New SkyPort CEO Sees More M&A in Satellite Industry
HOUSTON, TX, May 1, 2007 - Satnews Daily - Patrick Brant, newly appointed chief executive officer and president of SkyPort Global Communications, Inc., believes the global satellite industry is in for a spate of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) that favor large service providers but which will open opportunities for integrators.
“The global satellite industry is undergoing a fundamental shift,” Brant said. “Large service providers are re-focusing on their core business and divesting non-core operations. At the same time, small and mid-sized firms are being forced by competition into decisions to sell or merge.”
He noted this dynamic creates opportunities for well-managed firms such as SkyPort to grow through acquisitions and become an integrator of a wide range of satellite-related services that build on their core business. He said industry consolidation is being fuelled by low cost capital.
He pointed out that growth is being driven by the rapid opening up of broadband satellite markets for first and last mile connectivity and by military budgets that are finally coming to fruition.
“All the stars are aligning in favor of SkyPort’s business plan,” he said. “SkyPort plans to fully capitalize on these market conditions as a means of increasing our profitability and shareholder value.”
Robert Kubbernus, chairman of SkyPort’s board of directors, described Brant as a tremendous asset to SkyPort owing to his experience in senior management, mergers, acquisitions, finance, sales and operations.
“Pat’s industry contacts and his experience building and running large organizations are vital to SkyPort’s ability to realize its strategic vision of becoming the leading international provider of satellite communication solutions,” Kubbernus said.
SkyPort is a global communications carrier providing managed, secure, broadband satellite and terrestrial communication services. Customers in sectors such as energy, military, government and enterprise use SkyPort’s carrier class solutions for critical communications.
A veteran of the global satellite industry for over 20 years, Brant most recently served as CEO and president of Loral Skynet, the satellite operations unit of Loral Space & Communications Inc. He has been an advisor to SkyPort’s board of directors for the past three months. Brant assumes the new executive role following the retirement of Roger Klotz, a long-time veteran of the telecommunications industry and the company’s president for the past four years.
Brant played a key role at Loral Skynet by helping the parent company successfully restructure in November 2005. Under his leadership, Loral Skynet saw an eight-fold increase in earnings and growth in its valuation to over $800 million. Most recently, Brant took part in negotiating the $3.2 billion purchase of Telesat Canada by Loral Space & Communications. As a result of that transaction, Loral Skynet is merging its operations with Telesat and moving to Ottawa, a change that prompted Brant to leave the company in December.
Brant joined Loral in 1999 at its CyberStar data services unit, and in 2003, as chief operating officer, was instrumental in integrating CyberStar into Loral Skynet. Before joining CyberStar, Brant was president of Controlsat and also senior director of that company’s Orbital Communications division, the first provider of global data services using low-earth orbit satellites. Brant has also held senior positions with Eyretel PLC and American Mobile Satellite Corporation.
SkyPort was honored by the World Teleport Association as the fastest-growing teleport operator in 2006; and received the National Guard’s Minuteman award in 2005 for outstanding disaster support during Hurricane Katrina.
