EchoStar Holding Corporation Appoints Dean Olmstead President -- Satellite Services

 

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Jan 10, 2008 (PrimeNewswire via COMTEX News Network) -- EchoStar Holding Corporation (Nasdaq:SATS) announced today that Dean Olmstead, a recognized leader in the satellite industry, will join the company as President -- Satellite Services.

Olmstead will report to Charles W. Ergen, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of EchoStar Holding Corporation, a newly-listed company that was recently separated from EchoStar Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:DISH) and holds certain satellites, uplink and satellite transmission assets and the digital set-top box formerly held by EchoStar Communications. Olmstead succeeds Michael Kelly, who will remain at DISH Network responsible for Advertising Sales, Interactive Television and DISH Network Business Solutions.

According to Ergen, "The quality and depth of Dean Olmstead's knowledge and experience, along with his proven vision for industry-shaping transactions, makes him an excellent person to lead the growth of EchoStar Holding's satellite services business."

On his appointment, Olmstead remarked: "I have worked with EchoStar on many transactions and have developed great respect for EchoStar's execution capability and entrepreneurial culture. I am proud to become associated with a company of professionals who have so successfully integrated satellite and other technologies to provide valuable services to their customers."

Until recently, Olmstead served as an advisor to Loral Space & Communications (Nasdaq:LORL) on strategic and growth opportunities for Loral's satellite service businesses, which completed a merger with Telesat in October 2007, and he served on Loral's board of directors. He was also President of Arrowhead Global Solutions, which was acquired by CapRock Communications in May 2007. Previously, Olmstead was President and CEO of SES Americom and a member of the SES Global Executive Committee, where he led SES' expansion from Europe to become one of the top global providers of satellite communications. He was also Executive Vice President for Engineering and Operations at DirecTV Japan, and has held senior management positions with NASA, and the U.S. State Department.

Olmstead holds a B.S. in Economics-Mathematics from Western Washington University, an M.A. from Stanford University's Terman School of Engineering, and also completed Ph.D. studies in Economics at The American University.

About EchoStar Holding Corporation

EchoStar Holding Corporation (Nasdaq:SATS) operates two primary businesses: satellite services and digital entertainment solutions. The satellite services business provides service on nine owned and leased in-orbit satellites, and includes a network of seven full-service digital broadcast centers and leased fiber optic capacity with points of presence in approximately 150 cities. The digital entertainment solutions business includes the Sling Media business and designs, develops and distributes set-top boxes and related products for direct-to-home satellite television service providers. Visit www.echostar.com for more information.

This news release was distributed by PrimeNewswire, www.primenewswire.com

SOURCE: EchoStar Holding Corporation

EchoStar Holding Corporation 

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