Professor Zaffar Sadiq Mohamed-Ghouse has been elected Chair of the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management – Geospatial Societies (UN-GGIM:GS) and Vice Chair of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Board of Directors.
Prof. Mohamed-Ghouse, Director of Geospatial Advisory and Innovation at Woolpert Asia-Pacific, is a well-known identity in the Australian geospatial community, and a highly respected global expert who has had decades of experience in strategy, innovation and advice across government, academia and industry.
As Chair of UN-GGIM:GS, Prof. Mohamed-Ghouse will lead a coalition that represents a unified voice on geospatial matters to the United Nations and other global stakeholders. His work will support the UN Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management in shaping international geospatial policy and collaboration.
Speaking on his election to Vice Chair of the Board of the OGC board, Mohamed-Ghouse said that “I look forward to working with our new Chair, Ed Parsons, my fellow Board Directors, and the OGC leadership team to position OGC as a resilient organisation — one defined by sustainable finance, strong governance, a member-first approach, and global thought leadership in geospatial.”
The OGC has also announced the appointment of Ed Parsons as Board Chair.
Earlier in his career, Parsons was the first Chief Technology Officer at Ordnance Survey, Britain’s national mapping agency. Then, at Google, he pioneered efforts to bring mapping and geospatial technology to billions of users worldwide.
“I’m honoured to step into the role of Chair of the Board at such an exciting moment for OGC,” said Parsons.
“With AI, trust, and interoperability reshaping how the world uses geospatial data, OGC is uniquely positioned to grow its impact.
“This is a community that doesn’t just set standards — it creates opportunities, drives innovation, and connects ideas to real solutions. I’m looking forward to building that momentum and helping OGC reach its full potential.”
Peter Rabley, CEO of the OGC, said that he is “delighted to welcome Ed and Zaffar into their new leadership roles on OGC’s Board”.
“Ed’s unparalleled experience in driving geospatial technology adoption and Zaffar’s deep global expertise in geospatial strategy make them a powerful team to help guide OGC into its next chapter.
“I’d also like to extend heartfelt thanks to Prashant Shukle for his leadership and commitment to OGC during his tenure as Chair.”
