Speaker Bio
Ken Peterman is chair, president, and chief executive officer (CEO) of Comtech. Ken was elected chair of the Comtech board and became president and CEO in August 2022. Comtech is a market leader in satellite and space technologies, as well as terrestrial and wireless network infrastructures.
As a trusted leader in the industry, Ken has helped shape the strategic landscape and trajectory of multiple defense and technology market segments over the past 40 years. He has held top leadership positions at Fortune 500 companies and industry recognized defense organizations where he led the global enterprises to achieve differentiated growth in diverse business environments.
Prior to becoming president and CEO of Comtech, Ken served as the president of Government Systems at Viasat where he was responsible for leading a global defense business that established itself as a leader in satellite communications, mobile networking, datalinks, information assurance, cybersecurity, hybrid adaptive networks, and blended air/ground situational awareness. Under Ken’s leadership, Viasat was rated as the fastest organically growing U.S. defense business for six consecutive years.
Before joining Viasat, Ken founded the SpyGlass Group, a respected thought leader in emerging defense and aerospace market trends. He has also held leadership positions at Raytheon, Rockwell Collins, Hughes Aircraft, ITT, Exelis, and Magnavox.
Ken has deep expertise and a proven track record of success in organizational leadership, engineering, business development, sales, and other technical areas. Equipped with a visionary’s mindset, Ken has been recognized globally as a ‘Game Changer’ and has been selected ‘Businessman of the Year’ and ‘One of the Most Innovative CEOs’ by several industry organizations and professional publications.
Ken serves on a number of boards and advisory groups. His roles in industry leadership have included serving as chair of the Indiana Aerospace and Defense Council, as well as a member of the National Defense Industry Association, the Association of the United States Army, the Association of the United States Air Force, and the Satellite Industry Association, among others.
Ken has two young daughters with his wife Ms. Jennifer Hawks as well as four adult children and six grandchildren—who teach him something new every day. Along with his wife, Ken’s charitable and philanthropic efforts focus on environmental conservation and improving education and economic stability for women and children in U.S. communities as well as developing countries.
Ken holds a BSEE from Tri-State University (now Trine) as well as executive education from Pennsylvania State University and Stanford University.
Comtech is a leading global technology company providing terrestrial and wireless network solutions, next-generation 9-1-1 emergency services, satellite and space communications technologies, and cloud native capabilities to commercial and government customers around the world. Our unique culture of innovation and employee empowerment unleashes a relentless passion for customer success. With multiple facilities located in technology corridors throughout the United States and around the world, Comtech leverages our global presence, technology leadership, and decades of experience to create the world’s most innovative communications solutions. For more information, please visit www.comtech.com.