Canadian satellite operator Telesat announced Monday some key changes to its executive leadership ranks.
Michel Forest will assume the role of chief technology officer following the retirement of David Wendling at the end of February 2025. In his new position, Forest will report to Dan Goldberg, Telesat’s president and CEO, and will oversee Telesat’s satellite operations, satellite and systems engineering, launch activities and program management.
Forest most recently served as Telesat’s vice president of LEO system engineering, where he led the end-to-end architecture and system performance of the Telesat Lightspeed constellation, according to a Telesat press release announcing his new appointment. Before joining Telesat 10 years ago, Forest held leadership positions in satellite systems and antenna engineering at MDA Corporation (now MDA Space) in Montreal.
“Michel has a strong track record of leading the development of innovative solutions and delivering exceptional results to optimize the performance, reliability and cost of Telesat’s satellite assets,” Goldberg said the company’s press release. “I have great confidence in Michel’s leadership, expertise and vision in supporting our global customer base and executing on the Telesat Lightspeed program.”
“I am honored to succeed Dave as Telesat’s Chief Technology Officer and thank him for his years of leadership and mentorship throughout my career with the company,” Forest said in a statement. “I am excited for the bright future ahead as we execute on the Telesat Lightspeed program and our vision to redefine space-based connectivity throughout the world.”
Commenting on Wendling’s departure, Goldberg said: “In his nearly 40-year stellar career with Telesat, Dave has been the driving force of technical innovation at the company, resulting in several satellite industry firsts and the state-of-the-art design of Telesat Lightspeed. All of us at Telesat are deeply grateful for Dave’s outstanding contributions, dedication and leadership.”
Telesat also announced Asit Tandon has joined Telesat in the role of chief network and information officer. Reporting to Goldberg, Tandon is responsible for the terrestrial elements of the Telesat Lightspeed network, including network operations systems, the Network Operations Center, facilities, program management and customer fulfillment, and network and corporate IT systems.
Most recently, Tandon served as vice president of network technology at Rogers Communications, where he was responsible for the technology development, design, engineering and operations of wireline access and core networks, according to the press release. Prior to Rogers, Tandon held leadership roles in network operations at Hutchison-3 Indonesia, Bharti Airtel in India and Siemens Ltd.
“I’m excited to welcome Asit to our senior leadership team, where he will play a crucial role in building and integrating best-in-class technical operations systems and worldwide facilities that will be essential elements of the Telesat Lightspeed network,” Goldberg said. “Asit’s deep expertise and global experience will be invaluable as we execute on our ambitious growth plans.”
“I am thrilled to join Telesat at such a pivotal time of growth and innovation,” Tandon said. “Telesat has a proven 55-year track record of revolutionizing satellite connectivity, and I look forward to leveraging my extensive network expansion experience to advance global operational excellence and service delivery in the fast-growing global broadband connectivity market.”
Photos of (l-r) Michel Forest and Asit Tandon borrowed from Telesat’s website
