Antarctica New Zealand Acting Chief Executive Appointment

The Antarctica New Zealand Board of Directors have appointed Professor Jordy Hendrikx to the position of Acting Chief Executive Officer, ensuring consistency in leadership for the upcoming Antarctic research season.

Jordy joined Antarctica New Zealand in 2022 as the Chief Scientific Advisor to support the delivery of world-class research and the communication of research findings. He is also a member of the Antarctica New Zealand and Antarctic Science Platform leadership teams and represents New Zealand at international forums, including COMNAP (Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs) and ATCM (Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting).

Jordy is internationally recognised as a leading interdisciplinary cryosphere/snow scientist, with publications spanning from climate change impacts on snow, to avalanche forecasting, hazard mapping, polar climatology, hydrology and decision-making science. He has worked in both the Arctic and Antarctic, with extensive experience leading and supporting research.

Prior to joining Antarctica New Zealand, Jordy was the Director of the Snow & Avalanche Laboratory and a Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at Montana State University in the United States. He also served as Department Head for Earth Sciences and as the Director of Liberal Studies. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Geosciences for the Arctic University of Norway.

Jordy started his career at Victoria University of Wellington undertaking research in Antarctica, worked at the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research in Switzerland, and then completed his PhD at the University of Canterbury. He then worked for NIWA before moving to the United States in 2010.