Telecommunications 2024: MATTHEW J. DESCH

Desch joined Iridium as CEO in 2006, took the company public in 2009 and subsequently replaced its first-generation network with new satellites that are expected to last into the mid-to-late 2030s. Iridium has been inventing new services and finding new partners since.

In April, the global satellite communications company acquired Reston-based Satelles, a provider of satellite-based time and location services that assist GPS and global navigation satellite systems. Iridium, which posted 2023 revenues of $790.7 million, owned 20% of Satelles and anticipated paying $115 million for the other 80%.

After celebrating its 25th anniversary in November 2023, Iridium is planning for continued growth. Company leaders expect Satelles’ positioning, navigation and timing service, known as Satellite Time and Location (STL), to generate more than $100 million in service revenue annually by 2030, plus additional revenue from equipment and engineering.

Desch graduated from Ohio State University and has an MBA from the University of Chicago. He has served on the President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee since 2011 and on the board of directors for Unisys since 2019. He  recently was named to Executive Mosaic’s Wash100 list for the 10th consecutive year.