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.