Ibadan, 1 August 2024. – Rivada Space Networks has announced several key new hires to strengthen its US team. As a result, John Guiney joined as Chief Operations Officer; Michael Abad-Santos joined as Head of Sales for the U.S. and Deputy Chief Commercial Officer; and Jeffrey Chandler joined as Director of Sales, U.S.
John Guiney has over 40 years of experience in mission-operations leadership in the space sector, including direct participation in mission readiness for more than 50 satellite launches. Furthermore, John was previously with LEO satellite operator OneWeb, where he played a key role in satellite operations center design and integration of network operations, and telecommunications systems testing and evaluation. John has also worked on mission readiness and operations for Orbital ATK, Iridium, Lockheed, GE and the U.S. Air Force.
Likewise, Michael Abad-Santos has over 25 years of experience in the space and telecommunications industry, including key roles with Inmarsat, Trustcomm, LeoSat and BridgeComm, where he developed a deep understanding of the market trends, customer needs, and technology opportunities that drive the future of connectivity. Michael is also an independent Board Member of GoGo Business Aviation.
In addition, Jeff Chandler joins Rivada as Sales Director, U.S. with over 20 years of experience in IT infrastructure and communications. Having previously held positions at Inmarsat, Cobham Satcom and Marlink, Jeff specializes in connectivity for the maritime, enterprise and oil & gas markets.
Speaking on the new hires, Declan Ganley, CEO of Rivada Space Networks, said: “Rivada is building our Outernet to provide a new and transformative solution to today’s biggest data networking challenges. Our strengthened U.S team allows us to move forward rapidly to achieve our goal of becoming a connectivity disruptor, at the forefront of satellite and terrestrial convergence.”
