Iridium board adds Boeing's autonomous business head

Boeing's Kay Spears, the newest board member of Iridium.

Boeing's Kay Spears, the newest board member of Iridium. Courtesy of Boeing

The panel sought her knowledge and experience in the government satellite market.

Iridium's board of directors has elected a new member in Kay Sears, a nearly three-decade defense and space veteran and current senior executive at Boeing's defense business.

The board sought Sears' expertise and experience in support of Iridium's effort to grow its government satellite business and enter other new markets, Iridium said Thursday.

Sears is vice president and general manager of the Boeing autonomous systems business, which resides within the airplane giant's defense segment and houses its unmanned platforms.

She joined Boeing in February after previously holding senior roles at Lockheed Martin, Intelsat General and PanAmSat Corp. She also has been a member of the President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee since 2009.