14 October 2021 – Inmarsat, the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, has today announced that Ben Palmer OBE will be joining the company as President of its Maritime Business Unit on 8th November 2021. Most recently head of Northrop Grummanâs Mission Systems division across Europe, Ben brings 25 yearsâ experience of driving transformational change in technology-heavy industries, including maritime, with a strong customer-centric focus and a track record of delivering results.
âInmarsat is a company with growing momentum and I am delighted to welcome Ben Palmer to our executive team and as president of our maritime business at this pivotal timeâ, said Rajeev Suri, CEO of Inmarsat. âSupported by our market-leading technology platforms, including the recently announced ORCHESTRA and ELERA networks, Inmarsat is driving a step-change in growth. Customer-centricity is central to everything we do and Ben is the ideal leader to support our maritime partners and customers as they navigate a rapidly changing world and embrace the benefits of digitalisation.â
Inmarsat has been the world-leader in maritime satellite connectivity for over four decades, delivering the most flexible and reliable communication services for ship operations and crew welfare. Since the introduction of Fleet Xpress (FX) in 2016, it has become the industryâs leading digital  connectivity platform and is now installed on over 11,000 vessels.
Rajeev Suri continued: âI wish to pay tribute to Ronald Spithout for his long and distinguished career at Inmarsat and his years of service to our maritime customers and partners. His leadership helped make Fleet Xpress the success it is today and I am delighted to report that our maritime business continues to show enhanced performance which forms a solid foundation for the future. Â Â We wish Ronald every success in the future.â
Ronald Spithout has been with Inmarsat since 1988 (including his time at Stratos, Xantic and Station 12) and his numerous career highlights as a leading voice in the maritime industry include the rollout of Fleet Xpress and the work he has done spearheading the digitalisation of shipping.
Contacts for media enquiries
Jonathan Sinnatt / Matthew Knowles
Corporate Communications, Inmarsat
Tel: +44 (0)7889 605272 / +44 (0)7725 475507
press@inmarsat.com
About Inmarsat
Inmarsat is the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications. It owns and operates the worldâs most diverse global portfolio of mobile telecommunications satellite networks, and holds a multi-layered, global spectrum portfolio, covering L-band, Ka-band and S-band, enabling unparalleled breadth and diversity in the solutions it provides. Inmarsatâs long-established global distribution network includes not only the worldâs leading channel partners but also its own strong direct retail capabilities, enabling end to end customer service assurance.
The company has an unrivalled track record of operating the worldâs most reliable global mobile satellite telecommunications networks, sustaining business and mission critical safety & operational applications for more than 40 years. It is also a major driving force behind technological innovation in mobile satellite communications, sustaining its leadership through a substantial investment and a powerful network of technology and manufacturing partners.
Inmarsat operates across a diversified portfolio of sectors with the financial resources to fund its business strategy and holds leading positions in the Maritime, Government, Aviation and Enterprise satcoms markets, operating consistently as a trusted, responsive and high-quality partner to its customers across the globe.
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