Shaping the Future of the Operational Earth Science: Building Teams, Approaches, and Products

Having worked across the whole spectrum of the operational forecasting, from Innovation to Operations (I2O), I bring a unique blend of scientific expertise, operational experience, and leadership skills, providing strategic vision and solution delivery in the fields of weather and climate.

Technology Integration

Successfully integrating cutting-edge technologies such as AI and Machine Learning into weather forecasting systems has resulted in 30% improvement accuracy in comparison to ECMWF and generated ML-based probabilistic forecast. These advancements enable faster and more accurate predictions of severe weather. Demonstrated expertise includes leading several transitions of operational forecating suites to different HPC systems and cloud providers for public and private weather forecasting organization, reducing cost up to 50% and enhancing operations.

Data Assimilation & Forecasting

Led the development of five operational data assimilation and forecasting systems for NRL, NOAA, and Tomorrow.io. The applications include atmospheric, land and marine forecasting in support of the public, but also benefiting areas like emergency management, agriculture and transportation. Started with variational methodologies for the coastal wave analysis, and keep advancing the coupled data assimilation for improvement forecasting and demonstrating value of new (OSE) or potential (OSSE) observational systems. More than 40 publications on this topic and significant contributions to open source projects (e.g., WW3 and JEDI).

Remote Sensing

Introduced to the earth sciences through the remote sensing. At HZG in Germany, I developed four algorithms and two commercial products, for the monitoring and observation of the upper ocean and lower atmosphere based on ground-based radar systems. Provided scientific leadership to two satellite missions of Tomorrow.io with focused on the global precipitation observations and their impact on the forecasting, leading to more accurate weather forecasts.

Infrastructure Modernization

Leadership in modernizing weather forecasting infrastructure includes the adoption of the latest computing infrastructure and software development practices, transitioning systems to cloud platforms in a cloud provider agnostic way. These efforts have increased scalability, reduced costs, and enhanced system reliability, allowing for 100% operational uptime and the use of larger datasets and more complex (computationally expensive) models. Such transformations have been successfully implemented in both public (NOAA/EPIC) and private sectors, improving organizational efficiency, service delivery, and enabling the collaboration of the scientific and operational communities.

Leadership & Team Building

Proven ability to build and lead high-performing teams in the weather and climate industry. Experience includes recruiting and managing teams of 30-60 scientists and engineers, employing agile methods to deliver complex projects on time and within budget. I operate under two main principles: A consistent focus on fostering collaboration and innovation to enhance productivity; and to support the personal and professional growth of the team members.

Human-Centric Solutions

Committed to making weather information accessible and actionable, leading efforts to develop user-friendly tools and communication strategies and having always the final user in mind. I have led the succesful delivery of more than a hundred projects, spreading from fundamental research to tailored forecasting and always striving for the user satisfaction and public understanding of the provided information and derived products, e.g., weather risks.

Looking Ahead

I’m excited to continue my journey at the forefront of weather and climate innovation. Whether developing cutting-edge technologies, leading transformational change, or mentoring future leaders, I’m committed to building a more sustainable and resilient future for all.

Connect with me to explore collaborations, discuss your wether and climate challenges, or invite me to your next event.