Chief Executive Of SIS Steps Down

David Holdgate is to step down as Chief Executive of Satellite Information Services Ltd after 14 years.
Holdgate will be replaced by Gary Smith, who joined SIS earlier this year as Chief Operating Officer.
Holdgate will leave on December 31 but will continue in the short term as a consultant with SIS to aid in the handover of major relationships. He has overseen massive change in the SIS business which this year celebrated the 25th anniversary of its first broadcast to betting shops. In that time, the business has grown into Europe's leading supplier of video and data to the betting industry and one of the world’s major providers of broadcast facilities.
Holdgate said: "It has been a momentous time for SIS. We have relocated the business HQ from London to MediaCityUK, Salford, and this summer we’ve been involved with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, EURO 2012, and the Olympics and Paralympics. All major rights and customer contracts have been tied up on long-term agreements, so taking all that together, this felt like the right time to stand down.
"Gary has done an excellent job since he came in and by the time he takes over on January 1, 2013, he will be fully embedded in the business and ready to take on the CEO’s role, for which he is admirably qualified."
Smith, who formerly held senior roles at BSkyB in the UK, joined SIS on July 1 from Canada where he was President of Bell Video Group. He said: "In the short time I have been at SIS I've realised what an exciting and successful business David has built and I look forward to working with David and the talented team at SIS to achieve a successful transition over the coming months."
Holdgate added: "We've built a good team here with the arrival of Gary, Paul Baker as Director of Strategic Development, and Mike Whittaker as Chief Technology Officer, joining the first class executives we have. The company will be in good hands."
Roger Devlin, chairman of SIS Holdings, said: "David has done a great job to build SIS into the successful market leading company it is today. I look forward to working with Gary to develop the future profitable growth of the business."
(CD)