Satwest LLC Management and Board of Directors/Advisors
M. Brian Barnett, Chairman, Founder & CEO
Since 1999, M. Brian Barnett, a serial entrepreneur, has built Satwest LLC into one of the fastest growing high tech companies in New Mexico. Before launching his own companies, he had an extensive career as a management consultant specializing in the commercial satellite and space industries, technology commercialization and market intelligence. Barnett was a manager at KPMG consulting where he served corporate and government clients in New Mexico, Houston, Austin, Washington, D.C. and Europe. Working with organizations such as KPMG LLP, high tech start-ups, national labs, and NASA, he assessed technologies for commercialization.
He started his career at NASA, where he managed or participated in over 70 scientific experiments that flew on the Space Shuttle, Spacelab, and Space Station. That started his formal entrée into the high tech business. He worked at NASA’s Marshall Spaceflight Center (Huntsville, Alabama), Johnson Space Center (Houston), and Headquarters (Washington, D.C.). Since then, he has formed or consulted with over 10 high tech start ups (two of which have been acquired), and has assessed over 100 technologies for dozens of companies and government organizations.
Satwest is an innovative satellite communications and aerospace company. Satwest specializes in providing voice, on-board internet, and web-based tracking solutions for business and government aircraft. Satwest is an established leader in the satellite communications industry, providing solutions to customers in multiple industries including aviation, oil & gas, utilities, military and security agencies, federal, state, and local governments, adventure travelers, and emergency response.
Satwest is a recognized leader in the development of the emerging commercial, suborbital spaceflight industry. Satwest’s professional services include mission planning, production and management, payload development and integration services, and spaceflight access services enabling companies, universities and government agencies to fly their commercial and scientific payloads onboard suborbital launch vehicles.
Barnett is also founder of Solstar Energy Devices, the developer and leading brand of innovative, rollable and foldable solar energy panels for powering satellite communications and other electronics devices requiring remote power.
Mr. Barnett earned a B.S. in microbiology from the University of Oklahoma, an M.A.S. in project management from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and was awarded a certificate in space studies from the International Space University in Strasbourg, France.
Harrison Hagan "Jack" Schmitt — Satwest Founding Advisor
Harrison Hagan "Jack" Schmitt (born July 3, 1935) is an American geologist, a former NASA astronaut, University Professor and a U.S. Senator for one term. Dr. Schmitt and Satwest CEO, Brian Barnett, worked closely under contract to the State of NM, to develop the business plan for the commercial spaceport in New Mexico during the mid to late 1990s. He is a founding member of Satwest’s board of advisors, and has provided key advice to Satwest since 1999.
He is the last of the Apollo astronauts to arrive and set foot on the Moon. He is also the first—and so far only—person to have walked on the Moon who was never a member of the United States Armed Forces.
Born in Santa Rita, New Mexico, Schmitt grew up in nearby Silver City. He received a B.S. degree in science from the California Institute of Technology in 1957 and then spent a year studying geology at the University of Oslo in Norway. He received a Ph.D. in geology from Harvard University in 1964, based on his geological field studies in Norway.
Before joining NASA as a member of the first group of scientist-astronauts in June 1965, he worked at the U.S. Geological Survey's Astrogeology Center at Flagstaff, Arizona, developing geological field techniques that would be used by the Apollo crews. Following his selection, Schmitt played a key role in training Apollo crews to be geologic observers when they were in lunar orbit and competent geologic field workers when they were on the lunar surface. After each of the landing missions, he participated in the examination and evaluation of the returned lunar samples and helped the crews with the scientific aspects of their mission reports.
Schmitt posed with the American flag and Earth in the background during Apollo 17's first EVA. Eugene Cernan is visible reflected in Schmitt's helmet visor.
Schmitt spent considerable time becoming proficient in the CSM and LM systems. In March 1970 he became the first of the scientist-astronauts to receive a crew assignment.
He joined Richard F. Gordon, Jr. (Commander) and Vance Brand (Command Module Pilot) on the backup crew for Apollo 15 and was clearly in line to fly as Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 18. After the cancellation of the Apollo 18 moon mission in September 1970, it was widely expected that he would be assigned to fly on Apollo 17, the last lunar mission. That assignment was announced in August 1971.
During Apollo 17's flight to the Moon in December 1972, Schmitt is believed to have taken the photograph of the Earth known as The Blue Marble, one of the most widely distributed photographic images in existence. (NASA officially credits the image to the entire Apollo 17 crew; Schmitt claims that he personally took the image.)
While on the Moon's surface, Schmitt—the only geologist in the astronaut corps—collected the rock sample designated Troctolite 76535, which has been called "without doubt the most interesting sample returned from the Moon". Among other distinctions, it is the central piece of evidence suggesting that the Moon once possessed an active magnetic field.
After the completion of Apollo 17, Schmitt played an active role in documenting the Apollo geologic results and also took on the task of organizing NASA's Energy Program Office.
In August 1975, Schmitt resigned from NASA to seek election as a Republican to the United States Senate representing New Mexico. Schmitt faced two-term Democratic incumbent, Joseph Montoya, whom he defeated 57% to 42%. He served one term and, notably, was the ranking Republican member of the Science, Technology, and Space Subcommittee. He sought a second term in 1982, but due to a deep recession and concerns that he wasn't paying attention to local matters, he was defeated in a re-election bid by the state Attorney General Jeff Bingaman by a 54% to 46% margin. Following his Senate term, he has been a consultant in business, geology, space, and public policy.
He lives in Silver City, New Mexico, and spends some of his summer at his northern Minnesota lake cabin. He is also an advocate of returning to the moon, as the moon could be used as a source of helium-3, a rare isotope of helium that can be used as a fuel for nuclear fusion reactors.
Schmitt is chair of the NASA Advisory Council, whose mandate is to provide technical advice to the NASA Administrator. Schmitt is an adjunct professor of engineering physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is the founder and serves as chairman of Interlune Intermars Initiative Inc., an organization whose goal is to advance the private sector’s acquisition and use of lunar resources.
J. Brad Steward — Director/Advisor
Years of Professional Experience
24
Experience
Brad is currently a shareholder with Pulakos and Alongi, an accounting firm in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Prior to that, Brad worked as CFO for Boeing/SVS and other private and public companies. Brad was a senior manager with KPMG LLC, a global accounting firm. CEO Barnett and Brad worked together at KPMG, 1993-1998.
Education
Master of Business Administration with concentration on Human Resources Management, Robert O. Anderson Graduate Schools of Management, University of New Mexico; Bachelor of Business Administration, Dual Concentration in Accounting and Financial Management, Robert O. Anderson Graduate Schools of Management, University of New Mexico.
Certifications
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Areas of Specialization
Assurance services; strategic planning; mergers and acquisitions; financial, management and leadership training (certified Covey 7-Habits Facilitator); general management consulting; strategic planning facilitation and consulting; performance-based reporting systems; human resources consulting – job redesign and performance-based compensation systems; accounts receivable management; inventory management; pricing strategies and staffing considerations.
Nick Jacobs — Satwest Director/Advisor
Nick Jacobs comes to the Satwest board with nearly 20 years of sales, marketing and management experience in telecom. Currently Nick is a director of client management at HP where he works on IT infrastructure and applications development projects with wireless carriers. Previously he worked as a VP, Strategic Alliances for Terrestar Networks, the new operator of a satellite/terrestrial network with capable handsets. Prior to Terrestar, Nick worked for 6 years as a Sr. Director - Wireless Data for Nextel International, the holding company for Nextel in Latin America. There Nick was responsible for planning, implementation and overall sales of wireless data applications, associated devices and custom industry data products.
Nick graduated from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois with a BA in International Relations and DePaul.
Nick and CEO Barnett have worked professionally since 2007, as Satwest and Terrestar were working out a MVNO deal.
Mark Matossian — Satwest Director/Founding Advisor
Dr. Mark Matossian is currently a senior Program Manager at Google. Over the past three years, Mark has served in various global roles managing the hardware supply chain architecture, production planning, contract manufacturing and logistics and data center operations worldwide. Operating in near-stealth mode, the Google’s Supply Chain Operations team fuels Google’s global data center build-out and ongoing operations with servers and networking gear that enables Google’s billions of search queries per month, as well as many other rapidly growing functions such as Gmail, YouTube and Ads.
Mark and CEO Barnett, have known and have been business colleagues since 1989. They attended the International Space University together in Strasbourg, France, and have collaborated on multiple technology ventures over the years. Mark was instrumental in the founding years of Satwest, as he provided technical and business consultation to Iridium, one of Satwest’s main suppliers. He is an expert on satellite orbital and telecommunications design, and aerospace.
Mark is a veteran of many startup ventures. Prior to Google, Mark served as Director of Manufacturing Operations at Gigabeam (GGBM), a leading point-to-point wireless telecommunications equipment supplier, where he managed the supply chain, production, and logistics for the world’s first commercial gigabit wireless links, doubling production each quarter. From 2000 to 2004, Mark served as Vice President of Finance and Operations at Answers.com (GRU), managing 300% growth and operations spanning 10 time zones.
A rocket scientist at heart, Mark is an expert on multi-satellite constellations. Mark came to Answers.com from ICO Teledesic Global Ltd., a multibillion dollar global satellite broadband venture backed by Craig McCaw and Bill Gates, where he was responsible for critical operations planning, risk management, and international contract negotiations activities. Mark previously founded Efficient Frontier Solutions, an executive consultancy focused on operations strategy and execution. Project work covered telecommunications and consumer electronics, such as the Iridium satellite venture, while clients included venture capital firms and major Wall Street investment banks. Mark started out his career at SAIC, where he led spacecraft operations analysis and design optimization projects for NASA and the US Air Force.
Dr. Matossian holds five degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Russian studies for the University of Michigan and the University of Colorado. His academic activities included studies and research in Russia, France, and the Japanese Space Agency, and he is the recipient of NSF and NASA research fellowships focused on space operations optimization. Mark is a frequent guest lecturer at business schools on entrepreneurship and operations strategy, most recently at MIT, Michigan and UC/Berkeley.
Michael Potter — Satwest Founding Advisor
Michael Potter serves as Director, of Paradigm Ventures a family investment firm focused on high technology ventures. Previously Potter was Vice Chairman, founder and President of Esprit Telecom plc., a pan-European competitive telecommunications services provider. During his 8 years at Esprit, the team grew the company to 1,000 employees in over 9 European countries and a market capitalization of a billion US dollars. He was formerly an international telecommunications analyst at the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. Potter was also Vice Chairman of the founding Board of the European Competitive Telecommunications Association (ECTA).
Michael and CEO Barnett have known each other, and have worked professionally since 1988, when both were with NASA. They studied together at the International Space University
Michael is on the Board of Directors the Manna Energy Foundation, a non-profit foundation that is installing clean water solutions in high schools in Rwanda. Michael is a founder of Odyssey Moon, the first entrant into the Google Lunar Xprize. Michael is a Senior Fellow at the International Institute of Space Commerce. He is a director Global Connect. His articles on high technology business and policy have been widely published. Michael received his MS degree from the London School of Economics and his BA from California State University at Sacramento, and a certificate in Space Studies from the International Space University.
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info@satwest.com
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