EXECUTIVE TEAM

Rick Hodgkinson, President & CEO

Rick is one of Canada’s satellite pioneers and was one of the very first to introduce satellite communications technologies for voice, data, and entertainment to the oil & gas industry beginning in Northern Alberta in 1981 and has evolved to the national stage with the formation of Galaxy Satellite in 1992. For the past twenty five years, Rick has personally worked with industry dealers and consumers in virtually every region of this country.

The satellite broadband business is one of the most dynamic industries in the world and requires leadership coupled with grass roots understanding to build a business that will sustain itself long into the future. Rick provides this leadership to Galaxy Broadband and through his talents, Galaxy has grown to be one of the key providers of broadband satellite communications to both consumers and businesses in Canada.

James Derwinsky, Chief Operating Officer

James has been a pioneer in the distribution of satellite products for over 20 years. James has a very clear understanding of what is required to bring a new technology to the Canadian marketplace and to Canadian retailers. After leaving Canada’s largest C-Band Satellite Distributor as National Sales Manager, James joined a small private distributor as V.P. of sales. They quickly became one of Canada’s success stories in the satellite industry, launching Canada’s largest DTH provider into the marketplace and quickly bringing satellite into the mainstream.

Under his management Galaxy has grown to be the dominant provider of satellite broadband communications to the Canadian Resource market and has expanded sales into the United States and the Caribbean.

Doug Harvey, V.P. Sales & Marketing

Doug has over 25 years of senior management experience in Sales and Marketing for various start-up and established companies worldwide. He has played an exciting role, over the last 20 years in the development of satellite communications in Canada. Doug began in the C-band glory days where he developed both national and international sales and distribution for companies, including Tee-Comm Electronics, North America’s third largest. He next was a key member of the team that launched the first Direct To Home satellite television service in Canada, Puerto Rico and Argentina with Alpha Star. Doug then joined the new fledgling Star Choice Satellite TV as the Sr. Director of Sales and Marketing, initiating their Commercial Services business division until 2001. He then, along with several of the ex-Star Choice executives, launched LinCsat (now Xplornet ), Canada’s first residential broadband satellite service and Canada’s largest wireless broadband company.

Andrew MacKenzie, Director NOC Services

Andrew graduated with a B.A. from the University of Toronto and has a Degree in Digital Communications from Sheridan College. He was hand chosen to become certified through the Hughes Network Systems Hub Engineering program where he excelled in implementing and customizing HUB technology.

Andrew began working for Galaxy in the tech support department during his final year of university and gradually climbed the ladder into our NOC Manager position. This experience has afforded Andrew a complete bottom up knowledge of both the Hughes’ NOC and HUB products, as well as an industry understanding of the opportunity Galaxy had to evolve the technology and develop proprietary software and systems that has established the Galaxy network as a world standard.

Joe Gregoris CPA CA, Controller

Joe graduated with Honours Bachelor of Business Administration with a minor in Mathematics from Wilfrid Laurier University and earned the designation of CPA, CA in 2008. Prior to joining the Galaxy team in 2016, Joe developed an in-depth knowledge base of Canadian ASPE from both an external and internal user perspective during his experiences with both National and Regional CPA Firms as well as being the Controller for a mid-sized private Canadian corporation operating in the subscription-as-a-service for digital advertising industry.

Joe has always had a passion for working with businesses that live the entrepreneurial spirit. The way he sees it is simple. Galaxy is accountable to all of its stakeholders, especially our vendors and customers. As such, we have a duty to always maintain and improve the connection that allows our customers to connect with their families and peers wherever they are.