In this special Making Leaders and SSPI-WISE Presents podcast, we hear from Joan Tang Mancuso, Marketing & Business Development Consultant (now retired), who was selected as SSPI’s 2024 Mentor of the Year.

Joan has provided expert guidance, mentorship and support to young people in the space & satellite industry throughout her more-than-30-year career and long after retiring from full-time work. As a member of the SSPI Mid-Atlantic Chapter Board, she spearheaded the creation, promotion and implementation of a scholarship program to help inner city high school students with STEM education. An inaugural participant in SSPI-WISE’s Mentorship program, Joan mentored four different women across three countries, guiding them through career development, job changes, promotions and professional and personal challenges. Of particular note, she guided one mentee through a successful career transition from a technical role to a managerial position and helped another advance her career while navigating a difficult international relocation. Joan has also provided her insights and expertise to broader groups of women and industry professionals through a number of SSPI-WISE panels and online discussions. Read more about Joan.

You can watch the interview in video format here:

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In this Making Leaders podcast, we hear from Ed Spitler, Head of SATCOM at Artel and one of three inductees to the Space & Satellite Hall of Fame in 2024. For more than three decades, Ed Spitler has pursued a passionate commitment to support the American warfighter by supplying best-in-class satellite communications systems to power the success of the US Armed Forces. Upon completing his military service as a Cryptographic Telecommunications and Systems Specialist, Ed went to work for the US Department of Defense Contractor, rising from Senior Technical Engineer to Regional Program Manager, OPMAS-EUR, 5th Command, where he played a pivotal role in transitioning seven Defense Communications Sites (DCS) throughout Germany from analog to digital technology.

In 2001, he joined Artel as Vice President of Managed Network Services, in which role he served as program director for more than eight critical DOD and Department of State programs and supported missions including Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan. Leaving Artel in 2012, Ed went on to hold a series of leadership positions, including COO of Vizada, CEO of Astrium Services Government and President of Satcom Services Government Division at Airbus Defense and Space. By 2017, he was back at Artel as Head of Satcom, where he led the company into a multi-orbit future that delivered resilient GEO to LEO connectivity to the government. He led development and delivery of the SPACE FORCE Pathfinder 2 program, which embedded the Pathfinder 2 payload aboard Hispasat’s Amazonas Nexus HTS. The goal was to provide dependable access to connectivity while saving money for Federal agencies compared with short-term satellite capacity leasing. The program produced savings of more than 60 percent over equivalent service. Read more about Ed.

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In this Making Leaders podcast, we hear from Onyinye Nwankwo, PhD Candidate in Atmospheric and Space Sciences at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and one of three Promise Award Recipients in 2023. Onyinye is an accomplished scientist in the field of upper atmospheric and space sciences, currently pursuing her PhD in Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Physics and Industrial Physics at Nnamdi Azikiwe University in her home country of Nigeria before obtaining a Master’s degree in Space Geophysics from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) in Brazil and a second Master of Science in Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering from the University of Michigan.

During her undergraduate studies, Onyinye served as an industrial trainee “Radio Signal Officer” at the Nigeria Port Authority in Lagos State, where her skills in maintaining radio signals and signal processing were key to ensuring efficient communication and navigation services. She went on to become a Scientific Officer with the Center for Atmospheric Research, National Space Research and Development Agency (CAR-NASRDA) in Anyibga, Kogi State, Nigeria, where she showcased her expertise in data processing, management and the operation of cutting-edge imaging technology. In this role, Onyinye provided key raw data handling for the All-Sky Airglow Imager and Fabry Perot Interferometer and made significant contributions to the understanding of atmospheric phenomena, which also bolstered Nigeria’s stature in space and atmospheric research. Before joining CAR-NASRDA, she worked as a Graduate Assistant in the Department of Physics at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture in Umudike, Nigeria, where she handled a range of responsibilities for the department, including course instruction, design and implementation of research methodologies, contributions to lab experiments and management of administrative tasks. Read more about Onyinye.

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In this Making Leaders podcast, we hear from Julie Newman, Program Chief Engineer at Boeing and one of three Promise Award Recipients in 2023. Julie is Program Chief Engineer for Satelit Nusantara Lima N5 (SNL), a major geostationary communications satellite program. In this role, she has been instrumental in overseeing risk management and problem resolution for the satellite, particularly in the midst of a challenging shift to a different payload.

Julie regularly directs and approves the work of senior engineering staff and provides recommendations to the program management office and the customer. She has also represented her executive manager in various critical functions, ranging from safety to quality assurance across Boeing’s El Segundo site and has spearheaded multiple process improvement initiatives, including major efforts to improve Boeing’s engineering training and metrics tracking systems. Before taking on her current position, Julie was the Technical Program Manager, a role in which she led a team of 15 engineers to develop the engine controller assembly for the Space Launch System (SLS) first stage rocket. The team consistently exceeded expectations under her leadership while executing a late re-design of the unit to resolve a leakage issue associated with a sneak path discovered during testing of the engineering model. Julie is a graduate of Caltech with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. Read more about Julie.

Outside of work hours, Julie is the best-selling author of Pull Don’t Push: Why STEM Messaging to Girls Isn’t Working and What to Do Instead. She has spent the past decade volunteering in STEM outreach, especially to young girls and young women, in order to teach them about the thrills of solving important, impactful problems through engineering and working with collaborative, supportive teams.

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In this Making Leaders podcast, we hear from Bhavi Jagatia, Astrodynamics Engineer at Planet and one of three Promise Award Recipients in 2023. Bhavi took on her current position at Planet after completing a successful internship for the Orbits R&D team. While at the company, she has made significant improvements to the tasking system for the company’s high-resolution constellation of imaging satellites, SkySats.

Bhavi was initially tasked with evaluating the complex schedule for SkySats, identifying areas of improvement and implementing changes to increase the collection capacity of the fleet. Her work resulted in substantial fulfillment enhancements, and she is now the sole owner and developer of the tool for her team. Bhavi received her Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, which she attended on the prestigious Tata scholarship. During her studies at Cornell, she worked with the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) on a project to investigate the use of flux-pinning on orbiting sample capture for a Mars sample return mission. Bhavi served as avionics lead for the project and participated in a microgravity test aboard a Zero-G flight with the JPL team. She also led Cornell’s project team for NASA’s Micro-G NExT competition while completing her studies and worked in internships at Boeing’s research lab, ASML, and Honda Aircraft Company. Read more about Bhavi.

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In this Making Leaders podcast, guest host Lou Zacharilla steps in for Robert Bell to speak with Stuart Daughtridge, Vice President of Advanced Technology at Kratos and Director and Chair of the Digital Intermediate Frequency (IF) Interoperability Consortium (DIFI). Stuart, who was recently nominated for Via Satellite’s Satellite Executive of the Year award, joins Lou to talk about DIFI’s latest news and the upcoming London Space Business Roundtable on March 5. If you’d like to vote for Stuart for Satellite Executive of the Year, you can do so at satellitetoday.com.

Stuart Daughtridge has been with Kratos since 1999, and in the satellite and aerospace industry since 1986. In his current position, Mr. Daughtridge leads Kratos’ satellite ground segment technology research and development efforts. Prior to his current role, he held several senior management positions, including SVP & GM of the Integral Systems Products Group, SVP & GM of the Integral Systems Commercial Group, as well as Program Manager of several major commercial programs. Before joining the Company, Mr. Daughtridge held various management and engineering positions with Orion Satellite Corporation, Intelsat, and Spacecom. Mr. Daughtridge holds a Bachelor of Science from Lafayette College.

DIFI has created a standard that enforces interoperability on digital IF/RF technology. Digital IF was developed to overcome the limitations of analog systems but, today, vendor lock-in prevents it from delivering seamless interoperability and severely limits its adoption. A truly interoperable digital IF, on the other hand, will enable transformation to a virtualized ground segment, reducing the total cost of ownership and significantly boosting network and terminal agility and scalability. Compliance with the DIFI standard will ensure that satellite ground segments can seamlessly adapt to rapidly changing space-layer payloads, orbits, and constellations. Ultimately, DIFI promises to elevate the resilience, performance, and capabilities of satellite networks and enable a digital transformation that integrates satellites seamlessly into the larger telecom, IT and GIS markets.

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In the third episode of this Making Leaders podcast series, we hear from James Hinds, Chief Executive Officer at Airbus OneWeb Satellites. James joins SSPI’s Robert Bell to discuss his career path and what experiences he brought from his engineering and management background to the new space sector.

James Hinds is the CEO of Airbus OneWeb Satellites, a position he was appointed to in January 2021. He has over 35 years of leadership and engineering experience in the space and satellite industries. Prior to his previous role as COO of Airbus OneWeb Satellites at the end of 2019, he spent four years with Airbus Defence and Space in Toulouse, France, where he was responsible for strategic planning of its Space Systems business. Before that, he worked with Airbus and Boeing (and predecessor companies) in satellite engineering, production and project management. Notable achievements include his responsibilities as Airbus program manager for the Hylas 1 satellite (a joint Airbus/India Space Research Organisation programme); director responsible for payload research and development at Airbus including digital processors, active antennas and amplifier development; and as the lead verification engineer of Boeing’s 601HP satellite series.

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In the second episode of this Making Leaders podcast series, we hear from Ronald van der Breggen, Chief Commercial Officer at Rivada Space Networks. Ronald joins SSPI’s Robert Bell to discuss his career path and what experiences he brought from his advisory and entrepreneurial background to the new space sector.

Ronald van der Breggen is Chief Commercial Officier (CCO) at Rivada Space Networks, a position he has held for just over 1 year. As CCO at Rivada, he is responsible for setting and executing the commercial strategy for the company. In addition to serving at Rivada, Ronald is the CEO and owner of Route206 b.v., a consultancy business he founded nearly 10 years ago to help turn tech companies into business successes. He puts his consulting skills to use on multiple boards, serving as Advisory Board Member for both Via Satellite Magazine and Xenesis and also briefly served as the Advisor to the CEO of KebNi. Ronald's other past postions include Chief Commercial Officer at LeoSat Interprises, Inc., Vice President of Customer Account Managment for SES Satellites, Vice President of Business Development at KPNQwest and Senior Director of IP Network Development at KPN.

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In Part 2 of this Making Leaders podcast, we hear more from Debra Facktor, Head of U.S. Space Systems at Airbus U.S. Space & Defense and the 2023 Mentor of the Year. Throughout her more than 30 years in the space industry, Debra has served as a mentor and guide for more than 25 interns and young leaders beginning their careers and countless more leaders as they continue their professional journeys. Of note, she provided vital advice and support to Gary Lai, who went on to become the Chief Architect at Blue Origin, when he was an intern and young engineer starting out at Kistler Aerospace. Debra founded the Women in Aerospace (WIA) Foundation in 2009 – which has provided scholarships to 35 women pursuing higher education degrees in aerospace fields over the past 13 years – and served as a mentor to the inaugural recipient, Dr. Whitney Lohmeyer, whom she still mentors today. She is a sought-after speaker for panels, business deals and general industry advice due to her powerful combination of enthusiasm, energy and sharp business acumen.

Debra is Head of U.S. Space Systems for Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, a position she has held for 3.5 years. In her current role, Debra leads the company’s space business line with a focus on small satellite constellations and space exploration, and serves on the board of the Airbus OneWeb Satellites joint venture. Her contributions have been vital to the company’s remarkable 4-year compound annual growth rate of 145%. Before joining Airbus U.S., she served as Vice President and General Manager of Strategic Operations at Ball Aerospace, where she led the firm’s D.C. operations and expanded its strategic capabilities in the defense, civil and commercial sectors. Read more about Debra.

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In this Making Leaders podcast, we hear from Debra Facktor, Head of U.S. Space Systems at Airbus U.S. Space & Defense and the 2023 Mentor of the Year. Throughout her more than 30 years in the space industry, Debra has served as a mentor and guide for more than 25 interns and young leaders beginning their careers and countless more leaders as they continue their professional journeys. Of note, she provided vital advice and support to Gary Lai, who went on to become the Chief Architect at Blue Origin, when he was an intern and young engineer starting out at Kistler Aerospace. Debra founded the Women in Aerospace (WIA) Foundation in 2009 – which has provided scholarships to 35 women pursuing higher education degrees in aerospace fields over the past 13 years – and served as a mentor to the inaugural recipient, Dr. Whitney Lohmeyer, whom she still mentors today. She is a sought-after speaker for panels, business deals and general industry advice due to her powerful combination of enthusiasm, energy and sharp business acumen.

Debra is Head of U.S. Space Systems for Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, a position she has held for 3.5 years. In her current role, Debra leads the company’s space business line with a focus on small satellite constellations and space exploration, and serves on the board of the Airbus OneWeb Satellites joint venture. Her contributions have been vital to the company’s remarkable 4-year compound annual growth rate of 145%. Before joining Airbus U.S., she served as Vice President and General Manager of Strategic Operations at Ball Aerospace, where she led the firm’s D.C. operations and expanded its strategic capabilities in the defense, civil and commercial sectors. Read more about Debra.

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This summer, SSPI brings you a series of special guest interviewers who will interview our latest space & satellite industry guests. For the first episode, we hear from Lee Chew Tan, President, Smart City & Digital Solutions and Chief Commercial Officer (Mkt Development) for ST Engineering. Lee Chew is interviewed by Jennifer Hoil, Director of Product Marketing at ST Engineering iDirect and an active member of SSPI-WISE (SSPI Women in Space Engagement).

Jennifer Hoil is Director of Product Marketing at ST Engineering iDirect, a position she has held for nearly 1.5 years. Jennifer previously served as Senior Manager of Product Marketing at the company. Before joining ST Engineering iDirect, she worked as Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Isotropic Systems and Director of the Satellite Group at Sage Communications. Jennifer also served for 7 years as Account Executive for Longbottom Communications, a boutique communications firm specialized in space & satellite clients. She is an active member of SSPI-WISE and currently serves as Co-Chair of the Sustainment & Infrastructure Working Group.

Lee Chew Tan is President of Smart City & Digital Solutions and Chief Commercial Officer (Mkt Development) at ST Engineering, a position to which she was recently promoted. She previously served as President Commercial for ST Engineering. Lee Chew also currently serves as President for the Women in Tech Chapter of the Singapore Computer Society. Before joining ST Engineering iDirect, she served as Managing Director for the Worldwide Public Sector, ASEAN at Amazon Web Services (AWS). Lee Chew began her career at Hewlett Packard Asia Pacific, where she worked as Vice President of Sales, Asia Pacific for 2.5 years before moving on to become Vice President and General Manager, Servers Asia Pacific and finally Senior Vice President, Business Group, Global Sales for Hewlett Packard Enterprise. She dedicates her time to the industry outside of working hours as well, having served as a mentor for the German Accelerator Southeast Asia from May 2019 to February 2021.

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In this Making Leaders podcast, we hear from Joe Spytek, CEO of Speedcast and one of three inductees to the Space & Satellite Hall of Fame in 2023. In his 17 years as Co-Founder and CEO for ITC Global, Joe Spytek grew the company from a disaster recovery start-up to a remote communications leader, coordinating the sale of the business to Panasonic in 2015.

At Speedcast, he led the company through a complete recapitalization during the height of the global pandemic, while consolidating more than 15 legacy organizations, each with different networks and platforms. Just 18 months later, Speedcast had created something new – a global network delivering the multi-path, multi-orbit, software-defined service that the industry talks about as the future. It has enabled Speedcast to integrate LEO connectivity into managed-service solutions for customers to take advantage of lower latency while receiving guaranteed service levels. Speedcast now operates the industry’s largest global network, topping out at more than 30 Gbps of total bandwidth to customers in 2022 when the company stood up 65 new networks in a matter of weeks to support demand. Read more about Joe.

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In this Making Leaders podcast, we hear from David Kagan, CEO of Globalstar and one of three inductees to the Space & Satellite Hall of Fame in 2023. Dave Kagan’s career began more than 25 years ago when he worked in finance and operations for Norwegian Cruise Line. There, he saw the growing value of satcom to shipboard operations and passenger satisfaction. That led him to accept a position as president and CEO of Maritime Telecommunications, whose founder and fellow Hall of Famer Richard Hadsall invented the motion-stabilized VSAT antenna.

He did the things a good leader is supposed to do: growing the company’s revenues and expanding its customer base to include cruise lines, luxury yachts, oil rigs and government vessels. But he also forged a partnership that would reinvent the company: a deal with AT&T to enable mobile phone usage on cruise ships. When the World Trade Center was attacked, the company made headlines by offering phone and internet service for free aboard dozens of ships to let passengers reach their loved ones. Read more about Dave.

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In this Making Leaders podcast, we hear from Kevin Steen, CEO of OneWeb Technologies. Kevin joins SSPI’s Robert Bell to discuss his career path and what experiences he brought from his leadership and entrepreneurial background to the new space sector.

Kevin Steen joined OneWeb Technologies as CEO in 2022, after serving as CEO of ST Engineering iDirect for 12 years. Before ST Engineering iDirect, he served in other leadership positions, including as Vice President of Mergers & Acquisitions at SAP and as Senior Director of World Wide Business Operations for Aspen Technology. Kevin is an entrepreneur who has co-founded and worked in senior leadership roles at multiple early-stage startups that were later acquired by Fortune 100 companies. He received his MBA from Northeastern University after completing a BSBA at the University of Denver.

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Talent attraction is a many-faceted challenge that is top of mind for our rapidly expanding industry. We have to fill the talent pipeline, from grade school through to institutions of higher learning. And we need to attract talented individuals already in the workforce to meet immediate talent needs.

Outside In explores all the ways people are outside, and how to invite them in, inclusive of gender, ethnicity or “race,” nationality, other industries, other disciplines. How do we invite people in? How do we make our industry the most attractive and the most inviting?

In this Making Leaders podcast, members of the 2022 “20 Under 35” cohort join SSPI’s Tamara Bond-Williams to explore this concept of “Outside In.”

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