Mary Rogozinski Candidate for Director, APEX Board
Name: Mary Rogozinski
Company: SmartSky Networks
Position: VP, Airlines
I think that the Board needs to be more diverse, representing more of the various types of businesses of our members. As a Board member, I would bring a broad range of experience in our industry, having worked in both the airline and vendor communities, managed IFEC hardware and IFE content, managed inflight entertainment and inflight connectivity programs, developed customer products for both airplanes and airports, and previously serving on the Board, as President and Board member, representing both airline and vendor companies.
Reason for Running:
As many who know me know, I am passionate about this industry and association. I see great value in the APEX organization and what APEX can do to support members. I would like to return to the Board to continue to help influence the direction of the association in the future. As a Board member, I feel strongly that association members’ voices need to be heard and concerns need to be addressed. Based on member feedback I have received in the past, my top priorities will be enhancing benefits for members and raising the profile of the association within and beyond the IFEC community. Also, as someone who has worked for both an airline and a vendor member in IFEC, working on both hardware and content, and in the fields of both entertainment and communications, I bring extensive experience with me from which I believe the association will benefit.
Industry Experience:
With over 20 years of experience in the airline passenger experience industry, I started my career at United Airlines where I had the opportunity to help define the cabin product and IFE for the very first B777, through my current role at SmartSky Networks, where we’re introducing a new inflight internet system offering a state of the art inflight passenger experience. Over these years, I have experienced first-hand the multiple aspects of our industry, working in both the airline and vendor communities, managing IFEC hardware and IFE content, managing inflight entertainment and inflight connectivity programs, and developing customer products for both airplanes and airports. Throughout this period, I have found great benefit and have a been a big supporter of working collaboratively with representatives of other companies in the industry. While at United, I was very involved with the Star Alliance IFE and Lounge committees and I became very active with WAEA / APEX early in my career.
SmartSky Networks – VP, Airlines – 2015 – Present
At SmartSky, I’m responsible for providing business development leadership to grow SmartSky into an IFEC leader in the airline sector and leading the continued development and implementation of SmartSky's business model with airlines, airline distribution partners, and customers.
Gogo – Manager, Content Partnerships / Manager, Airline Accounts – 2009 to 2015
As Manager of Content Partnerships at Gogo, I was the in-house CSP for the Gogo Vision streaming video system, overseeing everything from selecting content partners, negotiating contracts and selecting the content for many of Gogo’s airline partners. As an Account Manager, I managed the day to day relationships with such Gogo customers as American Airlines, AirTran Airways, Frontier Airlines and Alaska Airlines.
United Airlines Product Marketing – Manager, Airport Lounges; Manager, Onboard Systems Planning; Senior Staff Representative – 1990 – 2008
For several years at UA, I managed all customer lounge facilities and technology offered within lounges, including the opening of new lounges, lounge refreshes and the initial installation of Wi-Fi in lounges. As the Manager of Onboard Systems, I managed all of United’s IFEC systems, including strategy development, product definition, project justification, implementation, and on-going support. This included oversight of a $250M IFEC product upgrade on both short and long haul aircraft. My introduction to IFEC was as a Senior Staff Representative at United, assigned to the team to develop requirements and support implementation for the inflight entertainment and communications system planned for the launch B777 and later retrofit on other UA aircraft. Throughout much of this period, I was very active on several Star Alliance committees, working to coordinate product offerings and policies across the member airlines.
Current or previous APEX committees / APEX Board experience:
- APEX Education Committee Co-Chair – Sept 2013 to present
- APEX Education Committee – 2010 – present
- APEX Board – Sep 2013 to June 20
- WAEA Board Officer (Vice President, President and Immediate Past President – 2002- 2005 – Focused on long term strategic plan with emphasis on broadening scope of membership and improved engagement of members.
- WAEA Board – 1998 – 2005
- WAEA Technology Committee Co-chair – 1999-2003 – As co-chair, drove focus of committee towards new technologies such as wireless and digital media. Initiated and helped coordinate the first ever WAEA single focus workshop which addressed wireless technology. Was a leader in the evaluation of the use of DVDs on aircraft, the first form of digital media identified for IFE.
Learn more about SmartSky Networks involvement in APEX. You can vote for Mary in the APEX Board Election running August 15 through September 12, 2017.