[Satnews] Over the course of 2015, Intelsat S. A. (NYSE: I) has forged strategic partnerships with leading networking hardware and antenna manufacturers as the company implements its strategy to drive performance, improve economics and simplify access to the company’s next-generation high throughput satellite platform, Intelsat EpicNG.

Building on that momentum, the company has appointed long-standing Intelsat executive, Jay Yass, to Vice President of Business Development and named Hazem Moakkit to the newly created role of Vice President of Corporate and Spectrum Strategy. Mr. Yass and Mr. Moakkit will report to Bruno Fromont, Intelsat’s Senior Vice President of Strategy and Asset Management, and will be based in the company’s McLean, VA office.

In his new role, Mr. Yass will add to his market development responsibilities and lead Intelsat’s global business development initiatives. He will oversee the company’s business development team and work closely with Intelsat’s corporate strategy, product management as well as its innovation and service architecture teams to identify and establish partnerships that will complement the type and value of the services delivered to customers. Prior to his current position, Mr. Yass served as Intelsat’s Vice President of Global Accounts and Strategic Sales as well as Intelsat’s Vice President of Network Services Product Management. Before joining Intelsat in 2003, he held senior sales and business development management roles at Telogy Network (now part of Texas Instruments) and GTE Satellite Corporation.

In his newly created role, Mr. Moakkit will lead the corporate strategy and spectrum teams, analyzing shifts in market trends to guide the strategic direction of the company. He will also be responsible for optimizing Intelsat’s orbital spectrum rights to support the company’s overall business plans. Bringing more than two decades of industry experience to Intelsat, Mr. Moakkit has held executive regulatory and spectrum affairs positions at O3b Satellite Networks and Yahsat.