Simon Gray, senior vice president of civil government at Eutelsat (EPA:ETL), died Feb. 24.
Gray joined Eutelsat in 1999, according to his LinkedIn profile, and also served as a board member for global satellite trade association GVF.
“Simon was a wonderful member of GVF’s Board, a friend with whom we shared stories and advice over many occasions and, most importantly, a driving force to help people affected by disasters receive life-saving assistance via communications satellites,” David Meltzer, GVF secretary general, told Connectivity Business News.
Gray was also a coordinator for the United Nations satellite charter, which guarantees free telecommunications in disaster areas for the first three months. “This is the first such charter where a whole sector has come together to supply a service to the UN before sectors such as such as Big Pharma, logistics, Silicon Valley, etc.,” Gray wrote on his LinkedIn page.
“The achievement that was closest to his heart was his conviction that the Satellite Community should give something back to society,” said Eutelsat in a LinkedIn post today. Gray volunteered with humanitarian connectivity providers such as NetHope and Telecom Sans Frontieres.
He leaves behind him a wife and four children.