Rivada expands leadership team
September 12, 2022
Rivada Space Networks (RSN) is deploying a global portfolio of 600 low Earth orbiting satellites. The Germany-based business has made a batch of new executive hirings to supervise the tasks ahead.
The Rivada constellation uses laser links to create an optical mesh network in space. Combined with Rivada’s patented terrestrial wireless technologies, RSN’s constellation enables the convergence of terrestrial and orbital connectivity, ushering in a fundamental change in ultra-secure, global, end-to-end enterprise-grade networks.
Based in Germany, Rivada Space Networks GmbH is rapidly moving forward with procurement of the constellation of 600 Ka-band communications satellites and associated launch services. The company is currently undertaking an RFP with major satellite manufacturers to finalise the system design and manufacturing plan, paving the way for the production and deployment of the entire constellation.
The Rivada constellation will start deployment in 2024 and is planned to be completed by 2026.
Members of the complete executive team includes Mark Rigolle as COO and CFO. Rigolle was the former CEO at O3b and CFO at SES. Also at Rivada is Diederik Kelder, Chief Strategy Officer and with over 25 years’ experience in the satellite communications industry, which includes working for a number of the most prominent satellite operators in the areas of strategic planning, commercial planning and business development. He was formerly with SES, New Skies Satellites, Eutelsat and KPMG.
Also hired is Ann Vandenbroucke as Chief Regulatory Officer and who had until recently worked at Avanti Communications and former Senior Director at Inmarsat where she was responsible for global market access and spectrum issues.
Declan Ganley, Founder and Chairman, said: “The expertise of this leadership team in the space sector combined with our experience in wireless technology gives us the ability to deliver on our mission to provide a highly disruptive new connectivity network for enterprise and government communications. I am excited to work with the team as we develop a communications network like no other.”