Most Influential CEO 2024 – UK (Satellite Communications)
For Kyle Whitehill, customer focus is number-one. He believes that, as CEO of satellite services and solutions provider, Avanti, it is important to be the voice of the customer, whether they live in Africa, Europe, or the Middle East. At the time of speaking to Kyle, he has a number of trips lined up to see his customers around the world: from Turkey to Luxembourg to Kenya to South Africa. With three decades’ experience working across established and emerging markets across these regions, he is undeniably good with people, and “driven by diverse ideas, dialogue, and a collective love of competition”. In our conversation with Kyle, it becomes quickly clear just how worthy he is to be named Most Influential CEO 2024 – UK (Satellite Communications).
Guiding Kyle Whitehill in his day-to-day work is the following mantra: “At the end of the working day, do you feel you earned your salary?”
He elaborates, “When you get on the train or in your car, do you genuinely believe ‘I earned my salary today?’ And it doesn’t just mean doing ten or eight hours, it means more like, ‘Did I do something that made me think, ‘I definitely covered my salary by making that decision or by being there?’’ That can be anything from helping a salesperson to close a deal, to helping HR make a good decision in hiring, or just something you feel good about.”
For Kyle, it is all about making an impact. From the work he does internally with his team to reaching out across borders to change customers’ lives for the better. Kyle tells us how when he took on the role of CEO at Avanti six years ago, the company was very good at technology, but it wasn’t so good at customer service. Kyle brought to the table the principle that the customer is paramount – therefore, it was time the Avanti team were upping their game and unfalteringly supporting each customer in being their very best.
Kyle tells us, “20 years ago, satellite would have been the only way rural communities in emerging countries, particularly Africa, could gain connectivity. The core purpose of the company [Avanti] is to say, ‘It doesn’t matter who you are, where you are, or what you’re doing, we’re going to bring the internet to you and help you’. We install a cell site, we use a satellite to deliver connectivity and bring voice and text and data to that rural community for the first time. And it is heart-warming. You see videos of people singing and dancing because they can now actually communicate effectively.”
“Primarily, the purpose of Avanti is to help people to be more amazing.”
Founded in 2002, Avanti is a pioneering company dedicated to connecting people, communities, and businesses through its HYLAS satellite fleet. By leveraging satellite technology, Avanti can create bespoke connectivity solutions that protect communities and unlock opportunities for its customers all over the world. In 2010, it was the first British commercial company to launch a ka-band satellite, and, by 2023, it had become a global multi-orbit provider of fully integrated connectivity services and solutions. Today, the company owns and operates a fleet of high-throughput satellites with cutting-edge steerable capacity and a secure and resilient ground network.
Avanti has come a long way since it was first established just over two decades ago, and now 70% of its satellite covering is over Africa, with 75% of its total investment being in the region. This means it can deliver cost-effective, high-performance 2G, 3G, and 4G connectivity to millions of people in remote and ultra-remote areas that would otherwise be impossible to reach using traditional terrestrial infrastructure. With this comes access to vital resources and opportunities, including healthcare, financial services, ecommerce, and education, improving quality of life and economic prospects so communities can truly flourish.
Already, it is clear to see how passionate Kyle and the Avanti team are about helping people. This extends further to the company’s digital education programme, iMlango, which has been running for nine years. It commenced as a matched-funding ‘Girls Education Challenge’ project, in co-operation with the British Government to help marginalised children in Kenya to access education. Since 2021 when the Government funding ended, Avanti have continued to spearhead the programme with plans to roll out in other countries across Africa. The programme involves software which has proven to accelerate a child’s learning by three-times. This means six months of learning can increase a child’s maths age by 18 months.
“When you spend a lot of time in Africa, you realise how tough it is for people. Therefore, our commitment to the world around us is to try and help educate people, because an educated person can contribute very strongly to the world.”
Kyle has spent his four-decade career devotedly honing his people skills while working for a variety of major international brands including Guinness, L’Oreal, PepsiCo, Vodafone, and more – all companies that are very much about exceeding the customer’s expectations. It was at Vodafone that Kyle held his first CEO role, the first three years of which he spent working in Ghana, and then three more in Qatar. Before that, he worked for the company in the UK. Kyle reminisces over the first time he was asked to work abroad, in India as COO and Chairman. “When Vodafone said to me, ‘Can you go to India for six months?’, I burst out laughing. I’d never been there and said, “What? Really? That’s mad.” – but, of course, you fly there.”
Kyle soon discovered a love for travelling and he became quickly renowned for his dedication to visiting his clients around the globe. He delights in having seen so much of the world and its different people and cultures – but that’s not to say it doesn’t come without a physical toll. “The toughest one is San Diego,” he shares. “San Diego is a ten-hour flight with an eight-hour time difference. So, when you go to bed in San Diego, it’s 8AM in the UK. You basically lie there awake.” However, as exhausting as all that travelling may be with the long journeys and jetlag, Kyle will never not feel blessed for all the brilliant opportunities that continue to come his way. He embraces getting to see first-hand the benefits that connected life can bring and he thrives on contributing to making positive change in the world.
Kyle describes himself as a “people champion”, being the voice of the customer internally as well as reaching out to them externally, but also focusing on the individuals who make up his team and leading them with great honesty and integrity. He is very transparent while making sure every team member knows their objectives and feels empowered to accomplish them, ultimately working together to ensure results. “I am very honest with people about how we’re doing and what I expect from them,” he says.
“I think the role of the CEO is the tip of the spear. You’ve got to the point where you run the company. When you look at your CEO, you want to feel inspired by that person and you want to look up to them and think, ‘I’m really happy he or she is in charge because I feel safe and secure, and I feel like that person is doing the right thing for the company’.”
There’s no denying how Kyle Whitehill is doing so very right by this company and its customers, with him truly spearheading the leading of its people-centric and innovative offering. And his sights are set on enhancing this further into the future, taking the customer experience to the next level by making it as straightforward and easy as can be. He believes there isn’t any need to get technical when dealing with customers. As a whole, the organisation is transitioning towards delivery that is kept as simple as possible. The customer doesn’t need to know the type of satellite available; what they need to know is how the technology can change their lives for the better – and with the extraordinary leadership of Kyle at the helm, the company will only continue on this road towards even greater heights and success.
