA), Italy