# Mark Dankberg

> Mark Dankberg is the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Viasat, based in Carlsbad, California. An electrical engineer educated at Rice University, he helped build the company from a home-based startup in 1986 into a global satellite communications business serving aviation, maritime, government and broadband customers. His career spans defense networking, high-capacity satellites, the Inmarsat acquisition and advocacy for shared access to orbital and spectrum resources.

- **Role:** Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer at Viasat
- **Organizations:** Viasat, National Academy of Engineering, Mobile Satellite Services Association, Global Satellite Operators Association, Rice University (trustee emeritus), Rockwell International (former employer), M/A-COM Linkabit (former employer)
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Rice University, Master’s degree in electrical engineering, Rice University
- **Known for:** Elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2017 for contributions to broadband internet communications via satellite., Inducted into the Society of Satellite Professionals International Hall of Fame in 2015., Received the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation Industry Innovator award in 2013.

## Career timeline

- **1977-1979** — Communications engineer at Rockwell International.
- **1979-1986** — Worked at M/A-COM Linkabit, becoming assistant vice president.
- **1986** — Co-founded Viasat with Steve Hart and Mark Miller, initially working from a spare room in his house.
- **1996** — Viasat became publicly traded on Nasdaq.
- **2008** — Viasat announced its own ViaSat-1 satellite project.
- **2009** — Viasat acquired broadband provider WildBlue.
- **2011** — ViaSat-1 launched with 140 Gbps capacity.
- **2013** — Elected to Rice University’s board of trustees.
- **2017** — Elected to the National Academy of Engineering; ViaSat-2 launched.
- **2020-11** — Became executive chairman as Rick Baldridge became CEO.
- **2022-07** — Resumed the chairman and CEO roles.
- **2023-05** — Viasat completed its acquisition of Inmarsat.
- **2026-09** — Viasat and Space42 announced a binding agreement to establish Equatys, subject to closing conditions.

## Achievements

- Elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2017 for contributions to broadband internet communications via satellite.
- Inducted into the Society of Satellite Professionals International Hall of Fame in 2015.
- Received the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation Industry Innovator award in 2013.
- Received the AIAA Aerospace International Communications Award in 2008.
- Inducted into the CONNECT Entrepreneur Hall of Fame in 2018.
- Received the APSCC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Viasat and Space42 announced a binding agreement to establish Equatys, with up to $1 billion in combined equity commitments upon formation. Formation and procurement remain subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.
- **2026-09** — Published a forty-year retrospective discussing Viasat’s defense origins, broadband strategy, business-model changes and the influence of Clayton Christensen.
- **2026-03** — Appeared in a Via Satellite video conversation about ViaSat-3, satellite constellations, sovereign systems and The Innovator’s Dilemma.

## Links

- Website: https://www.viasat.com/about/company/leadership/mark-dankberg/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-dankberg-0237894b

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/mark-dankberg
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-24