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Stephen Attenborough
Stephen Attenborough leads commercial activities at Virgin Galactic and was its first full‑time employee (2004), having built the company's commercial foundations and market for private space travel; he oversees commercial, marketing and partnership strategy and has attracted about 700 future astronauts and US$80m in deposits.
Stephen Attenborough leads all commercial activities for Virgin Galactic, part of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, which is on track to become the world’s first passenger carrying commercial spaceline.
Attenborough was invited by Richard Branson to join Virgin Galactic as the company’s first full time employee in 2004 to put in place the commercial foundations of the business and to create a new market for private space travel. He now leads all activities, covering brand management, sales, marketing, customer care, communications, education and outreach, as well as partnerships for the human spaceflight business. This work has now attracted around 700 future astronauts from more than 50 countries along with US$80m in deposits.
Attenborough has also been responsible for work-streams, investigating and now building the non-tourism applications for the new space vehicles, particularly science research and the small satellite launch.
Stephen Attenborough joined Virgin Galactic following a career in investment management in the City of London, most latterly as a Director at Fund Managers, Gartmore.
Topics, sessions and talks
In this session, Stephen Attenborough explores how to forge a brand-new industry and how to build a purposeful and innovative brand from scratch. Stephen also shares how working with a purpose attracts amazing people to join you on your journey and make it easier to accomplish your end goal.
In this session, Stephen Attenborough shares his lessons learnt from the Virgin Galactic story. Commercial space travel will change humanity’s perspective of our planet by expanding its horizons beyond just industrial applications — Stephen explains why with fascinating insights.
Keeping your top customer on your side and by your side during times of rocky terrain can be challenging for any company. To combat this, Stephen Attenborough is here to share his lessons and top insights from the Virgin Galactic story.
Learn how Virgin Galactic created and maintained an entrepreneurial culture which survived and thrived on the challenging road to space with its ex-Commercial Director, Chief Customer Officer and founding employee, Stephen Attenborough.
Stephen brings unparalleled insights from the forefront of commercial space travel, offering a unique perspective on innovation, leadership, and the creation of new markets. With his experience in transforming Virgin Galactic into a pioneering spaceline, he can inspire your team or business to reach new heights and think beyond traditional boundaries. Booking Stephen as a speaker will not only captivate your audience but also ignite a passion for exploration and excellence in your organization.
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frequently asked questions
Something we've not covered here?
Stephen Attenborough structures his sessions around case study-led narrative, drawing directly from his experience building Virgin Galactic from its first commercial hire. He uses the Virgin Galactic story as a through-line to illustrate principles around brand-building, customer retention, and market creation in an emerging industry.
Stephen Attenborough speaks on building new industries from scratch, retaining high-value customers through uncertainty, and opening access to commercial space travel. He served as Virgin Galactic's first full-time employee, growing the programme to over 700 future astronauts from more than 50 countries and securing upwards of US$80 million in deposits.
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