Renens, Switzerland, May 28, 2026 – SWISSto12 today announced the appointment of industry leaders to support the company’s next phase of global expansion. Mike Kaliski will assume the role of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), transitioning from his position as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for HummingSat. Alongside Kalinski's appointment, SWISSto12 appointed José Toscano as Head of Government Affairs and Richard Franklin as Strategic Advisors, with a mandate to deepen government affairs and partner relationships.
Mike Kalinski brings more than 30 years of experience working with geostationary (GEO) satellite manufacturers. As CCO, he will lead global commercial activities, strengthening customer engagement and momentum in both HummingSat and advanced payload solutions. Since launching the HummingSat programme in 2020, Mike has developed a high-performing team of technical, operational, and support staff who will continue to benefit from his direction. As the company enters this next phase of growth, SWISSto12 will soon appoint a corporate Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to lead the expanding engineering function.
José Toscano is a senior telecommunications and regulatory affairs leader. A founding Commissioner of the UN Broadband Commission, José has served as Director General of the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO) and as Managing Director for Government Affairs at Intelsat.
Richard Franklin is a senior government space industry advisor with an extensive international telecommunications background. He has served as UK Managing Director for Airbus Defence and Space and led its secure communications services business.
"Mike's appointment as Chief Commercial Officer reflects the strong global demand we’re seeing across both our satellite platforms and payload solutions,” said Emile de Rijk, CEO of SWISSto12. “Alongside him, José and Richard bring deep expertise in government and sovereign markets. This will be key as we continue to extend SWISSto12 capabilities into European and other sovereign markets and deepen cooperation with international financial institutions (IFIs) and intergovernmental bodies, such as the International Telecommunication Union.”
