Swissto12 is growing its leadership team as the company targets global expansion, appointing a new chief commercial officer (CCO) and execs focused on government affairs and partnerships.
The company’s CTO for the HummingSat program Mike Kaliski has been appointed CCO. Kaliski launched the HummingSat program in 2020 and built the team working on the program. As CCO he will now lead global commercial activities for the HummingSat line and Swissto12’s payload solutions.
In addition, Swissto12 also hired José Toscano, a senior telecommunications and regulatory affairs leader and Richard Franklin, a senior government space industry advisor. Both will focus on government affairs and partnerships.
Toscano is a founding commissioner of the UN Broadband Commission and previously served as director general of the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO), as well as managing director for Government Affairs at Intelsat. Franklin previously served as U.K. managing director for Airbus Defence and Space and led its secure communications services business.
“José and Richard bring deep expertise in government and sovereign markets. This will be key as we continue to extend Swissto12’s capabilities into European and other sovereign markets and deepen cooperation with international financial institutions and intergovernmental bodies, such as the International Telecommunication Union,” CEO Emile de Rijk commented.
Earlier this year, Swissto12 secured nearly $85 million in funding from the European Space Agency for the HummingSat program, in addition to around $115 million from private investors in the second half of 2025.
