ABS appoints Mark Rigolle as new Chief Executive Officer

Satellite operator ABS has announced the appointment of Mark Rigolle as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective April 29, 2024.

Bringing a wealth of experience garnered from various roles across the satellite communications sector, Rigolle has navigated through executive, non-executive, advisory, and co-founding positions with GEO, MEO, and LEO satellite operators. His expertise spans satellite and space development projects across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Rigolle will be based at ABS’ headquarters in Dubai, UAE.

Speaking about the new role, Mark Rigolle said: “I am very excited to join ABS at this pivotal time for the company and indeed the whole FSS industry. ABS is uniquely positioned to demonstrate how the sector can return to growth after many years of contraction. We have the assets, the people, the capabilities, and supportive shareholders to make that happen. I look forward to working with our current and future customers and partners as we support them in expanding their businesses.”

Parm Sandhu, Chairman of ABS, added: “The ABS board is delighted to welcome Mark. The exceptional breadth of his experience in our industry will enable him to hit the ground running. We look forward to benefiting from his leadership and from his insights into multi-orbit constellations during this time of rapid market evolution.”

Rigolle’s career includes stints as CFO of SES and CEO of O3b Networks, along with co-founding endeavours such as Kacific. He subsequently assumed the role of CEO at LeoSat and later KLEO Connect, before serving as COO of Rivada Space Networks. Rigolle holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of Leuven, Belgium, and boasts fluency in English, French, and Dutch.