Board of Directors 

Mr. Peter Henderson – Chairman and Non-Executive Director
An entrepreneur with a long and distinguished career in the broadcast and satellite communications industries, Peter (Pete) Henderson is the co-founder of Indigo Telecom in Australia. He also founded Indigo Telecom Ltd, a global satellite services provider for Thuraya, Inmarsat and Iridium with offices in the United States, United Kingdom, South East Asia and Africa.

Pete is highly regarded in the global broadcast and media industry after working as a cameraman in Africa from 1984 to 1998 where he covered all major political events, civil unrests, wars and national disasters for BBC, NBC and Reuters. He has filmed warlords in Angola and was the first cameraman on the ground when India moved into Kashmir.

In 1998 Pete founded a company called NewsForce in Cyprus that provided television services including news crews, broadcast equipment and satellite links to international broadcasters in the Middle East and Africa. Clients included major news channels such as the BBC, ABC, CBS, Sky, Channel Nine, Network Ten and SBS. Newsforce was responsible for covering the hostage releases in Lebanon, both Gulf Wars, the fall of the former Soviet Union, the Famine in Africa, the Somalia and Rwanda conflicts and the release of Nelson Mandela. 

In 2000, with annual turnover exceeding $200 million and offices in Sydney, Singapore, Mumbai, Cyprus, Johannesburg, Miami and London, Pete decided to sell 51% of NewsForce to France Telecom. He established Indigo Telecom Ltd at the end of 2002 and divested himself of the remaining 49% stake he held in the company to France Telecom. 

Pete is a graduate of the prestigious Harvard Business School OPM program and sits on the Board of Trustees of the Save the Elephants Foundation in Kenya and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society.

Mr. David Ruddiman – Managing Director & CEO
David Ruddiman is a highly successful entrepreneur who has used his expertise as one of the country’s leading financial advisers to start and run a number of major business enterprises.

David’s extensive 20 year career in high level finance, investment, insurance, and funds management with broking and banking institutions across the globe, provides him with the perfect combination of business know-how to steer Australia’s newest telecommunications entrant, Indigo Telecom, to success. 

David knows the secret to success is having a great team and he has personally sourced some of the world’s leading business leaders and telecommunications experts to help reach his goal of making Indigo Telecom the telecommunications company of choice for regional, remote and very remote Australia.

Prior to co-founding Indigo Telecom Australia, David was the owner, managing director and lead financial adviser of one of Australia’s foremost boutique private wealth advisory businesses, managing in excess of $250 million in funds under advice. In July 2007, David successfully merged the business into another of Australia’s leading private wealth advisory organisations. David retired from the financial services industry in early 2009 and joined Indigo Telecom, which he co-founded, full time as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Company in late 2009.

David is a graduate of the prestigious Harvard Business School (HBS) OPM program and holds a Dip Fin M and Dip FS from Deakin University. He is a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia (FINSIA) and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). 

Board of Advisors

Indigo Telecom has established a high level ‘Advisory Board’ drawing on the expertise of formidable local and international business leaders, with specific skills in such areas as; telecommunications, law, strategy, leadership, corporate governance, financial management, and who have high level access to corporate, government, military, and NGOs.

Indigo Telecom’s Advisory Board currently comprises the following highly esteemed individuals: -

Mr. James Strong AO – Advisory Board Member
James Strong has had an interesting career in business, the arts and sport.

James Strong is currently Chairman of Woolworths Limited, Kathmandu Holdings Limited, the Australia Council for the Arts and the Organising Committee for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.  James is also a Director of Qantas Airways Limited, a member of the Nomura Australia Advisory Board and a member of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation.

James was formerly the Chief Executive and Managing Director of Qantas Airways Limited from 1993 to 2001, Chairman of Insurance Australia Group (IAG) Limited, Chairman of Rip Curl Group Pty Limited, Group Chief Executive of DB Group Limited in New Zealand, National Managing Partner and later Chairman of law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Chief Executive of Trans Australian Airlines (later Australian Airlines) and Executive Director of the Australian Mining Industry Council.

He has been admitted as a barrister and/or solicitor in various state jurisdictions in Australia.

In 2006 James was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for his services to business and commerce, particularly in the aviation, insurance.

Mr. Matthew Freedman – Advisory Board Member
Matthew Freedman is President and CEO of Global Impact Inc. and Indigo Telecom USA based in Washington DC in the United States.

He is a leading strategic adviser to corporate executives with more than 30 years of global experience developing and implementing government affairs programs, corporate business and public sales strategies.

A defence, foreign policy and economic development expert, Matthew has advised the Departments of State and Defence in various capacities, and is currently serving as a Senior Advisor to US Special Operations Command (USSCOM).

In 2001 he served as the White House Transition Director for various agencies reporting to the US Secretary of State, General Colin Powell. He later worked as Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of State for International Security and Non-Proliferation, as Deputy to the US Ambassador to the United Nations, and Counsellor in the Department of State’s Verification and Compliance bureau.  Matthew also served on the Overseas Private Investment Corporation’s Africa Advisory Board.  In 2007 he provided foreign policy advice to the Department of the Navy senior leadership.

Matthew has worked with numerous US and multinational corporations around the world in sectors including capital markets/finance, consumer products, defence/national security/homeland security, energy, information technology, international health, telecommunication and trade. These companies range from Fortune 500 companies to small start up technology firms. 

In the past, Matthew served as Chief of Party on numerous national and global efforts on behalf of the World Bank, the US Government and the private sector where he developed market entry strategies and managed in-country staff spanning from Russia to the Philippines. He has also managed numerous international electoral efforts to promote the rule of law from South Africa to South Korea.

Matthew holds a Master’s Degree with Honours in International Affairs from Georgetown University and an Undergraduate Degree from Kenyon College. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Business Council for International Understanding and holds a Top Secret/SCI security clearance in the United States.

Mr. James Brewington – Advisory Board Member
James (Jim) Brewington began his career at AT&T in 1968 and during the next 38 years held various executive management positions in the telecommunications industry, including overseeing Bell Telephone Wireless Laboratories.

He also served as President of Developing Markets at Lucent Technology until 2007 and was responsible for leading the globalisation of Lucent’s products and services. Jim was also President of Lucent’s Wireless and Mobility Systems Group where he managed wireless infrastructures for the mobility segment, including global wireless development, project management, and product architecture and development. He served as President of Lucent’s Product Realisation overseeing 26 factories, 50 vice presidents and 50,000 employees worldwide.

Jim has been a member of the United States/Egyptian Presidents’ Council, a business advisory panel established by President Bill Clinton and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to improve bilateral commercial and economic relationships. 

Prior to this he served on the Board of Directors of the US-Saudi Arabian Business Council and INROADS/North Jersey Inc, a non-profit organisation that trains minority youth for careers in business and industry. 

Jim is a member of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) and the CTIA Wireless Foundation, and sits on the Board of Directors of Kopin Corporation, Inc. and Sonus Networks, Inc. (both NASDAQ listed companies).

Jim holds an MBA from the University of Seattle, a Master’s Degree from Stanford University’s Sloan Fellows Program, and an Undergraduate Degree from the College of Idaho.

The Honourable Christopher B. Burnham – Advisory Board Member
Christopher (Chris) Burnham is Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Deutsche Asset Management (DeAM), based in New York. 

Chris has exceptional experience and relationships in both the public and private sectors. During his distinguished career he has proven himself to be a leader of tremendous ability and integrity. 

He was previously Under-Secretary General of the United Nations and the highest-ranking American in the UN Secretariat, reporting to UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan. Chris helped lead efforts to reform the UN by introducing greater transparency and efficiency, and created the UN’s first Ethics Office.

Chris also spent four years with the US Department of State where he served as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s (Acting) Under Secretary of State for Management.

He has also been Assistant Secretary of State for Resource Management and Chief Financial Officer of the State Department for former Secretary of State, General Colin Powell.

Prior to this, Chris was Vice Chairman of PIMCO Funds Company, a leading global investment management firm with more than one trillion dollars in funds under management. He was also President and CEO of its equity management subsidiary, Columbus Circle Investors.

Earlier in his career he served as Treasurer of the State of Connecticut. Chris holds an MPA from Harvard University and a BA from Washington & Lee University.

Dr. William Schneider, Jr – Advisory Board Member
Dr William (Bill) Schneider Jr was formerly Chairman of the Secretary of Defence Science Board and Under Secretary of State for Security Assistance, Science and Technology in the United States Government.

He also served as Associate Director for National Security and International Affairs with the Office of Management and Budget prior to being nominated as Under Secretary by then President Ronald Reagan.  In addition, Bill served as Chairman of the President’s General Advisory Committee on Arms Control and Disarmament.

He is a member of the Japan-US Friendship Commission and presently serves as a consultant to the US Departments of State, Defence and Energy. Bill also served on the Department of State’s Defence Trade Advisory Group.

Bill is a former Member of the Board of EADS North America, the world’s second largest aerospace and defence company. He currently sits on the Board of BAE Systems Inc, an international company that develops, delivers and supports advanced defence and aerospace systems. The company has annual sales of approximately $20 billion and employs 55,000 employees across the United States, Europe, Mexico and South Africa.

Bill serves on the Board of Finmeccanica North America, part of the Finmeccanica S.P.A Group, with a global workforce of 73,000 people and annual revenue of €15 billion. 

A prolific author, Bill is also an Adjunct Fellow at the Hudson Institute. He is a member of the American Economic Association, the Econometric Society and the International Institute for Strategic Studies and holds a PhD in Economics from New York University.

The Honourable Alan M. Dunn – Advisory Board Member
The Honourable Alan M. Dunn has enjoyed an extensive career in the field of international trade law and finance.

He currently serves as President of the American Australian Leadership Dialogue (AALD), a private foundation fostering the bilateral relationship between the US and Australia. The purpose of the Leadership Dialogue is to facilitate greater understanding among Australian and American leaders on matters of designated mutual interest. 

President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have also appointed Alan as a member of the US State Department Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy. 

Alan is co-founder of the Pangaea Capital Group of Singapore and has been a partner for more than 10 years in the Washington DC based international law firm Stewart and Stewart. His legal practice focuses on a wide range of international transactional, regulatory and governance issues. 

Alan was formerly US Assistant Secretary of Commerce, appointed by President George Bush Sr. He also served as one of the lead US negotiators in the multilateral GATT Uruguay Round negotiations, which established the World Trade Organisation, and in the North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations. 

As Assistant Secretary, Alan was among the senior US officials responsible for forming and implementing US trade-related policy. In that capacity he worked closely with the US and other national financial institutions and held trade policy responsibility for several industry sectors including telecommunications, microelectronics, computers, pharmaceuticals and chemicals. He was also a partner in the multinational law firm White & Case where he helped establish its trade practice group.

Alan received his undergraduate degree in finance and business administration from George Mason University and his law degree from the University of Virginia.