SSTL appoints Patrick Wood as Group CEO

Surrey, UK, February 17, 2015--Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) has appointed Patrick Wood as Group CEO, with effect from April 1, 2015.  Wood joins SSTL from Airbus Defence and Space, where he was most recently Head of Engineering and Operations and an Airbus Group Executive. 

Patrick Wood

Wood brings with him an outstanding track record within the space engineering sector, having previously steered the Skynet 5 programme to success including in-orbit delivery of three geostationary military telecommunications satellites and associated ground network and infrastructure. He was also CTO for Airbus Defence and Space satellite business, and later Engineering and Operations Director with pan-European responsibilities.

Sir Martin Sweeting, Executive Chairman of SSTL said: “We are very fortunate indeed in finding someone with Patrick’s rare combination of detailed engineering experience, proven management capability and passion for satellites to join SSTL. He takes up this important role at a time when the small satellite industry is burgeoning and he will be taking charge of a full production line at SSTL, where we have 21 satellites and 22 Galileo payloads currently in manufacture.”

Previous to his roles at Airbus,  Wood worked for Medelec, part of Vickers plc, and Thorn EMI Sensors Group. Patrick Wood is a Fellow of both the Institute of Engineering and Technology and the Royal Aeronautical Society.