Mark Dankberg, Newtec and Spacecom Win the First Vision Awards Presented During SATCON 2012
November 15, 2012, New York City—At an awards ceremony held on the first day of the SATCON Conference and Exhibition in New York City, the First Annual Vision Awards announced winners in three categories: Mark Dankberg, CEO of Viasat won the Visionary Executive of the Year; Newtec’s MDM6000 Satellite Modem won the Innovative Product of the Year and Israel-based satellite operator Spacecom won the Most Promising Company of the Year.
Nominations for first annual Vision Awards was open to the public. Companies, products and individuals that received the most nominations were selected to be one of three finalists for the award, from which the Board of Judges comprising leading industry analysts and consultants selected the winner.
Among the finalists honored during the ceremony included Paul Cohen VP of Satellite Engineering of Fox Networks Group and Gary Hatch, CEO of ATCi for the Visionary Executive of the Year; Optimal Satcom’s Enterprise Capacity Manager and ASC Signal’s Next Generation Controller for the Innovative Product of the Year; and Newsat and Avanti Communications for the Most Promising Company of the Year.
The First Vision Awards were presented by Satellite Markets and Research, Application Technology Strategy LLC and SATCON. The awards are given annually during the SATCON exhibition. The criteria for winners include:
Visionary Executive of the Year- Awarded to an outstanding senior executive of a satellite company that demonstrated a keen sense of mission for his company and a forward-looking vision of where his company and the industry is heading.
Most Promising Company of the Year- Awarded to a company that has experienced growth in the markets they serve and demonstrated long-term viability of their enterprise.
Most Innovative Product or Service of the Year – Awarded to a product or service launched during the year that makes a substantial improvement to existing technology or performs a vital service.
Over 100 industry executives attended the awards ceremonies.
The Vision Awards Board of Judges is composed of the editorial contributors to the Satellite Executive Briefing magazine, who are well-known consultants to the satellite industry. They include the following:
Virgil Labrador is the Editor-in-Chief of Satellite Market and Research based in Los Angeles, California. He is the author of two books on the satellite industry and has been covering the industry for various publications since 1998. Before that he worked in various capacities in the industry, including a stint as marketing director for the Asia Broadcast Center, a full-service teleport based in Singapore.
Bruce Elbert has over 30 years of experience in satellite communications and is the President of Application Technology Strategy LLC., which assists satellite operators, network providers and users in the public and private sectors. He is an author and educator in these fields, having produced seven titles and conducted technical and business training around the world. During 25 years with Hughes Electronics, he directed major technical projects and led business activities in the U.S. and overseas. He is the author of The Satellite Communication Applications Handbook, second edition (Artech House, 2004).
Elisabeth Tweedie has over 20 years experience at the cutting edge of new communication and entertainment technologies. She is the founder and President of Definitive Direction a consultancy that focuses on researching and evaluating the long term potential for new ventures, initiating their development and identifying and developing appropriate alliances. During her 10 years at Hughes Electronics she worked on every acquisition and new business that the company considered during her time there.
Robert Bell is the Executive Director of the World Teleport Association and the Society of Satellite Professionals International.
Jan Grøndrup-Vivanco is a Director in Emerald Advisors, a strategy & business development advisory firm based in Paris, France.
Tom van der Heyden is the Director and CEO of EurAsian Technology, an Asian start-up focused on developing regional satellite infrastructure businesses. Tom is a digital broadcast and satellite communications industry pioneer, with 25 years building satellite systems and companies across Asia.
Dan Freyer is the principal of AdWavez Marketing, an integrated marketing agency serving the satellite industry. Since 1990, he has worked with leading spacecraft and ground equipment manufacturers, satellite operators, and video and IP users to grow their brands and businesses.
