Sorond Becomes CEO of Nextnav

NextNav Inc. (NASDAQ: NN) (“NextNav” or the “Company”), a leader in next generation GPS and 3D geolocation, today announced the appointment of Mariam Sorond, a veteran industry leader, as NextNav’s new Chief Executive Officer, effective November 29, 2023. Ms. Sorond will also join NextNav’s Board of Directors upon assuming her new role as CEO. Ganesh Pattabiraman, NextNav’s Co-Founder and current CEO made the personal decision to step down from his role as CEO and member of the Board of Directors at NextNav to spend more time with family. Mr. Pattabiraman plans to remain as a senior advisor to the Company for two years.

“We are thrilled to welcome Mariam as NextNav’s CEO,” said Gary Parsons, NextNav’s Chairman of the Board of Directors. “Mariam’s extensive spectrum expertise and proven track record of evolving telecommunication technology and strategy align perfectly with the ongoing development of NextNav’s broad spectrum portfolio and industry-leading 3D geolocation and GPS resiliency capabilities. In recent years, Mariam led technology efforts at both VMware and CableLabs and was instrumental in architecting DISH’s wireless spectrum and network. Her deep skill set, and vast technical acumen will be invaluable to the team as it drives towards the next phase of its growth.”

Ms. Sorond joins NextNav with over 28 years of technical and strategy experience in the telecommunications industry. Most recently, she held the title of Chief Technology Officer, SEBU for VMWare where she helped to define and evangelize its technical strategy as well as lead its digital transformation. Prior to that, Ms. Sorond was the Chief Research and Development Officer at CableLabs, where she focused on technical thought leadership, vision, and strategy for the future of converged connectivity of broadband cable and mobile networks. Before joining the cable industry, Ms. Sorond served in several senior positions, including Chief Wireless Architect of DISH where she led the company’s entry into the wireless market. She was also responsible for spectrum technology and strategy, end-to-end technology development, as well as creating the next generation of network architecture and standards development at DISH. Ms. Sorond currently serves as a member of the NTIA Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee and the FCC Technological Advisory Council.