When SES was founded in 1985 as Société Européenne des Satellites, its impact on the future of the space and telecommunication sectors could not be measured; ever since its first satellite was launched in December 1988, the company’s growth went hand in hand with innovation and the ambition to establish a network of high-speed internet access around the globe. Today, SES is operating a fleet of 70 satellites. Broadcasting some 8,200 television and radio channels to over 355 million households, SES is the leading satellite operator in the world.
LACC has met with Dr. Douglas Clayton at the company’s Spacecraft Operations Centre (SOC) in Princeton. As Senior Vice President of Human Capital Americas and Leadership Development, Dr. Clayton is executing global strategies for Talent Acquisition by recruiting highly qualified graduates from an international pool of universities. He is also implementing learning curricula that allow SES employees to deliver training as pro-active subject matter experts and to grow their knowledge in the fast-paced satellite industry.
Dr. Clayton has given us a tour of the Princeton facilities, showing us the control room, conference center, and recreation area that provides for an exceptional work-life balance. Sitting down for lunch, we had the chance to talk about training, 5G, and SES’ stakeholder-centric policies.
LACC: Over the past years, SES has implemented educational programs and prepared its staff for continuous learning experiences. How would you describe the scope of these programs and what benefits can you expect?
Dr. Clayton: First of all, I would like to point out that our learning programs are conducted globally to ensure consistently high standards for our staff and operations worldwide. As of 2019, we have approximately 2,000 employees working for SES with the headquarters in Luxembourg-Betzdorf being our main operational center. There are 140 people working at the Princeton office in engineering, sales, finance, and human capital. However, the crown jewel of our office is the SOC where the satellite fleet is controlled either in primary or full redundancy mode in case of an emergency at the Luxembourg premises. SES is the only company in the world with a fully developed backup center.
LACC: SES has expanded into the South American and Asian markets.
Dr. Clayton: Exactly. We have offices all over the world and every department requires its own technical training to keep up our level of excellence: From development and programing to engineering and the monitoring of satellites, sales and marketing. In addition to this, we implemented a very powerful training program. Momentum, as we call it, sharpens the knowledge of our employees in four key areas – Change Readiness, Strategy, Stakeholder Centricity, and Knowledge Networking.
In our full-day Strategy workshop, we stage a business simulation exercise that casts the participants in different roles. Our staff will assume an executive position and make strategic decisions as a CTO or CEO to understand the changing markets. At the same time, it allows employees to assess their ability to adapt and take risks.
Another component of the program is related to change management and the merging of business units. It also gives us the opportunity to use technology as a learning tool – a topic that formed the basis of my doctoral dissertation and that I am still very interested in.
LACC: The policies of SES are markedly stakeholder-centric. How do they affect the company’s operational plans?
Dr. Clayton: We have embraced a business framework that centers on four key stakeholders fundamental to our success: strategic vendors, policy makers, customers, and alternative service providers whose influence we need to assess. In practice, this means that management will measure every business decision against the interests and well-being of our stakeholder entities, the most important one being our employees. SES provides very competitive health care and vacation plans, as well as a balanced work environment. It is part of our social responsibility.
LACC: Could you expand on the role of the other stakeholders?
Dr. Clayton: Of course. The strategic vendors allow us to be fully operational. They provide services and equipment, such as satellite components, ground equipment, insurances, and launching facilities. Some of the key policy makers impact our ability to obtain premium spectrum rights – which is essential to any satellite operator.
The third group of stakeholders are obviously the customers. Among our clients are governments and institutions like the US Department of Defense or the multifunctional GovSat program in Europe operating a geostationary communications satellite…
LACC: …and broadcasting companies.
Dr. Clayton: NBC, ESPN, Sky, Hallmark, etc. As for the Alternative Service Providers, they comprise a number of players, including resellers and competitors. The emergence of space programs from Google or SpaceX for instance renders the market more dynamic. They are looking to operate with LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellites while we are mostly active in the Geosynchronous and Middle Earth Orbits.
LACC: Since its inception SES has played a pioneering role in satellite technologies. How to support Ultra High Definition TV (UHD) is just one example in a continuous strive for innovation. What are the challenges for the future?
Dr. Clayton: A key opportunity for the immediate future of SES lies in the development of network technologies and solutions. The emergence of 5G is paving the way for the Internet of Things (IoT), a revolution that will fundamentally change our communication patterns in both business matters and our private lives. As a member of the C-band alliance, SES is accelerating 5G deployment and innovation together with US leadership. Consumers throughout America will have access to 5G services spurring the economic growth in both urban and non-urban areas. At the same time, satellite operators in C-band will protect the quality and reliability of their services to US broadcasters, media and data companies.
Moreover, we are committed to bringing connectivity to the remotest regions of the Earth. SES has already transformed the satellite industry with the O3b MEO constellation, bringing high-performance connectivity to millions of people and places around the globe. As a pioneering force in networking and communications, we are targeting the geographical areas with scarce or no internet access at all.
LACC: Thank you for this conversation!
Bob Dieschburg, LACC