In 2013, the British Iranian Business Association (BIBA) welcomed Dr Firouz Naderi of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for a public lecture at BIBA’s 131st Meeting at the London Hilton.
The event brought together members of London’s British-Iranian professional and business community for an opportunity to hear directly from one of the most distinguished Iranian-American figures in space exploration.
Dr Firouz Naderi
Dr Firouz Naderi (1946–2023) was an Iranian-American scientist and senior executive at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Born in Shiraz, Iran, he studied electrical engineering at Iowa State University before completing his master’s degree and PhD at the University of Southern California.
Naderi joined JPL in 1979 and spent 36 years at the laboratory, holding a number of major scientific and leadership positions. He became Manager of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program in 2000 and played an important role in restructuring the programme during a challenging period. He later served as JPL’s Associate Director for Project Formulation and Strategy and, from 2011, as Director for Solar System Exploration.
In that role, he oversaw JPL’s robotic exploration of the Solar System, including missions associated with Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, asteroids and other destinations. His distinguished career was recognised with numerous honours, including NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal and NASA’s Distinguished Service Medal.
Dr Naderi passed away on 9 June 2023 at the age of 77. For those of us who had the privilege of knowing him and welcoming him to London, this page now serves not only as a record of a memorable BIBA meeting, but also as a small tribute to an extraordinary scientist, an inspiring Iranian-American and a friend.
About the British Iranian Business Association
The British Iranian Business Association (BIBA) was founded in London in 1994 by Babak Emamian. It was established as a forum where British-Iranian businesspeople and professionals could meet, exchange ideas, develop professional connections and create new business opportunities.
Over the years, BIBA organised business meetings, lectures and other events bringing together members of the British-Iranian community and notable speakers from business, science and public life.
The 2013 appearance of Dr Firouz Naderi at BIBA’s 131st Meeting was one of those occasions — bringing the worlds of science, exploration, business and the British-Iranian community together in London.
