Rome, 10 March 2026 – The conference titled, “Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Female Leadership in Aerospace”, promoted by Centre for Aerospace Military Studies (CeSMA) of the Air Force Association with the patronage of the Air Force.
The initiative represented an important moment for discussion on the role of women in the aeronautical and space sector, with the aim of sharing high-profile testimonies and at the same time promoting possible actions to enhance and further increase the leadership of female staff in strategic areas of the sector.
After the opening of the proceedings, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Force Corps General Antonio Conserva, In extending a formal greeting to the participants, he highlighted the importance of fostering inclusive professional paths and promoting increasingly broad female participation in highly specialised technological fields, such as aerospace.
The programme featured esteemed speakers from the military, industrial, and academic fields, who were invited to share professional experiences and reflections on the theme of female leadership in the defence and aerospace sectors. Two keynote speaker they brought their professional experience: Domitilla Benigni, CEO and COO of ELT Group; the Major General Tonje Skinnarland, former Chief of Staff of the Norwegian Air Force. The Lieutenant General Caroline Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff Manpower, Personnel and Services of the US Air Force at the Pentagon, offered her greetings to the audience in a video message.
During the morning, the university research titled “Human capital and gender balance as a strategic asset for the aerospace and defence sector”, created by the students Jacopo Alati, Riccardo Morelli, Elisa Guarino and Luna Rita Veraldi of the Students for Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) association, dedicated to the strategic value of gender diversity and human capital for the development of the aerospace and defence sector.
During the event, the SEnatrice Isabella Rauti, Undersecretary of State for Defence, who highlighted how the presence of women in the Armed Forces is now an established and constantly growing reality. «Female leadership in the Italian Armed Forces is no longer an exception but a reality founded on merit, responsibility and battlefield experience,» stated the Undersecretary, emphasising how the expansion of female participation in high-tech sectors, such as aerospace, represents not only an objective of equality but also a strategic choice to strengthen the country's innovation, competitiveness and security.
The work continued with the round table entitled “Aerospace, opportunities and role models”, moderated by Karolina Muti, researcher at the Institute of International Affairs. The discussion included Professor Amalia Ercoli Finzi, the first woman in Italy to graduate in aeronautical engineering in 1962, a lecturer at the Politecnico di Milano and one of the most important figures in the world in the field of aerospace science and technology; Annamaria Nassisi, Manager, Space Economy Observation and Navigation at Thales Alenia Space Italia; Noemi Ferrari, Founder and CEO of Quantum Ket and a nuclear physicist specialising in defence and security; Lieutenant Colonel Ilaria Ragona of the Italian Air Force, formerly Commander of the 18th Fighter Interceptor Flight Group; Rossella Andreozzi, President of UNAVIA; and Stefania Cantoni, Director General of the Italian Aerospace Research Centre.
In concluding the works, the Director of CESMA, Retired Air Force General Giovanni Fantuzzi, recapped the main points that emerged during the morning, particularly highlighting how any gaps in female representation in the aerospace sector can be overcome through competence, commitment, and training.
