OneWeb Satellites partnered with Impel Talent to secure two strategically critical executive appointments during a period of rapid organisational growth.

Operating within the highly specialised satellite, aerospace and defence sectors, the organisation required exceptional leaders capable of strengthening its Senior Leadership Team, supporting international operations and managing two functions fundamental to long-term performance and resilience.

Through a targeted executive search strategy, Impel Talent successfully appointed a Chief Supply Chain Officer (CSCO) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), delivering qualified executive shortlists within six weeks and progressing both assignments from project launch to accepted offer within eight weeks.

Client Overview

OneWeb Satellites was rapidly scaling its operations as part of its mission to support global connectivity through a low-earth orbit satellite constellation.

Operating within a highly regulated aerospace and defence environment, the organisation worked across international locations and complex global contractor and supplier networks while supporting critical communications infrastructure.

As the business expanded, strengthening executive leadership became increasingly important.

The organisation needed senior leaders capable of combining deep functional and technical expertise with strategic leadership, commercial judgement and the ability to operate effectively within an international satellite business.

Two functions were particularly critical to this next stage of growth: global supply chain leadership and enterprise information security.

The Challenge

OneWeb Satellites needed to appoint both a Chief Supply Chain Officer and Chief Information Security Officer, two strategically important executives responsible for functions central to organisational performance, resilience and risk management.

The hiring challenge was intensified by an accelerated timeline.

OneWeb Satellites required qualified executive shortlists within approximately six weeks, with the aim of progressing both appointments through to accepted offer within approximately eight weeks.

The search involved several additional complexities:

• Extremely limited executive talent pools within satellite and space
• Highly specialised technical and leadership requirements
• Competition from major aerospace, defence and technology organisations
• Requirement for proven executive-level leadership experience
• Relocation to Cape Canaveral, Florida
• Complex stakeholder alignment across locations and functions
• Experience operating in highly regulated environments
• Ability to navigate both commercial and defence requirements
• A demanding recruitment timeline

The challenge extended beyond identifying executives with impressive CVs.

OneWeb Satellites required leaders with the precise combination of industry expertise, leadership capability, operational experience and cultural fit required to make an immediate impact within a rapidly growing organisation.

Chief Supply Chain Officer

The Chief Supply Chain Officer required an unusual combination of strategic and operational expertise.

The successful executive needed experience across:

• Executive-level supply chain leadership
• Programme management
• Aerospace and satellite operations
• Manufacturing and operational excellence
• Strategic supplier management
• Complex problem-solving
• High-growth organisational environments
• Large-scale production and delivery programmes

The role was critical to strengthening supply chain resilience while supporting ambitious manufacturing and delivery objectives.

Chief Information Security Officer

The Chief Information Security Officer required an equally specialised profile.

The successful candidate needed expertise spanning:

• Enterprise information security leadership
• Aerospace and defence
• Cybersecurity strategy and governance
• Regulatory and compliance leadership
• Secure international information transfer
• Protection of defence-related systems and infrastructure
• Highly regulated operating environments
• Security requirements across the United States and Europe
• Enterprise-wide security programme leadership

The appointment would play a central role in protecting critical space and defence networks while enabling secure collaboration across international operations.

Our Approach

Impel Talent deployed a targeted executive search strategy designed around the scarcity of suitable leadership talent and the compressed delivery timeframe.

Rather than relying on active candidates or conventional recruitment channels, the search focused on identifying and engaging executives operating within highly relevant satellite, aerospace, defence and advanced technology environments.

Global Talent Mapping

Extensive market mapping and talent intelligence were used to identify executives with the required combination of technical expertise, leadership experience and sector knowledge.

The search examined relevant leadership talent across organisations operating within satellite technology, aerospace, defence, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity and complex global supply chains.

Role-Specific Executive Search

Each assignment required a distinct search strategy.

For the CSCO position, particular emphasis was placed on:

• Supply chain transformation
• Programme leadership
• Strategic supplier management
• Manufacturing performance
• Operational resilience

For the CISO position, the search prioritised:

• Enterprise cybersecurity
• Defence-sector security
• Information governance
• International regulatory environments
• Secure cross-border operations

This ensured that candidates were assessed against the realities of each role rather than being evaluated against generic executive-search criteria.

Stakeholder Alignment & Market Intelligence

Throughout the process, Impel Talent worked closely with key decision-makers, providing regular:

• Search progress updates
• Market intelligence
• Candidate insights
• Talent availability information
• Feedback from the executive market

This created strong alignment between stakeholders and enabled faster decision-making throughout both assignments.

Rigorous Executive Assessment

Candidates were evaluated across several dimensions, including:

• Technical and functional expertise
• Executive leadership capability
• Relevant industry experience
• Cultural alignment
• Experience within high-growth organisations
• International operating capability
• Relocation requirements

This targeted approach enabled Impel Talent to present five qualified and assessed candidates for each position.

Importantly, the first shortlist was approved for both assignments, eliminating the need for additional rounds of candidate generation.

The Impact

Within six weeks, Impel Talent delivered qualified executive shortlists for both the Chief Supply Chain Officer and Chief Information Security Officer assignments.

Despite operating within one of the world’s most specialised executive talent markets, the team successfully identified, engaged and assessed candidates with the rare combination of technical expertise and executive leadership capability required by OneWeb Satellites.

Five qualified candidates were presented for each role, with the client approving the initial shortlist for both assignments.

This accelerated the recruitment process significantly.

Both searches subsequently progressed from project launch to accepted offer within eight weeks, despite demanding technical requirements, intense competition for talent and the requirement for candidates to relocate to Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The two appointments strengthened OneWeb Satellites’ Senior Leadership Team at an important stage of organisational growth.

Strengthening Supply Chain Leadership

The appointed Chief Supply Chain Officer brought together strategic supply chain leadership, programme management and operational transformation expertise.

The appointment strengthened OneWeb Satellites’ capability to:

• Address complex supply chain challenges
• Improve operational resilience
• Strengthen supplier strategy
• Support manufacturing performance
• Deliver against demanding production and delivery objectives

Strengthening Enterprise Security

The appointed Chief Information Security Officer brought critical leadership across enterprise security, cybersecurity strategy and defence-related information governance.

The role strengthened the organisation’s ability to:

• Protect sensitive space and defence networks
• Manage enterprise cybersecurity risk
• Support secure collaboration across international operations
• Govern sensitive information transfer between the United States and Europe
• Maintain security within highly regulated operating environments

By securing two highly specialised executives within an accelerated timeframe, Impel Talent helped OneWeb Satellites strengthen leadership capability across functions directly connected to operational resilience, organisational security and long-term growth.

Project Highlights

• 🚀 Mission-critical executive search project completed in 2023
• 👥 Successfully appointed a Chief Supply Chain Officer and Chief Information Security Officer
• ⏱️ Qualified executive shortlists delivered within six weeks
• ✅ Both appointments progressed to accepted offer within eight weeks
• 🎯 First shortlist approved for both executive assignments
• 📋 Five qualified and assessed candidates presented for each position
• 🌎 Shortlisted executives willing to relocate to Cape Canaveral, Florida
• 🛰️ Specialist leadership talent sourced across the satellite, aerospace and defence sectors
• 📦 CSCO secured with expertise across supply chain strategy, programme management and operational transformation
• 🔐 CISO secured to strengthen cybersecurity, information governance and critical space and defence networks
• 🤝 Senior Leadership Team strengthened during a period of rapid organisational growth
• 📈 Organisational capability enhanced across supply chain resilience, enterprise security and executive leadership

Our Expertise in Action

This project demonstrates Impel Talent’s ability to deliver highly specialised executive search assignments where the available talent pool is limited, technical requirements are demanding and time-to-hire is critical.

Our strengths include:

• C-Suite Executive Search: Identifying, engaging and securing senior leaders for strategically important organisational functions.
• Aerospace & Defence Talent Mapping: Accessing specialist leadership talent across satellite, aerospace, defence and advanced technology markets.
• Mission-Critical Search Delivery: Delivering against compressed hiring timelines without compromising candidate quality or assessment rigour.
• Technical Executive Recruitment: Understanding the combination of technical expertise and strategic leadership required for complex senior appointments.
• Market Intelligence & Talent Advisory: Providing decision-makers with current market insight, candidate intelligence and search data throughout the recruitment process.
• Global & Cross-Border Search: Identifying executives internationally and managing searches involving relocation and complex geographic requirements.
• High-Growth Leadership Appointments: Securing executives capable of operating effectively within rapidly scaling and evolving organisations.
• Strategic Talent Partnerships: Working closely with senior stakeholders to align executive hiring decisions with broader organisational priorities.

Through a focused executive search strategy, Impel Talent enabled OneWeb Satellites to secure two leaders responsible for functions fundamental to the organisation’s continued growth and resilience.

With qualified shortlists delivered within six weeks, first-round shortlists approved for both positions and accepted offers secured within eight weeks, the project demonstrates how specialist market knowledge, rigorous assessment and targeted executive search can dramatically accelerate access to rare leadership talent.

The result was not simply two successful placements. OneWeb Satellites strengthened its executive capability across global supply chain operations and enterprise information security, helping position the organisation to navigate the operational complexity, security requirements and continued growth of the global satellite industry.