Captain Moin Ahmed
Captain Moin Ahmed is the Director General and CEO of the International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO). IMSO is an inter-governmental organization whose primary purpose is the oversight of certain public satellite safety and security communication services provided by mobile satellite communication systems, in particular the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS). IMSO also serves as coordinator for the Long Range Identification and Tracking of Ships (LRIT), appointed by the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) party states at IMO to ensure the worldwide operation of the system. As CEO of the organization, Captain Ahmed currently oversees two global satellite service providers, namely Inmarsat and Iridium. Inmarsat, among its other operational activities, provides services for distress and safety communications through its geostationary satellite constellation, in order to safeguard the lives at sea that include 1.6 million seafarers at any given time and about 30 million passengers throughout the year. Captain Ahmed also leads the organization's work in collaborating with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in accordance with ICAO Standard and Recommended Practices (SARP) related to the oversight of aeronautical safety services provided by the satellite communications service providers.
In addition to his regular work for the organization, Captain Ahmed also took initiative to lead the assessment of Iridium for providing safety services recognized by IMO. This was a landmark achievement, as Iridium was the first commercial satellite company to join the GMDSS since its creation, taking into account that Inmarsat was a global inter-governmental organization when the maritime satellite service was established followed by the creation of GMDSS. The technical and operational assessment of Iridium was a challenging task, as it required a completely new approach and also because Iridium uses different technology from Inmarsat. The results showed to stakeholders, however, that LEO constellations are viable options for such safety services. Captain Ahmed also initiated a proposal, already accepted, to update the international standard for companies to provide mobile satellite safety services in the maritime environment, based on his prior experience in assessing Iridium. Currently, Captain Ahmed is coordinating the assessment of the Chinese BeiDou satellite system, which applied for recognition as a mobile satellite service provider for GMDSS.
