As CEO, Mary Frost completed a dramatic turnaround of GlobeCast America with a three-pronged strategy of eliminating unprofitable products and services, consolidating facilities and product lines while sweating existing assets, and stabilizing and rebuilding P&L lines with seven new product deployments in fiber, Continuity Monitoring by customers, HD, IPTV, Broadband, Telco TV, Store and Forward, and geographic expansions into Canada and Argentina in 2008. Although headcount decreased from 225 to 110, QoS improved to 99.99. Due to limited resources, Ms. Frost has created strategic alliances and partnerships to enable quick market growth with HBO-LA, Intelsat, HD partnership with Tandberg/Scientific Atlanta, Verizon FIOS, Neulion and others.

Formerly Chief Commercial Officer, GlobeCast America, Ms. Frost managed GlobeCast's North American and Latin American sales for broadcast, cable, contribution, enterprise and government clients, while overseeing GlobeCast WorldTV - the company's Direct-to-Home satellite service for international programming. Under her leadership, WorldTV grew by more than 50% to now include over 207 channels. Promoted to Chief Commercial Officer in 2006, Ms. Frost was also responsible for the development of GlobeCast's commercial opportunities, as well as business development of strategic partnerships and joint ventures. She has more than 20 years of experience as an executive officer in media, entertainment and communications.

In past positions, Ms. Frost has served as: President of newMedia Technology, a digital asset media/management company; President and CEO of ChoiceSeat, a sports technology venture backed by Microsoft, Intel and Williams; Regional General Manager, North America, ICO Global Communications, a satellite/cell MEO venture; and Managing Director, Entertainment, Media and Communications Consulting, with Price Waterhouse, LLP.

Ms. Frost also served as Vice President of Network Broadcast Operations and Engineering for Disney/ABC and Cap Cities/ABC, managing news and broadcast technology operations. She was promoted four times during 11 years at the network based in New York.

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1) How did you get started in the satellite business?

As a child, counting the stars as they came out at night over the Arkansas farm where I grew up was only the earliest example of my fascination with space. Years later, the satellite business pulled me into its orbit when I became WNET/Ch.13 Net Telecon Director with the goals of marketing excess PBS system satellite space and resources (parlayed into 25-30 studio produced teleconferences per year). Then, my satellite experience enabled me to move over to ABC News as Manager of the Satellite Desk. Later, I was promoted to Director during an era when TV still subtitled "Live by Satellite." Every News crisis was punctuated by humor pertinent to the event (thanks, often, to Bambi at NBC). As the first woman VP of ABC's Broadcast Engineering and Operations, I had a great team, including Rich Wolf and others, who worked like crazy in competition with the other networks to bring world events, Super Bowls, and Daytime Dramas to American viewing audiences -- and endless wonderful ads to the affiliates through complex network sectionals.. We came to respect and trust each other as we innovated satellite technologies and solutions, including Ku and C-band SNG, hot switching feeds for new and sports, and multiple carriers per transponder. More recently, I traversed analog to digital, HD transmission and IPTV.

2) How have you been involved in changes brought about in or by this business (innovations, technologies, services)?

Witnessing satellite launches and retrievals of satellites in space clearly makes us proud members of the "rocket science world." My jobs have focused on services, innovative uses of capacity, technology and resources, such as the SNG transition to KU. For instance, Dick Tauber now leads the InterUnion Satellite Operations Group (ISOG), which I had the honor to lead prior to Dick. We broadcasters, signatories, and satellite operators from all over the world partnered to implement new services, lower prices, and constantly changing technologies. After ABC, I served as a Managing Director (and "thought leader"), Price Waterhouse Coopers, advising on the Intelsat transition to a commercial entity -- among many other projects of a mind-food nature. My stint at ICO saw me attempt to bring Middle Earth Orbit telephony to the Americas part of the world. Subsequently, I enjoyed exhilarating involvement with sports start-ups, including ChoiceSeat and New Media, each employing then-amazing software. The common threads running through my career are people, satellites, television and technology. Let me add that the international community of satellite professionals sees its members remain more similar than different in their dedication and passion for this business.

3) What do you think was the greatest event/situation/opportunity you experienced?

In the space industry, every year brings 365 days of opportunity and excitement. Working in News allows one to participate in urgent efforts to bring wars, elections, natural and manmade disasters and information services to people around the world. Sports bring tremendous excitement, live entertainment, and complex network distribution globally. Direct to Home networks bring over 1000 channels into homes across the face of the planet. Strategic work and start-up companies create an adrenalin rush toward growth. Speaking personally, my greatest risk/reward event occurred when I served as pool for the Reagan-Gorbachev summit in Moscow in 1989, using new technologies for every network to anchor, as well as a satellite telephony system, built by AT&T, for one month. We successfully implemented ten first time ever uses of technology.

4) What was the greatest obstacle?

"Life's up and downs provide windows of opportunity to determine your values and goals. Think of using all obstacles as stepping stones to build the life you want." -Marsha Sinetar

I have witnessed so many "no" responses issued in the face of what to some were clearly golden opportunities. I have come to believe the greatest obstacles lie within ourselves when we build fences around our abilities and say "I can't do that"; "That's not the way it's done;" and "No one would risk using that technology." Better to ask, "Why not," and "Why shouldn't we be the ones to turn obstacles into opportunities?" Years ago, I wanted to be a fighter pilot, after getting a taste of flying with my single engine pilot's license. I inquired into joining all plane-flying branches of the military, but at that time, they simply didn't let women fly. I also considered applying to be an astronaut -- along with Sam Donaldson of ABC News. I don't think anyone took either of us seriously. The point is to be realistic, not just bold, about obstacles and opportunities. After three starts-ups, I still love them. But I've changed course and am now completing a graduate engineering certificate in Energy Technology Management.

5) What do you see happening in the next five years in this industry?

My dream is for satellite operators and major corporations to embrace energy conservation, and to bring satellite solar expertise down to earth to create solar gardens on often-remote teleport grounds, where facilities lie on extensive properties, or on office roofs in partnerships with local utilities - all so as generate, rather than just consume, energy. I hope energy conservation across the board in our industry results in a readily achievable 40% energy usage reduction in the next five years. Rethinking the industry and its distribution capabilities can enable entirely new revenue streams from a more decentralized power approach controlled by intelligent software.

6) What advice do you have for women interested in entering the industry?

My daughter is in the telecommunications industry and has worked for AT&T, Loral, Teleglobe and Level3/Vyvx. As a result, we share many friends and colleagues, and I see her undertake the same struggle for work/family balance that I felt. I say, with hesitation, that in my case, there was an unbalance in favor of work. So below, I present some quotes that succinctly state my beliefs. Perhaps one or more of these quotes will resonate with you.

Learning

"Who so neglects learning in his youth, loses the past and is dead for the future." -Euripides circa 480 B.C.

I would suggest a technical engineering degree as a foundation and a recognition that all of life of learning. If you could also pick up legal, finance and marketing expertise, that would be useful along with management skills.

Character and Values

"Character contributes to beauty. It fortifies a woman as her youth fades. A mode of conduct, a standard of courage, discipline, fortitude and integrity can do a great deal to make women beautiful." -Jacqueline Bisset

"The best index to a person's character is (a) how he treats people who can't do him any good, and (b) how he treats people who can't fight back." -Abigail Van Buren

"People ask the difference between a leader and a boss… The leader works in the open, and the boss in covert. The leader leads, and the boss drives." -Theodore Roosevelt

Live by the five fundamental principles of ethics: Do No Harm, Make Things Better, Respect Others, Be Fair, and Be Loving. As Peter Drucker pointed out, it is not enough to do things right; we must also do the right things. The good leader today is concerned not only with getting from A to B, but with deciding whether B is worth getting to in the first place.

Laughing

And finally, "He who laughs, lasts." -Mary Pettibone Poole (This is not the same as the last one laughing concept.)

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