Mark Dankberg

Mark Dankberg is Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Viasat, Inc. He co-founded the company in 1986. Under his leadership, Viasat has consistently been one of America’s fastest growing technology companies, and has been recognized multiple times by leading business and industry publications including BusinessWeek, Fast Company, Forbes, Fortune, DefenseNews, SpaceNews, and Washington Technology for its leadership.

 

Mark is a leading expert in aerospace, defense, and satellite systems and participates in both national and international organizations involved in delivering, defining, and governing space systems and services, including:

• The US National Academy of Engineering, a part of the National Academies of Science, Engineering & Medicine
• The President’s National Security Telecom Advisory Committee
• As a commissioner-elect of the United Nations ITU/UNESCO Broadband Commission for sustainable development
• Founding Chairman of the Mobile Satellite Services Association
• Board of Directors of the Global Satellite Operators Association

 

He is globally recognized for leadership in defining, researching, and measuring safe, sustainable, and equitable access to scarce space orbital and spectrum resources as well as technologies and regulations that support achieving the benefits of space integration into national infrastructures while preserving the space and earth environment. He has co-authored and published research papers has been an invited speaker on these and other topics in numerous technical, industry, and governance venues.

 

Mark has received numerous awards for his industry and business leadership:

• San Diego Business Journal’s SD500 Leaders
• 2022 Asia-Pacific Satellite Communications Council (APSCC) Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2018 UC San Diego CONNECT Entrepreneur Hall of Fame
• 2017 LEAD San Diego Economic Opportunity Award
• 2016 Director of the Year Honoree by San Diego-based Corporate Directors Forum
• 2015 Society of Satellite Professionals Hall of Fame
• 2013 Arthur C. Clarke Foundation Industry Innovator
• 2013 San Diego Business Journal Most Admired CEO Founders Award
• 2012 Visionary Executive of the Year, Satellite Markets and Research
• 2008 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Aerospace International Communications Award
• 2003 Satellite Industry Executive of the Year
• 2000 Entrepreneur of the Year in San Diego in 2000

 

Prior to founding Viasat, Mark was Assistant Vice President of M/A-COM Linkabit, a manufacturer of satellite telecommunications equipment, from 1979 to 1986, and Communications Engineer for Rockwell International Corporation from 1977 to 1979.

 

He earned B.S. EE and M.S. EE degrees from Rice University and is a member of the Rice University Electrical and Computer Engineering Hall of Fame.