Beth Michelson, chief financial officer of NorthStar Earth & Space, has assumed additional responsibilities as president of the company’s U.S. subsidiary.
NorthStar said Wednesday Michelson’s appointment aims to reinforce the company’s commitment to U.S. space defense innovation and expand the company’s presence in the U.S. space industrial base.
“NorthStar’s appointment of Beth Michelson as President of our US enterprise comes at a pivotal moment for our company and for U.S. space security,” said NorthStar CEO Stewart Bain. “Leveraging experience and skills across our three enterprises give NorthStar a unique perspective to provide services that meet rapidly evolving military requirements.”
Commenting on her appointment, Michelson said she is “excited to support NorthStar US as we transition to commercial services across allied nations when space security is central to national defense here and abroad.”
Montreal-based NorthStar provides space situational awareness and space domain awareness support to help improve spaceflight safety. In September 2024, the company announced a collaboration with Riverside Research to enhance SSA capabilities under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Space-WATCH program.
What Are Beth Michelson’s Priorities as Head of NorthStar US?
In a brief Q-and-A with Michelson, she noted that the evolving geopolitical landscape is reshaping defense strategies across allied countries and cited the role of the U.S. in the transformation.
“Our established DARPA Space-WATCH experience helps validate our space services to establish good pedigree. Our current focus is to accelerate the adoption of next-generation SDA capabilities to implement both deterrence and operational superiority for US government clients,” she added.
She highlighted NorthStar’s efforts to expand its U.S. operations and promote collaboration with businesses.
“Our services will continue to roll out to existing clients, and we are excited to demonstrate solutions to new allied government customers,” Michelson stated. “As we grow, our focus remains on building infrastructure that scales to meet the demands of our clients, ensuring NorthStar US is a suitable and autonomous partner for the US government and industry.”
Who Is Beth Michelson?
In July 2024, NorthStar announced Michelson’s appointment as CFO.
She is a board member at NorthStar and a partner at Cartesian Capital Group, an investor in NorthStar since 2022. She has led acquisitions and investments across 20 countries.
The certified Chartered Financial Analyst also serves on the boards of several organizations, including Tiendamia, Thermal Management Solutions and Brilia.
Her industry career included time as a subadviser at AIG Capital Partners and an associate at Wasserstein Perella.
The University of Michigan graduate has an MBA from Columbia University Graduate School of Business.
