After an election by the membership, the Board of Directors of Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) welcomes seven new Directors for three-year terms beginning July 1:

Isotropic announced the appointment of  Steven Calice as Deputy Director of Complex Maritime. With over 30 years of dedicated experience in VSAT and maritime communications, Steven is set to play a pivotal role in strengthening client relationships within Isotropic’s maritime sector according to the company. During his16-year tenure at MTN Satcom, he was at the forefront of pioneering advanced technologies for the defense industry. 

AvL Technologies owner and founder Jim Oliver announces the retirement of GuyClerici, AvL’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the appointment of Shannon Smith to Chairman of the Board. Mr. Oliver semi-retired in 2022 and appointed Guy Clerici as CEO. Mr. Clerici served as interim CEO during this transitional period and while a new Chairman of the Board was selected.

The Board of Directors of satellite operator Arabsat, has announced the appointment of Bader R. Bahaian as the Vice President of Marketing and Customer Services.

 Imagine Communications has appointed international media industry executive Don Durand to the position of senior vice president of global sales for its ad tech business. In his new role, Durand will lead the worldwide sales strategy and customer engagement initiatives for Imagine’s market-leading ad tech portfolio.

NEO SPACE GROUP (NSG)  has announced the appointment of international telecoms industry veteran Martijn Blanken as its new group Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP (WBK)  announced that C. Sean Spivey is joining the firm as a Partner in the Washington, DC, office. Sean comes to WBK after serving in several senior roles in government at both the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

Crest Hill Advisors LLC announced that Ken Turner, a trained engineer and technology policy expert who spent more than 35 years working on spectrum matters in the Department of Defense, has joined the firm as a Senior Advisor. 

Smallsat mission integrator and bus manufacturer Kongsberg NanoAvionics has appointed Atle Wøllo as its new CEO. Wøllo is replacing Žilvinas Kvedaravičius, who became interim CEO last year, following the departure of co-founder and former CEO Vytenis J. Buzas in 2023.

To shed light on the growing market for satellite connectivity solutions in the energy market, Satellite Markets and Research caught up with with Hamad Al-Mannai Vice President-Commercial of Qatar-based satellite operator Es’hailSat. Excerpts of the interview follows: