FALLS CHURCH, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Lynk Global, Inc., a leading satellite direct-to-device provider, today announced the appointment of Ramu Potarazu as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Steven Fay as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), with both also being appointed to Lynk’s Board of Directors. Potarazu succeeds interim CEO Dan Dooley, who is resuming the position of Chief Commercial Officer.
These appointments received unanimous approval following a search led by the Lynk Board in partnership with the leadership of Slam Corp. (OTCQX: SLAMF) and coincides with new capital investments from Lynk’s key shareholders. Lynk previously announced plans to become a publicly listed company through a business combination agreement (the “Business Combination”) with Slam Corp. This leadership transition is intended to be a part of a strategic executive realignment to bolster the Company’s executive ranks with seasoned industry veterans as it prepares to enter the public markets.
Potarazu and Fay each bring decades of experience building satellite and technology companies, executing transformative strategic, commercial, and capital markets transactions, raising and deploying capital, and executing growth initiatives in both the public and private markets. The Lynk Board and Slam Corp. team view this experience to be mission critical to the Company as it looks to access and deploy capital to expand business operations.
During his career, Potarazu spent over 20 years in various capacities in both the satellite and new technology industries. Additionally, he also has 15 years of experience as Chief Executive Officer in venture-backed technology and content companies where he drove growth, institutionalized talent bases and led key strategic transactions including significant capital raises. He has served as director on the boards of several public companies, assuming various governance roles and leading M&A initiatives over the past decade.
“I believe Lynk’s patented technology has redefined the future of the satellite and telecommunications industries by developing proprietary satellite technologies, connectivity capabilities and seamless solutions that can connect everyone, everywhere,” said Potarazu. “From 2G, to 5G and to the next frontier, the goal is for Lynk to be at the forefront of satellite-to-device technology. We believe Lynk is well-positioned, with a solid foundation with 45 commercial contracts to provide coverage in approximately 50 countries as of today. I am excited to partner with Lynk’s talented team, dedicated Board, and global customers to lead the Company through this important growth phase. Together, we will seek to capitalize on the $1 trillion mobile wireless market and fulfill our mission to eliminate connectivity gaps for people around the world.”
Fay brings more than 20 years of experience building corporate financial functions and optimizing capital structures for strategic growth in both satellite and technology companies. He spent the past 10 years, serving as a founding executive member and deputy CFO of OneWeb, a global low earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications company, where he led all finance and early-stage business operations, as well as securing debt and equity financing from strategic investors. Prior to OneWeb, Fay was with Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) and SiriusXM (NASDAQ: SIRI).
“I am thrilled to join Lynk and further the Company’s efforts to deliver innovative and responsive communications solutions across the public and private sectors,” said Fay. “We see a clear path to organize our financial functions for execution, scale and, eventually, profitability. We are focused on accessing the requisite capital to achieve both near-term and long-term strategic initiatives. I am in lockstep with Ramu and the management team in our pursuits to strengthen our commercial efforts and further establish Lynk as a global leader for direct-to-device satellite communications.”
About Lynk
Lynk is a patented, proven, and commercially-licensed satellite-direct-to-standard-mobile-phone system. Today, Lynk allows commercial subscribers to send and receive text messages to and from space via standard unmodified, mobile devices. Lynk’s service has been tested and proven on all seven continents, has regulatory approvals in more than 30 countries and is currently being deployed commercially based on more than 40 MNO commercial service contracts covering approximately 50 countries. Lynk is currently providing cell broadcast (emergency) alerts, and two-way SMS messaging, and intends to launch voice and mobile broadband services in the future. For more information, visit www.lynk.world.
