Agnieszka Kruszewska, MNAP for the Polish national Antarctic programme, was elected to the role as Chair in 2025 and will serve a 3-year term of office. Agnieszka is Deputy Director of the Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, she also serves as the Director's Representative for the management of the Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station. She is Vice-Chair of the Polar Research Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Vice-Chair of the Polish Polar Consortium. As an expert, she is a member of the Team for State Polar Policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland. She holds two master degrees, one in management and the other in law, as well as a Master of Business Administration degree.

Gianluca Bianchi Fasani, MNAP for the Programma Nazionale di Ricerche in Antartide (PNRA), Italy, was elected to the role of Vice Chair in 2025. Gianluca received a Degree in Applied Geology and a Ph. D. in Earth Sciences from Sapienza University of Rome. He’s currently a Senior Researcher in the Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development– Antarctic Technical Unit (ENEA-UTA). For seven years, Gianluca has been responsible for the Logistical Service in ENEA-UTA and Expedition Leader in Mario Zucchelli Station, Concordia Station, and onboard the RV Laura Bassi. He is responsible for the logistical aspect of the European Project “Beyond EPICA Oldest Ice” and for the technical aspects of the “Gravel-runway project” in Boulder Clay, Antarctica.

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.

Özgün Oktar, MNAP for the TÜBİTAK, Polar Research Institute, Türkiye, was elected to the role of Vice Chair in 2025. Since 2015, beginning of his deep engagement in polar research, he has participated in eleven Antarctic and five Arctic expeditions. Since December 2019, he has served full-time at the TÜBİTAK Polar Research Institute, where he held the position of Deputy Director from 2019 to 2024. In this capacity, he has been responsible for coordinating international collaborations and managing the logistical operations of Türkiye’s national polar expeditions. His work includes overseeing operational logistics, managing field team deployment, and facilitating bilateral and multilateral partnerships. Özgün holds a PhD and his research centers on institutional design and governance frameworks for national polar research structures.

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 a PhD in Electronics, Shailendra is actively involved in the space weather and atmospheric research in the polar regions.

Haynnee Trad, DMNAP for the Brazilian Antarctic Program (PROANTAR), was elected COMNAP Vice Chair in 2026. A Chemical Engineer and Captain in the Brazilian Navy, she began her career at the Rio de Janeiro Naval Shipyard, working in environmental management, an area in which she holds a postgraduate specialization. Haynnee has been involved with PROANTAR since 2007. From 2010 to 2019, she worked in the coordination of pre-Antarctic training, Antarctic expeditions, and logistical activities at PROANTAR's support facilities in Rio de Janeiro. She currently serves as Head of International Relations at the Secretariat of the Interministerial Commission for Sea Resources (SECIRM), working on international cooperation and matters related to Antarctica and the ocean.

Leader: Christine Wesche
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), Germany

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

Leader: Jessie Crain
National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs, United States of America

Co-Leader: Doğaç Baybars Işıler
TÜBITAK, Polar Research Institute, Türkiye

Co-Leader: Pavel Kapler
Czech Antarctic Research Programme (CARP), Czech Republic

Co-Leader: Wendy Rubio
Instituto Antártico Chileno (INACH), Chile

Leader: Rebecca Hingley
Australian Antarctic Division (AAD), Australia

Leader: Rocco Ascione
Programma Nazionale di Ricerche in Antartide (PNRA) / ENEA, Italy