World View names new chief financial officer and appoints a new member to its board of directors

World View, a global leader in stratospheric exploration and flight, has announced Stephen Wideman as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and former World View Exploration and Tourism Advisory Board (ExTAB) member Lori Garver to its Board of Directors.

“We are excited to welcome Stephen to our executive team, and Lori’s continued counsel in her new role as Independent Director,” said Ryan M. Hartman, President and CEO of World View. “Their extensive industry experience and shared value of space exploration–in all forms–as well as its inherent role in the preservation of our planet will provide crucial insights and guidance as we continue to expand our global remote sensing business and create a radically improved future for our planet.”

As CFO, Wideman will oversee all of World View’s financial activities including accounting and controllership, planning and analysis, investor relations, internal audits and reporting. Wideman brings three decades of expertise in the financial industry that will help ensure fiscal responsibility to support World View’s enterprise growth initiatives. His background includes a broad array of experiences in corporate financial management; financial planning, analysis, and risk management; investor relations; and corporate treasury for consumer products to government contracts. More recently, Wideman served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Erickson Incorporated, a leading provider of aviation services. He holds a B.S. in Finance and Economics from Tuskegee University and an MBA from the University of Georgia.

“I am thrilled to be joining the World View family,” said Wideman. “There is clear opportunity for value creation in the company's differentiated mission set, addressable markets, strategic partnerships and talented workforce.”

Garver is the former Deputy Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and a renowned aerospace executive, policy analyst and thought leader. In joining the Board of Directors, Garver relinquished her ExTAB seat effective May 3, 2023.

Garver began her career at NASA in 1996 and was nominated and confirmed by President Barack Obama as Deputy Administrator in 2009, serving in this role until 2013 when she became General Manager of the Air Line Pilots Association. For her outstanding service at NASA, she was awarded the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal. A career champion for space exploration and its benefit to humanity, Garver has also held roles as a member of the NASA Advisory Council, a guest lecturer at the International Space University, president and board member of Women in Aerospace and president of the American Astronautical Society.

"I look forward to joining the Board of Directors and working with the wider World View team to utilize the unique perspective of the stratosphere to provide new insights about our home planet in pursuit of a better future," said Garver.

Following Garver’s appointment, World View’s Board of Directors will comprise five members including Sameer Gandhi, General Partner at Accel; Deepak Kamra, Managing Partner at Canaan Partners; Charlie Precourt, Former NASA Astronaut; Ryan M. Hartman, President and CEO at World View; and Garver.

World View continues to bring its remote sensing capabilities to new industries and markets around the world. Its unique approach to remote sensing via stratospheric balloons offers significant advantages compared to traditional satellite and fixed-wing aircraft imaging, enabling governments, organizations and commercial entities to gather data and analytics for a diverse array of current and potential use cases: national security and defense, methane detection, non-invasive energy exploration, wildfire and storm tracking, climate change research, agriculture, maritime monitoring and others.

To learn more about World View’s expertise pioneering stratospheric exploration, visit worldview.space.