Dr. Zolana João is the General Director of the National Space Program Management Office (GGPEN) and was a non-executive Director of the Angolan Communications Institute (INACOM) for 8 years (2015-2023). He is an experienced manager with proven results in the space and ICT industry, having contributed to the construction and design of space programs and ICT policies, with several space institutions and agencies around the world, with emphasis on Africa.

He has two master's degrees: a Master's degree in Telecommunications Technologies from the Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa, and a Master's degree in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering, from the École Supérieure d'Ingénieurs en Électrotechnique et Électronique (ESIEE), Paris, France. And a PhD in Engineering from George Washington University, DC, USA, with an emphasis on Management of Complex and Large Projects.

He has a vast history with academia as a Professor, Dean and researcher, in partnership with Universities such as MIT, in the USA. He conducts extensive research on the use of high-resolution satellite images and Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques for managing complex projects and designing decision support systems.