The mobile satellite phones provider Inmarsat does not change its top brass often, but a decision to split Andrew Sukawaty’s dual roles of chairman and chief executive has resulted in a promotion for top lieutenant Rupert Pearce after six years in the wings.
Mr Pearce joined the company as general counsel in 2005 but soon moved to a more operational role, where he has led most of Inmarsat’s biggest projects, including the acquisition of Stratos, planning the launch of its new satellite constellation and talks to sell capacity to the American mobile broadband venture LightSquared.
“In a sense, the future is already locked and loaded,” Mr Pearce said, pointing to billions of dollars of revenue that have been secured for the coming years. However, the new chief faces a gradual promotion because he will take up his new role only at the end of the year, and Mr Sukawaty will carry on as executive chairman for at least another two years. Mr Pearce, who is from Worcestershire, is not fazed by the presence of his predecessor, arguing that the business has been a “team effort” since he joined.
The father of three took an unusual route into telecoms. He trained as a solicitor and went on to become a partner at Linklaters before turning his attention to venture capital during a stint with Atlas Ventures.
Mr Pearce enjoys sailing, although more on dinghies than on the luxury yachts that many of Inmarsat’s customers own, and he uses one of the company’s BGAN satellite phones every weekend at his beach house, where there is no mobile reception. “My kids do their homework on it,” he said.