[SatNews] XTAR, LLC, has named Andrew Ruszkowski to the position of Vice President, Global Sales and Marketing.

Mr. Ruszkowski will be responsible for the company’s sales and business development initiatives with government and military customers in the United States and around the globe. He fills a position left vacant since the death in April of XTAR Vice President William Schmidt. Mr. Ruszkowski was previously Vice President, North American Sales, for SES World Skies. XTAR is one of only two commercial providers of satellite capacity in the X-band of the spectrum, reserved for military and government users. The company operates two satellites with a combined footprint extending from Denver on the west to Singapore on the east, allowing the company to serve vital military and other government activities in the Middle East and Southwest Asia.

Mr. Ruszkowski began his satellite industry career in 1998 as a manager of VSAT and business networks for PanAmSat. He later became Manager of New Media at the company. In 2000, he joined New Skies Satellites as Director of Sales to focus on the Internet market. Subsequently he directed the team responsible for sales to the U.S. government, telecom carriers and ISPs. When SES and World Skies merged in 2006, Mr. Ruszkowski was selected to lead the North American sales team with responsibility for the largest share of the company’s revenues. He was responsible for formulating sales strategies aimed at broadcasters, enterprise network operators, ISPs, and U.S. government and military users.