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SpatialNews.com Press Release
Wireless News - Business News - Feature Columns
First woman and youngest-ever appointment in Ordnance Survey's history - Minister names new Director General to map out future of Ordnance SurveyShe is currently with Autodesk Inc - one of the world's largest computer software companies - where she is Global Manager, Strategic Marketing and Communications, in its Geographic Information Systems Solutions Division. When she takes up her post shortly, she will become the first woman to lead Ordnance Survey in its 209-year history and, at 37, is the youngest person ever appointed to the job. She said today: "I am delighted that I have been given the opportunity to lead Ordnance Survey. Over the past ten years, the technology of mapping has undergone revolutionary change, and the pace of change is still accelerating, presenting our industry with challenges and opportunities in equal measure. My role is to enable Ordnance Survey to rise to those opportunities, making digital mapping a foundation stone of the knowledge-based economy that will sustain national prosperity in the new century." Ms Lawrence's appointment was announced by the Government Minister responsible for Ordnance Survey, Beverley Hughes MP, following open competition. Ms Hughes comments: "Vanessa Lawrence is a world-class professional, known in both the private and public sectors for her vision, dynamism and wealth of knowledge. I am delighted that she is to lead Ordnance Survey and drive forward the work which has already established it as the world's leading national mapping organisation." Vanessa Lawrence lives in Guildford, Surrey and was born in Amersham, Buckinghamshire. From 1981-84 she studied for her BA honours degree in geography at the University of Sheffield and subsequently was awarded an MSc in remote sensing, image processing and its applications by the University of Dundee. The first 11 years of her career were in publishing, first with the Longman Group UK Ltd and then as the Technical Director of GeoInformation International - a division of Pearson Professional Ltd, specialising in the provision of information in all media to people working in the geographic information systems market. In 1996 she joined Autodesk as Regional Business Development Manager covering areas including UK, Ireland, the Middle East and Africa, where she worked with both private sector and government organisations to spread the use of geographical information systems - computers that can integrate and analyse and interpret information from many sources. Projects included helping to create one of the largest geographical information systems in the world to help organise and run the 1999 General Election in South Africa, right down to local ward level. In February 2000, she was appointed to her present Global Manager role, giving her a world-wide remit to position Autodesk and its GIS division strategically with major organisations such as governments, national mapping organisations and new customers. In the UK, she was elected as the 1999 chair of the Association for Geographical Information (AGI), the professional association representing the industry on which she has been a council member since 1996. During the year she wrote and published more than 20 articles commenting on the geographical information industry. Previous honorary posts have included being a council member of the Institute of British Geographers (1994-95), council member of the Remote Sensing Society (1991-94), and member of the Research Resources Board of the Economic and Social Research Council (1995-99). Currently, she is also an external examiner with University College, London, for its MSc geographic information science course. Her out of work interests include scuba diving, sailing, tennis - and she has an interest in antique maps! Vanessa Lawrence takes over the post which, since late last year, has been filled temporarily by Ordnance Survey's Director of Business Strategy and Finance, David Willey. He comments: "I am pleased that the period of uncertainty is over - we are all looking forward to working with Vanessa as she spearheads the move to join up geography across Great Britain."
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