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Gregory Robinson

Former Director, James Webb Space Telescope, NASA Leader, Award Winner
Gregory Robinson Headshot
LeadershipBusinessInnovation

Former Director of the James Webb Space Telescope, Gregory Robinson shows audiences how disciplined leadership, clear communication, and accountability can turn around complex, high stakes programs.

LeadershipBusinessInnovation

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Meet Gregory Robinson

Gregory Robinson is a 33 year NASA veteran best known for leading the $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope program to success after a series of high profile challenges. He is widely recognized for improving efficiency from 55% to 95%, streamlining communication across government, contractors, and international partners, and guiding one of the most ambitious scientific missions of the century.

Known for his calm and steady leadership style, Robinson speaks on leading large, complex projects, navigating political and organizational pressure, and building alignment across diverse stakeholders. His experience overseeing nearly 20,000 personnel across 29 countries gives him a rare perspective on execution at scale.

Gregory Robinson is available to be booked for corporate and private events. Contact the Mollie Plotkin Group today to inquire about Gregory Robinson’s fees.

Want to book Gregory Robinson for an event?

Contact the Mollie Plotkin Group at 215-995-0905 to book Gregory Robinson for a keynote speech, corporate event, leadership program, workshop, fireside chat, virtual appearance, or other private or professional event.

Our team will help confirm Gregory Robinson’s availability, speaking fee, travel requirements, and fit for your audience. To start the booking process, please share your event date, location, audience size, event format, and the type of presentation you are looking for.

The Mollie Plotkin Group is a full-service keynote speaker agency and entertainment bureau that helps organizations secure keynote speakers, entertainers, athletes, celebrities, and thought leaders for corporate meetings, conferences, fundraisers, and special events.

Biography

Leadership on the James Webb Space Telescope

Gregory Robinson served as the director of the James Webb Space Telescope, one of NASA’s most complex and ambitious programs. Taking over a project facing budget overruns and operational setbacks, he led a turnaround that significantly improved efficiency and restored confidence across stakeholders. His leadership brought alignment across Congress, the Office of Management and Budget, the White House, aerospace contractors, and international space agencies.

Under his oversight, the program successfully advanced to launch and deployment. Today, the Webb telescope operates one million miles from Earth, delivering unprecedented images and scientific data expected to shape understanding of the universe for decades.

A Career of Scale and Impact at NASA

Over a 33 year career at NASA, Robinson held multiple senior leadership roles, including Deputy Associate Administrator for Programs, where he was responsible for more than 100 science missions. He also served as Deputy Center Director at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, Deputy Chief Engineer, and held leadership roles supporting shuttle missions following the Columbia accident. His experience also includes time with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Robinson’s career began in 1989 and reflects a path from modest beginnings in rural Virginia to senior leadership within NASA. He has received numerous honors, including being named to TIME’s 100 Most Influential People and EBONY’s Power 100, along with receiving the TIME100 Impact Award and the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award.

In addition to his government service, Robinson has contributed to academia, including faculty roles where he lectures on information and knowledge strategy and leading large, complex projects.

How to Hire Gregory Robinson

To hire Gregory Robinson for an event, contact the Mollie Plotkin Group with the proposed event date, location, audience size, event format, and program goals. Gregory Robinson is available for corporate events, conferences, leadership meetings, private events, workshops, fireside chats, and virtual programs.

After receiving your request, a Mollie Plotkin Group booking agent will review Gregory Robinson’s availability, discuss the event details, and get back to you within 48 hours with next steps for securing Gregory Robinson for your program.

Gregory Robinson Booking Fee

The cost to book Gregory Robinson depends on the event date, location, format, audience size, and scope of the appearance. Speaking fees may vary for keynote speeches, workshops, fireside chats, private events, corporate meetings, and virtual programs.

For the most accurate Gregory Robinson booking fee, contact the Mollie Plotkin Group with your event details. Our team will help confirm availability, pricing, and the best format for your event.

Speaking Topics & Programs

Gregory Robinson brings audiences inside one of the most complex and high stakes projects in modern history. Drawing from his leadership of the James Webb Space Telescope program, he shares how to guide large, diverse teams through setbacks, align stakeholders, and refocus organizations on mission success. His talks combine real stories, leadership lessons, and practical strategies for collaboration, communication, and culture change.

Common keynote themes include: leadership under pressure, large scale collaboration, innovation, culture change, stakeholder alignment, teamwork, communication, and mission driven performance.

Large Leadership Lessons from the James Webb Space Telescope

What it takes to lead a complex, high stakes mission to success.
Gregory Robinson shares the story of leading a program that was over budget and behind schedule and bringing it to a successful launch. He explains how to coordinate thousands of people across states and countries while managing stakeholders at every level. Audiences gain practical insight into aligning teams and maintaining focus on a shared goal.

  • Manage up and manage down to keep alignment across all levels
  • Use data to tell clear, compelling stories that drive decisions
  • Shift culture person by person to center on mission success
    Ideal for leaders managing complex projects, cross functional teams, or large organizations.

Taking On Your Own Moonshot

How to rally teams to achieve ambitious, seemingly impossible goals.
Through the story of transforming a struggling program into a historic achievement, Robinson shows how to inspire teams to think bigger and work together more effectively. He highlights the importance of trust, communication, and shared purpose when facing major challenges. The talk connects space exploration to everyday organizational goals.

  • Build trust across teams, partners, and stakeholders
  • Strengthen collaboration through open communication
  • Reframe challenges as opportunities for collective success
    Ideal for company wide events, kickoffs, and organizations pursuing bold initiatives.

A NASA Inspired Approach to Leading Innovation in Any Organization

Why the human element is essential to innovation and problem solving.
Robinson draws on decades of experience leading highly skilled experts to show why innovation depends on culture as much as technical ability. He explains how to create environments where creativity, knowledge sharing, and open communication can thrive. Audiences learn how leadership behaviors shape innovation outcomes.

  • Foster relationship building to support collaboration
  • Encourage creativity and knowledge sharing across teams
  • Know when to lead and when to support to drive progress
    Ideal for organizations focused on innovation, growth, and navigating change.

Closing Takeaway

Gregory Robinson’s message is clear. Even the most complex challenges can be overcome when leaders align people, build trust, and focus relentlessly on a shared mission.

Featured Client Reviews for Gregory Robinson

Not only was he flexible

and easy to work with, but Greg took a special interest in meeting with our students, which provided a once-in-a-lifetime learning and networking opportunity.

— Ann, University of Michigan

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