Hamid Akhavan Named CEO of Dish Network, Before Merger Close

Hamid Akhavan

Hamid Akhavan is now CEO of Dish Network ahead of the EchoStar/Dish merger close, the company announced Monday. Akhavan is currently the CEO of EchoStar, and it was already in the works for him to lead the combined company when the merger ended. According to the Nov. 13 announcement, he will take the helm at both companies while the transaction is still going through regulatory approval. It is expected to close by the end of the year. 

Former Dish CEO Erik Carlson is joining mortgage brokerage franchise RE/MAX Holdings as CEO, effective Monday, RE/MAX company announced. 

“There is tremendous opportunity at DISH, and even more so once it’s combined with EchoStar,” Akhavan commented. “This appointment will enable me and the teams to get a headstart in preparing to run the combined business of the companies.”

Akhavan has been with EchoStar as CEO since March 2022. The company recently reported a 17% year-over-year drop in revenue in the third quarter of 2023, and a loss of 165,000 Hughes Network Systems broadband subscribers.

“Hamid brings a unique set of skills to Dish, building off his experience in the technology, telecom, private equity and investment sectors,” said Charlie Ergen, co-founder and chairman of Dish Network. “An engineer by background, he’s financially astute and a seasoned manager. He currently serves EchoStar, Dish’s sister company, as CEO and will lead both companies in order to hit the ground running, once the merger with EchoStar is complete.”

Dish had a disappointing third quarter financial report, with an 11% year-over-year revenue decline. The company shed 64,000 pay-TV subscribers in the third quarter, compared to a net increase of approximately 30,000 in the year-ago quarter. The company also laid off more than 500 employees in Colorado.