MDA Acquisition of DigitalGlobe Closes; New US Based Combined Company now called Maxar Technologies

          By Chuck Black

Burnaby, BC based MacDonald Dettwiler (MDA) has completed its acquisition of Westminister, CO based DigitalGlobe, Inc.

Screen shot from the October 5th, 2017 MDA "Winning Together Webpage" which provides a high level marketing overview of the new company and lists the new Maxar executive team. Screenshot c/o Maxar Technologies.

The combined company will no longer be known as MDA, but will instead be known as Maxar Technologies, and operate out of the San Francisco, CA offices currently used by SSL MDA Holdings Inc. SSL MDA is the holding company MDA CEO Howard Lance created last year in order to facilitate MDA's US access plan strategy.

The new company will be dual listed on both the New York (NYSE) and Toronto Stock Exchanges (TSX) and will continue to use "the individual business unit brands" over the short term, "but will roll out the new corporate branding design elements by the end of 2017,” according to the October 5th, 2017 MDA press release, "MDA Completes Acquisition of DigitalGlobe, Creates Industry Leader in Satellite Systems, Earth Imagery, Geospatial Solutions and Analytics."

"Our new corporate name highlights the broader capabilities of the combined organization," according to current MDA CEO Howard Lance. "Maxar Technologies encompasses four of the leading commercial space technology brands—SSL, MDA, DigitalGlobe and Radiant—and represents the expanded benefits and value we will offer to our customers, shareholders, partners and employees."

Lance will become CEO of Maxar. However, as outlined in the October 10th, 2017 Denver Business Journal post, "With acquisition by MDA complete, DigitalGlobe's CEO steps down," DigitalGlobe CEO Jeffrey Tarr has stepped down from his role.

According to the article, he will remain "as an advisor to Maxar Technologies through at least January 2018."

The final corporate name was still unknown, but the broad outlines of MDA's US Access plan, released last year, made it clear that the company was about to undergo substantial changes in order to gain access to the US market and US military contracts. As outlined in the October 7th, 2017 post, "Iconic MacDonald Dettwiler is now SSL MDA Holdings, a US Based Company with a Canadian Subsidiary," MDA would need to be reconfigured into a Canadian subsidiary of a US based company. By the end of the year, as outlined in the December 16th, 2016 post, "MDA says No Sale of Canadarm Technology to the US Government in NASA RESTORE-L, DARPA RSGS or "Any Other" Project," the company was insisting that no Canadian developed technology was being used in any of its US contract bids. Screen shot c/o Commercial Space blog.

But other DigitalGlobe employees will join the new Maxar board.

As outlined in the October 5th, 2017 MDA press release, "MDA Announces Senior Leadership Team Appointments Following Closing of its Acquisition of DigitalGlobe," senior executive appointments include:

• William McCombe, executive vice president and chief financial officer. McCombe was previously senior vice president and chief financial officer of SSL MDA Holdings, Inc.

• Anil Wirasekara, the "senior financial executive based in Canada, reporting to Mr. Lance." He was previously the MDA executive vice president and chief financial officer.

• Timothy M. Hascall, executive vice president and chief operations officer. Mr. Hascall previously served as executive vice president responsible for the Imagery business unit at DigitalGlobe.

• Dr. Walter S. Scott, executive vice president and chief technology officer. Dr. Scott is the founder of DigitalGlobe and previously served as chief technology officer and executive leader of the Platform and Services businesses for the company.

• Daniel Jablonsky, president of DigitalGlobe. Mr. Jablonsky previously served as general manager of the U.S. and International Defense and Intelligence businesses and senior vice president and general counsel of the company.

• Tony Frazier, president of Radiant Solutions, the newly created business unit formed from the combination of MDA Information Systems and DigitalGlobe | Radiant. Mr. Frazier was previously senior vice president and general manager of DigitalGlobe | Radiant.

You say "to-may-toes" and I say "to-mah-toes.” MDA calls it an "acquisition," but DigitalGlobe calls it a "merger." Twitter accounts from new partners use slightly different words to describe the same thing. Graphic c/o @LeslieSwartman. 

• Bruce Stephenson, senior vice president and chief strategy and corporate development officer. Mr. Stephenson previously served as senior vice president and chief strategy and corporate development officer of SSL MDA Holdings, Inc.

• Stephanie Georges, senior vice president and chief marketing officer. Ms. Georges previously served as senior vice president at DigitalGlobe responsible for corporate strategy, communications and marketing.

• Marcy Steinke, senior vice president of government relations and public policy. Ms. Steinke previously served as senior vice president of government relations and public policy for DigitalGlobe.

• Jeff Robertson, senior vice president and chief Information officer with responsibilities for deployment and development of information technology and cybersecurity. Mr. Robertson previously served as senior vice president and chief information officer for DigitalGlobe.

• Michelle Kley, senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary. Ms. Kley has served as senior vice president and chief legal and compliance officer and secretary of SSL MDA Holdings, Inc.

• Andrea Bortner is appointed senior vice president and chief human resources officer. Ms. Bortner previously served as senior vice president and chief human resource officer of SSL MDA Holdings, Inc.

All things considered, there's not a lot of ex-MDA employees on the new Maxar board, although there are quite a few ex-DigitalGlobe people. No doubt, that's just a side effect of the cost of entry into the US market.

Expect more changes to occur at MDA's Canadian operations over the next few weeks.

Editors Note: Some of those changes may come faster than originally anticipated. 

As outlined in the October 5th, 2017 Washington Technology post, "Inside MacDonald Dettwiler's new 'Maxar' era as DigitalGlobe buy closes," the new Maxar corporate structure will only remain in place until 2019, "when the company will undertake another reorganization to be fully incorporated in the US."

Bye Bye MDA. We were just beginning to appreciate you. 

Chuck Black.

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Chuck Black is the editor of the Commercial Space blog.