This year’s Satellite Executive of the Year award introduces radical changes. For the first time, the winner will be decided live at the SATELLITE 2019 Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, May 8th, by a combination of reader votes, the Via Satellite editorial board, and SATELLITE 2019 attendees.
Curt Blake, CEO, Spaceflight Industries — Led the SSO-A: SmallSat Express mission, the first-ever dedicated rideshare mission from a U.S. rocket, sending a record-breaking 64 satellites to orbit in one trip on Dec. 3, 2018. Secured major contracts with Rocket Lab, Virgin Orbit, ISRO, and Brazil’s INPE.
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Matthew Desch, CEO, Iridium — Led the full launch of Iridium NEXT, including becoming the second-ever GMDSS satellite provider, ending a decades-long monopoly. Achieved 11 consecutive fiscal periods of double-digit subscriber growth, surpassing one million network subscribers in 2018.
Jean-Loïc Galle, CEO, Thales Alenia Space — Guided Thales Alenia Space to design and build 40 different spacecraft launched in a single year, including 34 LEO satellites for Iridium NEXT and the Bangabandhu Satellite-1. First in history to successfully replace the biggest satellite constellation in the world.
Victor Nelson, President, Sector Microwave Industries (SMI) — Caps 44 straight years of profitability; negotiated an $11.5 million contract with Northrop Grumman for 300+ space switches; delivered switches for the MARS 2020 Rover, New Horizons (Pluto), Juno (Jupiter), and Osiris-Rex.
Peter Platzer, CEO, Spire Global — Full-year maritime revenues increased 160 percent from 2017; won contracts with NASA and NOAA; first company to partner with ESA for Galileo weather data; Iridium became the first commercial satellite company to reach 1000 GNSS-RO profiles per day. VS
