Dean Olmstead sadly passed away on 16 October after a long battle with cancer. He was 55.
Olmstead was a hugely influential figure in the satellite industry and was a central force in many aspects that have shaped the sector as it is today.
In the 1980s,…
Dean Olmstead sadly passed away on 16 October after a long battle with cancer. He was 55.
Olmstead was a hugely influential figure in the satellite industry and was a central force in many aspects that have shaped the sector as it is today.
In the 1980s, Olmstead led the effort to gain international acceptance of the US’ first international satellite system, PanAmSat, that was separate from Intelsat, thus paving the way for today’s vibrant FSS satellite sector.
Olmstead led the first foreign acquisition of a US satellite operator with SES’ acquisition of Americom, after which he became president and chief executive officer of SES Americom. He installed the world’s first all-digital satellite broadcast center in Japan when at DirecTV Japan and helped develop the first broadband system for business jets in SKYLink.
He was also central to the managing the development of the first US Ka-band spot beam satellite ACTS for NASA.
Olmstead was most recently president of EchoStar Satellite Services having joined the company shortly after its spin-off from DISH Network in January 2008.
Prior to this he served as an adviser to Loral Space & Communications on strategic and growth opportunities for its satellite service businesses and was formerly president of Arrowhead Global Solutions.
He was inducted into the Space Technology Hall of Fame in 1997, was an Individual Patron of the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation, and served on several Federal Government advisory committees.
Mike Dugan, CEO and president of EchoStar Corporation, said: “Dean will be remembered as a true legend in the satellite industry and will remain an eternal inspiration for our employees. Dean was a visionary who helped reshape the entire industry. His accomplishments at EchoStar and through his esteemed career have created the base upon which others will build for years to come.”
Phillip Spector, Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Intelsat commented: “Dean was taken too soon from us, and he will be sorely missed – as a businessman, as a creative force, and as a friend to so many in our business.”
Former SatelliteFinance editor Ross Bateson commented: “Dean Olmstead was a lifelong driver of progress in the satellite industry and a creative builder of satellite businesses, culminating in his work at Americom and Loral. What set him apart from other luminaries, though, was his eagerness to share and pass on his knowledge of the industry he helped create. As a young reporter, interviews with Dean felt more like masterclasses in how to manage satellite businesses while his introductions to all the leading satellite professionals widened and coloured the knowledge and appreciation I had of the industry. He enjoyed competing, but he loved creating and the industry has lost a great talent.”
