OTTAWA – A new CEO will lead Telesat’s next act.
As the company prepares for its initial public offering later this year, president and CEO Larry Boisvert announced his retirement today after 13 years in the top job at Canada’s largest satellite company.
"Under Larry’s outstanding leadership, Telesat Canada has grown to the point where it is a significant presence in the Americas," said Michael Sabia, president and CEO of Telesat’s owner, BCE Inc., in a release. "And that success is attributable in no small measure to the direction and extraordinary dedication that are the hallmarks of Larry’s stewardship.
"Larry joined Telesat in its formative years and played a key role in leading the transformation of Telesat from a small private Canada-only company to an international player. We wish him well and thank him for his remarkable contribution to Telesat’s success," Sabia said.
Boisvert spent 34 years at the company.
"Telesat has always been more than a job for me," said Boisvert. "(It) has always provided me with the satisfaction that what we were doing for Canada, particularly the north, was important. The company is about to embark on the next phase of its evolution and I have decided it is the appropriate time for me to retire."
"I want to thank the men and women of Telesat for their ingenuity, their energy, and their support. Together, we have built a business we can all continue to be proud of, a business for the 21st century and the e-enabled world," Boisvert concluded.
A former member of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Boisvert joined Telesat in 1972 after an eight-year career at Bell Canada. He was named vice-president of network services in April 1988. He was promoted to president and COO in January 1993 and CEO in November 1993. Boisvert will remain a senior advisor at Telesat, on loan to BCE Inc. for the upcoming months.
Replacing Boisvert as president and CEO is satellite veteran Daniel S. Goldberg. Formerly president and CEO of SES New Skies, Goldberg has a long history in the satellite industry and has also led a pair of prior IPOs.
"We are delighted we were able to attract Dan Goldberg to lead Telesat Canada through the next stage in the company’s evolution, given Larry’s decision to retire after an exemplary career," said Sabia, in a separate release.
"Dan brings a unique skill set to Telesat both in terms of his success at building a business and in terms of his experience in corporate transactions," said Sabia. "He knows the satellite service industry, has produced exceptional operating results, and is no stranger to the recapitalization process Telesat and BCE are working on. Dan is well qualified to be the architect of Telesat’s future," Sabia added.
Goldberg has been working in the communications sector for the past 15 years and in satellite operating companies since 1998, most recently at New Skies – an owner-operator of a global satellite communications network that provides satellite capacity and other services for the transmission of video, data, internet and voice services to corporate and government entities around the world.
During his tenure at New Skies, Goldberg led a team that took a small start-up created through the partial privatization of an intergovernmental satellite system and built a pre-eminent global player in a highly competitive industry, says the press release. He also helped launch two successful Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) and concluded two private sales between 2000 and 2006.
