“We thank TK for his leadership and dedication to our customers’ success. We wish him well on his retirement,” said Yannick Assouad Executive Vice-President Avionics at Thales. “During TK’s tenure, the business has achieved remarkable results through a pivotal period in the Aerospace industry. He leaves a legacy of innovation and a lasting culture of excellence.”

“We are delighted to welcome Niels to Thales,” continued Yannick Assouad. “He brings a wealth of global leadership experience from across the aviation industry. His diverse background and customer-centric approach will be an asset to our business as we continue inventing a sustainable aerospace future.”

Niels Steenstrup joins Thales with 35 years of international business experience building high-performing global enterprises. He brings extensive aviation industry and aircraft connectivity knowledge to this role, having held senior leadership positions with Inmarsat, Passur Aerospace, Gogo and Boeing.

Most recently, Niels served as President of Inmarsat Aviation, which provides satellite connectivity services for cabin and cockpit to the world’s leading airlines and business aviation. He led Inmarsat’s launch into the new advanced air mobility business (uncrewed aviation) and played an instrumental role in the sale of Inmarsat to Viasat.

Before joining Inmarsat, Niels served as EVP & Chief Commercial Officer at Passur Aerospace, a global leader in digital operational excellence for the aviation industry, and SVP International at Gogo, where he led the development and launch of Gogo’s international business, including securing marquee airline clients in EMEA, APAC and Latin America. In addition, Steenstrup led product management, marketing and sales activities for the EMEA and Americas regions at Connexion by Boeing.

Beyond aviation, he has driven the adoption of online and technology services at Reuters, Bank of America, McKinsey & Company and Goldman Sachs. Niels Steenstrup is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

“I am thrilled to join Thales at this very exciting time for the Aviation industry,” said Niels Steenstrup. “I look forward to partnering with our global airline customers to support their ambitions by delivering cutting-edge digital technologies and innovative inflight entertainment solutions that shape the future of the travel experience. I am eager to work closely with our talented teams across Thales to build on the enduring success of the business.”