M&A  December 4, 2024

Gogo to swap C-suite upon Satcom Direct acquisition

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BROOMFIELD — Gogo Inc. (Nasdaq: GOGO), a Broomfield-based provider of broadband connectivity services for the business aviation market, is planning a series of executive changes — including of its CEO — to coincide with its acquisition of Satcom Direct Inc., a Melbourne, Florida-based in-flight communications company.

In a regulatory disclosure this week, Gogo said its current CEO Oakleigh Thorne will be replaced by Christopher Moore when the Satcom deal, which could be worth more than $600 million, is finalized. The companies expect the merger to close before the end of 2024. 

Moore has “has served in various leadership roles since 2012” with Satcom, including chief operating officer and chief commercial officer, according to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

Thorne, who has been Gogo’s CEO since 2018, will become the executive chairman of the combined company’s board of directors.

Gogo’s senior vice president for product operations will be the new chief operating officer; Satcom chief financial officer Zachary Cotner will hold the same position with Gogo, taking over from Jessica Betjemann; and Hayden Olson will be Gogo’s executive vice president and general manager.

When the acquisition closes, “Satcom Direct will receive $375 million in cash and five million shares of Gogo stock at closing, and up to an additional $225 million in payments tied to realizing certain performance thresholds over the next four years,” Gogo said in September.

The deal “accelerates our growth strategies of expanding our total addressable market to include the 14,000 business aircraft outside North America, and delivering solutions that meet the needs of every segment of the BA (business aviation) market,” Thorne said in a prepared statement this fall. “Together, Gogo and Satcom Direct will offer integrated GEO-LEO satellite solutions that provide the highest performance of any satellite solution, along with the world-class customer support that the global heavy jet segment demands.”

Gogo Inc., a Broomfield-based provider of broadband connectivity services for the business aviation market, is planning a series of executive changes — including of its CEO — to coincide with its acquisition of Satcom Direct Inc., a Melbourne, Florida-based in-flight communications company.

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A Maryland native, Lucas has worked at news agencies from Wyoming to South Carolina before putting roots down in Colorado.
Categories: Aviation Broomfield M&A People on the Move Today's News Christopher Moore Gogo Inc. Hayden Olson Jessica Betjemann Oakleigh Thorne Satcom Direct Inc. Zachary Cotner
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