Greg
Wyler
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Greg Wyler leads the deployment of the world’s first low-latency, multi-gigabit satellite system. In 2010, O3b Networks will begin commercial operations with link speeds of up to 10 Gbps to telecom operators and Internet exchange points in emerging markets. With investment and operational support from some of the world’s largest communications and finance companies, O3b Networks’ mission is to provide fiber-quality bandwidth to locations constrained by geographic, commercial and economic barriers – enabling a communications backbone that can connect the networks of developed countries with the “other 3 billion” people, hence the name O3b.
After the successful growth and sale of a semiconductor-cooling company he founded, Mr. Wyler has focused on bridging the digital divide, pioneering the first commercial 3G mobile and fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks in Africa. Through the practical experience of operating in emerging markets, Mr. Wyler identified the need for low-latency gigabit backhaul to developing markets.
Previously, the lack of available bandwidth from the headends of 3G, WiMAX, FTTH and other last-mile technologies have remained thousands of miles from the global telecommunications network. O3b Networks was thus founded to bridge these networks, offering the speed of fiber and the availability of satellite.
Mr. Wyler is a frequent speaker on the topic of rural communications and the digital divide. His speaking experience includes an address to the U.S. House subcommittee on telecommunications, advising on the need for low-latency, high-speed communications to promote economic and social equality worldwide.
Armando J. Tirado
Executive Vice President and General Counsel
As O3b Networks’ General Counsel, Armando brings 20 years of experience in handling legal, regulatory and compliance matters in emerging markets, as well as in the United States and Europe. Prior to joining O3b Networks, he worked as Regional General Counsel, Europe and Middle East, for Intelsat. Throughout his career he has served in a variety of roles, both in private practice and in house, including General Counsel at Tyco International covering Latin America and the Caribbean, Head of Legal for the Export Division of Ingram Micro, Vice President and Regional General Counsel for DHL Worldwide Express and Federal Express, and Senior Projects Counsel for PDVSA/Maraven.
He is a Solicitor, member of the Law Society and licensed to practice in England and Wales, and also an attorney at law admitted in Florida, New York and Louisiana. He is also licensed to practice law in Venezuela.
Armando has a Specialization in European and Spanish Law from the UAH, Master of Law degrees from Columbia Law School and University of London/London School of Economics, a Juris Doctor (with honors) from the Tulane Law School, and a Baccalaureate in Law (with honors) from the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello.
John
Finney
Executive Vice President, Global Sales & Marketing
John Finney leads O3b Networks’ global sales and marketing efforts. Prior to joining O3b Networks, he served as Regional Managing Director for Ciena Corp, where he was responsible for Northern Europe, Russia and the Middle East.
Prior to Ciena, Mr. Finney held a number of International Vice President positions from 2004 to 2007 with Alcatel-Lucent, including responsibility for the Vodafone business unit. He later served as Vice President of International Accounts for the Northern European region.
From 1999 to 2004, Mr. Finney served as a founding member of Huawei Technologies’ European team. With Huawei, he secured major contracts across Europe, the Middle East and Africa as the company’s Vice President of Mobile Solutions for the EMEA region.
Early in his career, Mr. Finney worked for the UK Foreign Commonwealth Office and T-Mobile UK.
Brian
Holz
Director, Space Program
As O3b Networks’ Director of Space Systems, Brian Holz leads the design and development of the Company’s constellation space segment, the launch of the satellites, and the development of the satellite control centers.
Prior to joining O3b Networks, Mr. Holz worked for Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. from 2002 to 2008 as a Senior Program Manager, where he managed instrument and spacecraft technical teams. Mr. Holz spent most of his career with Fairchild Space and Orbital Sciences as a spacecraft systems engineer. In 1999, Mr. Holz received Orbital Science’s Outstanding Technical Achievement Award.
Mr. Holz earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aerospace Engineering from Virginia Tech and a Master of Science Degree in Space Systems Engineering with an emphasis in Pointing and Control Theory from George Washington University. He serves on the Advisory Board of the University of Colorado’s Space Grant College.
Steve
Blumenthal
Head of Ground Networks
As Head of Ground Networks, Steve Blumenthal leads the design of the customer-site satellite ground station equipment and is also responsible for the deployment of the O3b Networks’ gateways worldwide.
Prior to joining O3b Networks, Mr. Blumenthal worked for BridgePort Networks as Senior Vice President of Engineering and Chief Technology Officer. Before BridgePort, he served as Senior Vice President of Engineering and Chief Technology Officer at Genuity, where his group designed and built one of the first and largest VoIP networks. Prior to Genuity, Mr. Blumenthal was Vice President and General Manager of Global Network Infrastructure at GTE.
Mr. Blumenthal began his career with Bolt Beranek and Newman (BBN), where he was responsible for early DARPA Internet research projects in packet satellite communications.
Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, Mr. Blumenthal served as an advisor on Internet Security to the U.S. Congress and the President’s Special Advisor on Cyberspace Security.
Mr. Blumenthal earned BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also completed the MIT Sloan School of Management's Greater Boston Executive Program.
