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For Immediate ReleaseSpace Systems/Loral CEO Patrick DeWitt Named Via Satellite Magazine's
Satellite Executive Of The Year 2006
Monday, February 5th 2007 — The editors of Access Intelligence’s Via Satellite magazine have selected Patrick DeWitt, chief executive officer of Space Systems/Loral, (SS/L) as its Satellite Executive of the Year 2006. In its 19th year, the award honors the satellite executive who made a lasting business impact on the global satellite industry during the previous calendar year.
As its top satellite executive for 2006, Via Satellite magazine will showcase DeWitt and his business accomplishments in its “Satellite Executive of the Year” cover feature in the March 2007 issue. DeWitt will give a keynote address at the Satellite Executive of the Year 2006 award luncheon on Wednesday, Feb. 21, where he will be presented with the award. An Evening Reception in his honor will also be held Wednesday. Both events take place during the SATELLITE 2007 Conference and Exhibition, which runs Feb. 19-22 at the Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C.
“Mr. DeWitt’s vision and guidance during his tenure at Space Systems/Loral made him a frontrunner for the Satellite Executive of Year Award,” said Jason Bates, editor of Via Satellite. “But it was DeWitt’s leadership through the hard times and preparation for the successes to come that set him apart from the rest and earned him the award in 2006.”
In 2006, Patrick DeWitt continued a remarkable story that began with his appointment as the president of SS/L in 2001. Through his leadership, the company reached the top of a highly competitive sector of the space industry. His efforts in positioning SS/L as one of the premier commercial satellite manufacturers earned him a nomination for the 2005 Satellite Executive of the Year award. His performance in 2006 was just as impressive, as SS/L continued to be among the leaders in capturing contracts to build increasingly complex commercial satellites.
Under DeWitt’s leadership, SS/L won a total of seven new satellite construction awards in 2006, from a wide array of customers, including FSS, MSS, DARS and direct-to-home service providers. The company’s backlog, as of September 30th, 2006, had swelled to more than $1.1 billion, up from $480 million at the end of 2004.
During the economic slowdown earlier this decade, DeWitt, who has been with the company for 34 years, reshaped and guided SS/L to make a strong come back. In 2006 the company expanded its workforce by 730 employees and DeWitt continues to grow the company in order to meet worldwide demand for increasingly complex and powerful satellites. His vision and guidance has made SS/L a leader in the satellite manufacturing industry.
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