Viasat, a prominent player in the global satellite communications landscape, has announced a key leadership change, appointing Gary Chase as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective September 16, 2024. Chase succeeds Shawn Duffy, who will transition to the role of Chief Accounting Officer, continuing her valuable contributions to Viasat.
Chase brings a wealth of experience to Viasat, having served as Senior Vice President of Operational Finance at Delta Air Lines. As a member of Delta’s Leadership Committee, he reported directly to the CEO, showcasing his strategic capabilities and strong leadership skills. During his 12 years at Delta, Chase played a critical role in managing crucial financial operations, including Financial Planning & Analysis, Investor Relations, Corporate Planning, and Operational Finance. His strategic insights were further honed during his tenure as Delta’s Chief Strategy Officer.
Before joining Delta Air Lines, Chase built an impressive career in equity research as a Managing Director at Barclays Capital and Lehman Brothers in New York. His expertise as an Institutional Investor ranked analyst allowed him to analyze and advise on the airline and transportation sectors for over a decade.
Viasat anticipates that Chase’s extensive financial and strategic acumen will be instrumental in driving the company’s growth and innovation in the satellite communications industry.
Mark Dankberg, Chairman and CEO of Viasat, expressed enthusiasm for Chase’s appointment: “We are thrilled to welcome Gary to Viasat and look forward to adding his expertise in scaled operational financial systems to support our growth objectives. Gary’s extensive operational experience, and his perspective as a Viasat customer, make him well positioned to increase financial and operational automation and rigor, and sharpen our focus on cash generation and Inmarsat integration. He will play a pivotal financial and business oversight role for Viasat, with emphasis on data systems architecture and linking operational and financial metrics, delivering efficiencies, and optimizing our capital structure to create value for our employees, customers, and shareholders.”
Dankberg also acknowledged Duffy’s contributions: “We are also very pleased that Shawn will stay on in her newly created role. Since becoming CFO in 2014, Viasat’s revenues have more than tripled to $4.5 billion. Her deep understanding of the industry, as well as our company, make her a valued member of our executive team, and she’ll continue to provide financial advisory, accounting and reporting, tax strategy and governance oversight.”
Chase expressed his excitement about joining Viasat: “I am excited to join Viasat as its next CFO at such an important time in the company’s history. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Viasat’s businesses and its global mission of delivering safety and connectivity to customers in the air, at sea, and on land. I look forward to partnering with Mark, Guru, Shawn and the rest of the leadership team to further advance the finance function and its support for Viasat’s strategic initiatives and shareholder value creation.”
With Chase’s appointment, Viasat is poised for continued success in the dynamic satellite communications market. His expertise and leadership will be crucial as the company navigates growth and innovation in this rapidly evolving industry.
