Gogo Closes on Satcom Direct, Announces Leadership Changes
Gogo has closed on its purchase of Satcom Direct, it said Tuesday. The deal is expected to accelerate sales of its forthcoming Galileo low earth orbit (LEO) connectivity service. Satcom Direct President Chris Moore was named Gogo CEO, replacing Oakleigh…
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Thorne, who is moving to executive chairman of the Gogo board. Satcom Direct CFO Zachary Cotner becomes CFO of Gogo, replacing Jessi Betjemann. Mike Begler, who previously was senior vice president-Gogo Production Operations, was appointed chief operating officer. The deal "cements our position as the only in-flight connectivity provider able to satisfy the performance and cost needs of every segment" of business aviation, said Thorne. The Satcom Direct transaction was announced in September (see 2409300065). New Gogo has a 90% share of the business jet connectivity market, William Blair analyst Louie DiPalma noted. He said the Gogo and Satcom Direct customer relationships, software, and the launch of the OneWeb-enabled LEO connectivity service will help Gogo continue growing.