Having a strong and effective chairperson is crucial for the success of a board of directors, and for an organisation as a whole. Not only does the chairperson play a key role in ensuring that an organisation operates in the best interests of its stakeholders, but they also help to provide strategic direction, and play an important part in fostering collaboration between stakeholders. And for the Space Data Association (SDA), collaboration is of course key because it aims to bring together satellite operators to support the controlled, reliable, and efficient sharing of data critical to the safety and integrity of the space environment.
The SDA chairperson is selected from the executive member organisations, namely Intelsat, Inmarsat, SES and Eutelsat, and is replaced every few years. Bringing in a new chairperson on a rotating basis helps to ensure the vitality and effectiveness of the SDA. Previous chairpersons, Pascal Wauthier of SES, and before him, Mark Dickinson of Inmarsat have recently retired from the Board, with Pascal fully retiring and Mark continuing in his role at Inmarsat. It’s timely then for the current chairperson, Joe Chan, and the rest of the committee, to thank both Pascal and Mark for all of their hard work over the years, both while in the role of chairperson and when on the SDA board.
As a mark of the SDA Board’s gratitude for all they’ve done to further the aims of the SDA, their successors on the Board, Alex Cacioni of Inmarsat and Charles Law of SES, recently presented both Pascal and Mark with a bespoke gift, handmade by Cariad Glass in Ceredigion, Wales.
So once again, thank you Pascal and Mark for all your years of service on the SDA Board, and we wish you all the best for the future.
The SDA is open to all satellite operators and other participants; its membership comprises many of the world’s major satellite communications companies, as well as key scientific, remote sensing, and environmental satellite system operators. To find out more about how your organisation can join the SDA, get in touch.