CEOS AT INMARSAT, ASIASAT & ONEWEB TAKE INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP ROLES AT GSOA

Washington, D.C., 23^rd March 2022 – The Global Satellite Operators Association (GSOA) elected Inmarsat CEO Rajeev Suri as its new Chair and Roger Tong, CEO of AsiaSat, and Neil Masterson, CEO of OneWeb as Vice Chairs at its Board meeting, which took place on the evening of 22^nd March, 2022. The global satellite operator community gathered to vote on the new leadership of GSOA during the week of the Satellite 2022 conference, also in Washington, D.C.

Rajeev Suri, CEO of Inmarsat and newly elected GSOA Chair, said: “The future will demand even more connectivity, especially in hard-to-reach places on land, in the air and at sea. The satellite industry will be indispensable to that connected future and GSOA represents it as it works to deliver prosperity for the entire global population. Whether in times of crisis, on the move or in remote locations, satellite communications will underpin development and economic growth worldwide. On matters of great importance to secure this global growth the industry needs to speak with one voice to decision-makers and GSOA is that voice.”

Roger Tong, CEO of AsiaSat and newly elected GSOA Vice Chair, said: “The satellite industry relies on predictable, stable and long term spectrum access on a global basis. All satellite operators must come together and work with governments and telecommunications regulators on spectrum allocations and access to ensure that high-quality connectivity and broadcast can be provided to all corners of the world. GSOA provides the necessary platform for satellite operators worldwide to be well-coordinated and share our experiences, especially across different regions, to support the industry as a whole and to facilitate harmonised decision-making by regulators of individual countries to meet their needs and objectives.”

Neil Masterson, CEO of OneWeb who was also elected GSOA Vice Chair, said: “I am delighted that GSOA has recognised the evolving nature of satellite services with the creation of a LEO Vice Chair. It is a great privilege to be the first to serve. I look forward to playing an active part in GSOA’s success.”

GSOA is the only CEO-driven satellite industry association, structured to drive industry leadership to support the delivery of all types of connectivity to meet insatiable demand on Earth and sustainability in space. By providing a unified voice and a platform for collaboration for satellite operators globally, GSOA aims to ensure their continued success and the broadening of opportunities for policymakers and industry players to leverage satellite services to fulfil their objectives.

Aarti Holla-Maini, Secretary General of GSOA, said: “GSOA speaks as one voice for the global satellite operators’ sector and to do so it is vital that we have world-leading voices from the industry to represent it. It is a significant step forward for GSOA as an organisation and for the space business, both of which are fast-growing, that we are able to count on top CEOs such as Rajeev, Roger and Neil to help drive forward the global benefits from satellite connectivity on which the world relies.”

—

The Global Satellite Operators Association counts among its members: Airbus CIS, Amazon, Amos Spacecom, APT Satellite, Arabsat, Arsat, AsiaSat, Avanti Communications, Azercosmos, Echostar-Hughes, HellasSat, Hispasat, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Intersputnik, Nigcomsat, Nilesat, Omnispace, OneWeb, Rascomstar, SES, SSI-Monacosat, Star One, Telenor, Telesat, Telespazio, Thuraya, Turksat, Viasat and Yahsat as well as representatives of the broader space industry including Airbus Defence and Space, Arianespace, Astroscale, Lockheed Martin, Mansat, ST Engineering iDirect and Thales Alenia Space.