Insight | Recognising the role we play
Corporate
There are not many industries which can claim to impact everyone, every day, everywhere and I feel fortunate to be part of one which does just this in countless ways.
Satellite communications is fundamental to the fabric of everything we do and seek to achieve on a global basis yet as a sector it can often go unnoticed by the wider public, perhaps almost unconsciously taken for granted.
Not that this is necessarily a negative thing. We are fortunate that the evolution and ubiquity of the satellite sector is such that the benefits are an accepted, integral element of our societies and the way we live. We are trusted and relied upon to keep people and organisations safe, secure and ultimately seamlessly connected, on land, at sea and in the air.
Yet the penetration of satellite services and their resulting benefits will only become more rapid and embedded as technology continuously evolves and commercial barriers are reduced or removed. Today is a fascinating time to be at the forefront of space enabled services while tomorrow and beyond will only get more exciting. It is for these reasons, that I am honoured to be appointed to chair the EMEA Satellite Operators Association (ESOA) for the next two years.
ESOA is the world’s only CEO-driven satellite industry trade association, and leads a coordinated and impactful response to the global challenges and opportunities the commercial satellite communications sector faces.
Today the association represents 21 satellite operators from across the EMEA region. Thus it offers a unified voice for the world’s largest global operators, as well as important regional operators towards all international, regional and national organisations and regulators.
It is critical, as an industry, that we have a collective forum and an ability to address organisations, Governments and other important audiences on the key issues which often impact beyond boundaries or geographic borders.
As individual companies, we have our own business models and strategies which govern and dictate our everyday activity but we mustn’t lose sight of the common goals and objectives which impact us all and where we can be stronger and more impactful if we act together.
As an industry, it is also important we come together to discuss the future and collaboratively shape our responses to global challenges and opportunities. Representing a majority of satellite operators from all around the world, ESOA is the ideal platform through which to do this.
Satellite communications is playing an increasingly important role in the transformation of the world into a pervasive digital society, in areas as diverse as broadcast TV and video, broadband telecommunications, earth observation, GPS, M2M, maritime and aviation safety, mobile broadband and the internet 2.0. As such, in the next two years I look forward to championing the industry’s voice, listening to our members and stakeholders, engaging with governments, regulators, suppliers and customers, and ensuring that we are understood, recognised and respected for the critical global capabilities our community provides.
Rupert Pearce was Inmarsat’s Chief Executive Officer from January 2012 until February 2021. Rupert joined Inmarsat in January 2005 as Group General Counsel and, from January 2009, additionally held the position of Senior Vice President, Inmarsat Enterprises. Previously, Rupert worked for Atlas Venture, where he was a partner working with the firm’s European and US investment teams. He was previously also a partner at the international law firm Linklaters, where he spent 13 years specialising in corporate finance, M&A and private equity transactions. Rupert received an MA (First Class) in Modern History from Oxford University and won the 1995 Fullbright Fellowship in US securities law, studying at the Georgetown Law Center. He has been a visiting fellow of the Imperial College Business School, London, lecturing on the school’s Entrepreneurship programme, and is the co-author of Raising Venture Capital (Wiley).
