Daily news

Pradman Kaul, President of Hughes Network Systems, to Retire at Year End

Dec. 1, 2022

 Pradman Kaul, President of Hughes Network Systems has decided to retire at the end of this year. On January 1, 2023, Paul Gaske will assume the role of Chief Operating Officer, succeeding Mr. Kaul and reporting to Hamid Akhavan, CEO of EchoStar.

Pradman Kaul will retire from his position as President of Hughes Network Systems at the end of the year.

Pradman Kaul will retire from his position as President of Hughes Network Systems at the end of the year.

Paul Gaske will assume the role of Chief Operating Officer of EchoStar.

Mr. Kaul said: "There is no industry like the satellite sector, combining space and rocketry with down-to-Earth solutions that meet an essential need for connectivity. And there is no team like the Hughes team, so committed to excellence, innovation and changing people's lives for the better. Having the privilege to be part of both is about as good as it gets for an engineer. With Paul and Hamid at the helm, I know the company will continue to blaze new paths in connecting people, enterprises and things."

"Pradman has been a visionary, an inspirational leader and an extraordinary steward of engineering excellence," said Mr. Akhavan. "He leaves a legacy of innovation and collaboration that sets us apart as an employer, a service provider and a partner to customers worldwide."

Upon his retirement, Mr. Kaul will continue to serve on the Board of Directors of EchoStar and will be appointed its Vice Chairman. He joined the company in 1973 as its tenth employee and has been a force in the satellite industry since then, assuming the role of President of Hughes in 2000. Industry 'firsts' commercialized under Mr. Kaul's leadership include: the first broadband satellite network; the first commercial satellite implementation for a national retailer; the first satellite internet service; and the first multipath satellite-plus-wireless service for consumers.

Mr. Kaul emigrated to the U.S. from India when he was 17 years old. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from George Washington University and a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley.