Ian Sanders has been named as the new Chief Financial Officer at ManSat Ltd, the Isle of Man company which provides specialist regulatory services to international satellite operators. He replaces Ian Jarritt, who retired at the end of April after 14 years working with the company. Ian Jarritt remains on the ManSat Main Board as a Non-Executive Director.

Mr Sanders, an economist and Chartered Accountant by training, is an independent consultant to companies in the telecoms, media and technology (TMT) sectors. Before becoming an independent consultant, he spent over twenty years with the professional services firm PwC, and its consulting business PwC Consulting, where he was a TMT Strategy Consulting Partner and was based at various times in the Isle of Man, London, Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi and Beijing, working on consulting projects in over 20 countries worldwide. From 2003 to 2006 he was Strategy & Business Development Director at Manx Telecom in the Isle of Man, where his responsibilities included new business development, retail channels and consumer markets.

Mr Jarritt has acted as a consultant to ManSat since 2001 and has worked with the company in a wide range of roles, including providing the services of chief financial officer, and helping the company to build up its current very strong reputation in the international space community. He has also played an important role in helping the company to develop its educational programmes. In particular, he has been closely involved with its annual scholarships to NASA’s United Space School, which each year see two Isle of Man high school students spend a fortnight in Houston, Texas alongside peers from more than 40 countries around the world.

In addition to his work with ManSat, Mr Jarritt is Chairman of the Isle of Man subsidiary of Inmarsat plc, an international satellite operator and service provider, and Treasurer to the European Satellite Operators Association based in Brussels. He also sits as a member of the Isle of Man Government's Civil Service Commission.

ManSat CEO and Chairman Chris Stott said: ‘Ian Jarritt has made a very significant contribution in working with ManSat to achieve what many thought was impossible for the Island. Fortunately for us, he is not severing all connections with the company as he joins us as a Non-Executive Director of our Main Board.

‘Ian Jarritt is a hard act to follow, so we are delighted to be able to announce that Ian Sanders has agreed to work with us. His wide international TMT experience in areas such as economic regulation, strategy & business planning, financial management and the management of complex services contracts which will be invaluable to us as we work to take ManSat to the next stage of its development. We have achieved a lot since Ian Jarritt started working with us and this is just the beginning of what is a very bright future for the company and for the Island’s space sector.’

Mr Jarritt said: ‘I am proud to have played a role in what ManSat has achieved over the last 14 years. I think ManSat has great potential for continued profitable growth and I am pleased to be continuing my connection with the company in my new role as Non-Executive Director at a time when so many exciting things are happening in the global and, indeed, the Isle of Man space industries.

Mr Sanders said: ‘ManSat is a great company with strong potential. I believe that it provides an excellent example of how Isle of Man-based businesses can succeed in highly competitive and fast moving international industries. I look forward to working closely with the Chris and rest of the ManSat Board to help take the company to great heights.’