Sabbagh left SES in April 2018 after four years with the satellite operator to head Abu Dhabi-based cybersecurity company DarkMatter.
E-Space, the connectivity startup plotting a network of hundreds of thousands of satellites, has appointed Karim Michel Sabbagh as Managing Director of Europe and the Middle East, reporting to E-Space Founder and CEO Greg Wyler.
Sabbagh will oversee all European and Middle East business strategies and operations, as well as provide support to the regional corporate development, technical and manufacturing team activities. He will also lead interactions with commercial, government and defence organisations as well as other key stakeholders in the region. Further, Sabbagh will help support Wyler on defining key programmes, operational actions and general management functions.
He was the former President and CEO of SES, Chairman of SES Astra and a member of the Board of Directors of O3b Networks, prior to its acquisition by SES. While at SES, Sabbagh was recognised for building a world-class space organisation with admirable strategic focus, leadership and space capabilities. He joined SES from the global consulting firm Booz & Co. where he served as global practice leader for communication, media and technology.
Speaking about the appointment, Greg Wyler said: “I have known Karim since working with SES, when he had the foresight to see how NGSO systems were going to change the industry. Not only does he have an impressive track record of accomplishments from leading major space organisations to building global teams, but he has the right experience, credibility and energy to immediately step into this role and make an impact. We have ambitious goals at E-Space, and Karim will help us disrupt traditional NewSpace markets as we fundamentally change the design of legacy LEO space systems to deliver entirely new satellite capabilities at a fraction of the cost.”
Karim Michel Sabbagh added: “E-Space is on track to make a major step-change in how global governments, defence organisations, enterprises and small businesses leverage space as a global communications platform. The company’s goals are bold, and their focus is directed on enabling an entirely new class of ubiquitous, real-time communications and Internet of Things services to support everything from basic messaging up to advanced voice, video and data communications. Having worked with Greg in the past, I’m energised and motivated to help make E-Space a success story within the larger global space and communications communities.”
