EchoStar announced that Derek de Bastos, previously vice president of engineering for SiriusXM Radio, has joined its EchoStar Satellite Services subsidiary as chief technology officer.
Separately, EchoStar announced that Mahmood Mirza, previously VP of IT and client operations at LightSquared, has joined the company as senior vice president of business systems, information technology and operations.
De Bastos will be responsible for procurement, technical direction and technical operations for EchoStar’s satellite fleet and will manage the team responsible for systems engineering and program management. He reports to EchoStar Satellite Services president Anders Johnson.
De Bastos was among the first employees of XM Satellite Radio, where he was vice president of satellite engineering for nine years before the 2008 merger of Sirius and XM. He has also held management positions with Worldspace and Lockheed Martin (formerly RCA) Astro Space.
“Derek has managed large-scale satellite systems from conception to in-orbit operation,” Johnson said in a statement. “His knowledge and experience will make him a great addition to our executive ranks.”
Mirza, who reports to EchoStar CEO and president Michael Dugan, is tasked with alignment of all IT strategy, business systems and IT technology across all EchoStar business units.
"During the next few years, we will drive greater growth and adoption of our current platforms, deliver superior products and be a leader in the transformation of the customer experience through our continuous improvement initiatives. Mahmood has the experience and passion for technology and operational excellence that will make our efforts a success," Dugan said in a statement.
Mirza has more than 23 years of experience in the telecommunications field, having served as CTO or chief information officer at companies including Disney Mobile, AT&T and American Management Systems.
EchoStar, based in Englewood, Colo., provides satellite operations, video delivery solutions and set-top boxes worldwide. Its biggest customer is sister company Dish Network.
