Iridium Communications has established a Government Advisory Board consisting of former senior US government officials and business leaders.
The Board comprises:
Donald Kerr, a research professor in George Mason University’s Volgenau School of…
Iridium Communications has established a Government Advisory Board consisting of former senior US government officials and business leaders.
The Board comprises:
Donald Kerr, a research professor in George Mason University’s Volgenau School of Information Technology and Engineering and who has served as principal deputy director of US National Intelligence, director of the National Reconnaissance Office, and deputy director for Science and Technology at the CIA.
Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, vice president of Science Programs for CSC Corporation as well as the president of Antarctic Research Support. He previously served as undersecretary of commerce for Oceans & Atmosphere and Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Lautenbacher spearheaded the development of the Group on Earth Observation, and served as deputy chief of Naval Operations.
General Lance Lord, the CEO of Astrotech Space Operations, having served 37 years in the US military, most recently as the commander of the US Air Force Space Command.
Art Money, who served as the assistant secretary of Defence for Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence from 1999 until 2001. Prior to that, Money served as the senior civilian official, Office of the ASD C3I and as the US Department of Defence chief information officer.
Peter B. Teets, who served as undersecretary of the US Air Force and director of the US National Reconnaissance Office. Teets was formerly president and chief operating officer of Lockheed Martin.
Brigadier General Peter Dawkins and A.B. ‘Buzzy’ Krongard, two current members of Iridium’s Board of Directors, will also serve ex officio on the Government Advisory Board.
Shanks goes Direct to FOX
Eric Shanks is moving from DirecTV to become the new president of FOX Sports.
Sports fan Shanks, who joined DirecTV in 2004 and has lately held the position of executive vice president of entertainment, will be reporting to David Hill, chairman and CEO FOX Sports Media Group.
Former boss Mike White, president and CEO of DirecTV, said: “Anyone who knows Eric is keenly aware of his deep passion for sports, so when this opportunity came up for him a while back, we worked with our friends at News Corporation and FOX Sports to ensure the transition for both companies was seamless. His accomplishments here have left an immensely positive impact on the organisation that will resonate for many years to come. We wish him the very best in his new position.”
New DG for Russian state satellite group
The Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) has promoted Yuri Prokhorov to the position of director general.
Prokhorov, a graduate of the Moscow Institute of Radio Technology, Electronics and Automatics who has worked in the satellite industry since 1982, joined the RSCC in July 2008 as first deputy director general and became acting director general in June last year. Previously he was director of the new system projects department at Intellect Telecom public corporation and deputy director general of Khrunichev SCRPC.
Prokhorov headed the work on development and operation of advanced telecommunications systems for the sake of the satellite branch (including work at Baikonur and Plesetsk space centres), as well as on development of on-board repeaters for small telecommunications spacecraft designed at Khrunichev SCPRC. Yuri Prokhorov also headed the work on development and operation of the Russian segment of the Iridium global mobile satellite communications system.
Former Fortis head joins Newtec
Brigitte Boone has joined Belgian satellite communication equipment supplier Newtec as a member of its strategic committee. Boone was formerly the CEO of the merchant banking division of Fortis Bank.
Serge Van Herck, CEO of Newtec said: “I am absolutely thrilled that someone of Brigitte’s truly world class record and experience in the banking and finance sector has decided to join us. She will bring a new dimension to what is already a very successful strategic committee”.
Boone becomes the second external member of the Strategic Committee, following the appointment last year of Martin De Prycker, the former CEO of Barco. Prior to this De Prycker had been a long standing member of Alcatel, where he founded the ADSL Broadband products division.
Bennett departs OpenTV following Kudelski buy
Ben Bennett, the former chief executive officer of TV middleware developer OpenTV has left the company followings its takeover by conditional access firm Kudelski.
Bennett served as OpenTV’s CEO from March 2008 to March 2010, having joined the company in 2007. Prior to this, he was vice president for the internet devices and mobile communications division of Spyglass.
In Bennett’s absence, Alex Osadzinski, the director of digital TV products at Kudelski, will take on some of his responsibilities.
McGuirk leaves SES World Skies
Bryan McGuirk has left his role as senior vice president of Media Services at
SES World Skies to form a new venture in the media and entertainment sector.
SES will not bring in a direct replacement for McGuirk but stated that Scott Sprague, senior vice president of Global Sales, will take on the additional responsibilities of McGuirk as part of his increased role heading up World Skies’ integrated world-wide sales force.
Alan Young, CTO of World Skies, will continue to support all media customer activities in close coordination with Sprague and his team.
McGuirk, joined World Skies in 2003 and was central to the role out of its HD Prime service. He also oversaw the development of the IP platform to broadcast MPEG-4.
Schenone heads up Sciemus’ US push
Rob Schenone has been appointed by Sciemus to lead its expansion into the United States. Under the new title Head of Americas, Sciemus USA, Schenone will work alongside the existing Space team and will drive the development of new products in the region with the focus in the near term being power and renewable energy.
Prior to joining Sciemus, Schenone spent almost ten years at Marsh, where he held a number of positions including managing director of Marsh Space Projects and operations leader of its US Aviation Practice. Before Marsh, Schenone was a vice president, satellite underwriter at ACE Bermuda Insurance Company, a position he held from 1997 to 2000.
