Obituary: John Morgan

John Morgan, who served as EUMETSAT’s first Director from 1986-1995, died on Friday 25 October at the age of 86. John’s ambition, resourcefulness, and visionary leadership were instrumental in establishing EUMETSAT as Europe’s foremost operational satellite agency for monitoring weather, climate and the environment from space. His contributions also reached far beyond the organisation, substantially advancing the field of meteorology across Europe and globally.

John grew up in the harbour town of Bideford in the United Kingdom and started working at the UK’s Met Office as a young man. He majored in pure maths and physics at the University of London and his career spanned three interwoven fields: weather forecasting, computer systems, and operational meteorology.

He worked in the Met Office forecasting division, a time that included periods based in Northern Africa, and went on to lead a team in the organisation’s satellite research branch. He contributed his computing expertise to the development of the UK’s Stratospheric Sounding Unit, an instrument flown on the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) polar-orbiting satellites. In 1977, John moved to Germany to support the Meteorological Information Extraction Centre – a European Space Agency unit that was responsible for processing data from the first Meteosat satellite, which had been launched the same year. Upon his return to the UK, he contributed to the working group that would ultimately establish EUMETSAT, and was elected its first director in 1986.

During his time at EUMETSAT, John transformed the organisation from a small team of just four staff members into a fully operational satellite agency. He tirelessly pursued ambitious goals, establishing EUMETSAT as a cornerstone of Europe’s meteorological satellite capabilities and extended this vision beyond Europe by championing global collaboration and partnerships.

John oversaw the establishment of an operational infrastructure to control and exploit the Meteosat geostationary satellites and initiated EUMETSAT’s future programmes and direction – including conceptualising and planning the Meteosat Second Generation programme and the EUMETSAT Polar System and its Metop satellites. John also initiated the establishment of the EUMETSAT satellite application facilities, a distributed network that enables specialists in EUMETSAT member states to contribute to developments and operational activities.

International collaboration and European integration were causes especially close to John’s heart. He initiated close collaboration with central and eastern European countries and planted the seeds for the growth of EUMETSAT’s membership from an initial group of 16 countries to 30 today. John also facilitated collaboration among satellite operators globally, advocating for the deployment of data distribution centres that expanded access to EUMETSAT data and improved access to reliable meteorological data, especially in parts of Africa.

John firmly believed that satellite operators not only could but should support one another, knowing that cooperation could ultimately save lives and resources. These efforts included EUMETSAT joining the Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites (CGMS) in 1987, where it eventually took on the role of permanent secretariat. He also developed the concept of “global contingency planning” and backup agreements between geostationary satellite operators and tirelessly travelled between continents to convince others to implement this concept.

John’s efforts in making connections worldwide were driven by a conviction that strong personal relationships were the key to effective collaboration. Under his guidance, EUMETSAT forged invaluable partnerships with international agencies, notably stepping in to support NOAA in 1989, when the primary imager on its GOES-6 satellite failed. Within the framework of CGMS, John guided the decision to reposition Meteosat-3 over the Atlantic, where it served NOAA’s needs for nearly four years and supported the prediction of extreme weather events like Hurricane Andrew in 1992. This important act of cooperation helped to create a strong and enduring partnership between EUMETSAT and NOAA, which continues to this day.

John held a deep belief in the value of meteorological satellite data, not just for weather forecasters but also across diverse scientific fields, including meteorology, climate science, agriculture, oceanography, and environmental monitoring. His vision resonated deeply with colleagues and representatives across EUMETSAT’s member states, inspiring commitment to strengthen EUMETSAT and its programmes.

John pursued a wide range of hobbies and interests, including computing, photography, carpentry, travel writing, gardening and, perhaps most endearingly, tending to his farm in England.

“One of the secrets of John’s success was that he was so genuine,” said Silvia Castañer, EUMETSAT’s former Director of Administration. “I remember occasions when delegations and dignitaries were invited to his home, where they were greeted by John dressed in his rubber boots and tweed jacket – and sometimes also chasing after a few sheep that had escaped when he opened the gate. These moments only seemed to strengthen the personal connections with his guests, and ultimately contributed to successful collaborations. John truly laid the foundations for EUMETSAT and will always be remembered as a leader who had a vision and just went out there and got things done.”

Phil Evans, EUMETSAT Director-General, said: “John had a remarkable ability to quickly mobilise resources and drive major projects to completion and he played a pivotal role in shaping EUMETSAT’s programmes and working culture. Even after retiring he remained closely connected to EUMETSAT, actively contributing as a consultant and trusted confidant to programmes, and ultimately the success of the organisation. John was well known as someone hard working and diplomatic, with a great humility and sense of humour. However, perhaps what inspired me most about him was his kindness and warmth. Our thoughts are with John’s wife Angela and his family at this time.”