Spacenet tweaks staff with new CEO

PETAH TIKVA, Israel -– Gilat Satellite Networks named Nick Supron as Spacenet’s new president and chief executive officer.

Spacenet’s current president and chief operating officer Sheldon Revkin will now serve as Spacenet’s vice chairman.

Supron, 45, brings a background in the sales, deployment and operation of mission-critical networks based on very small aperture terminal (VSAT) satellite technology, as well as terrestrial solutions.

Prior to joining Spacenet, he served as senior vice president of worldwide operations for GTECH Holdings Corp., the world’s largest lottery system operator.

During his 15 years with GTECH, one of Supron’s notable achievements was the start up and growth of GTECH’s Latin American division.

He was a significant customer of Gilat, responsible for deployment and operation of Gilat VSAT networks in Brazil, Argentina and Chile for GTECH’s lottery networks.

Supron earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Rice University.

Gilat also named Allen Coe chief operating officer at Spacenet.

Coe, 62, most recently served as vice president of service operations at Packard Bell, where he was instrumental in growing its manufacturing and support operations.

He has also held senior management positions with Silicon Graphics, Convergent Technologies/Unisys and Texas Instruments. "When Gilat acquired Spacenet in 1998, our priority was growing market share and identifying new markets for our products," Gilat Chairman Yoel Gat said, "Under Shelly Revkin’s guidance, we have dramatically increased the number of Skystar Advantage and SkyBlaster customers in our core VSAT business. By adding Nick Supron and Al Coe to the Spacenet team, we will ensure continued focus on market leadership and customer service while accommodating Shelly’s desire for a role focused on business growth."

Supron said, "Spacenet and Gilat have made continued leadership in satellite-based IP networks the goal for 2001. This involves continued focus on providing superior technology and service to the enterprise marketplace, combined with opening and growing significant new markets. I look forward to executing on that vision, delivering the industry’s highest-quality products and services."