Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer
Charles Ergen started DISH Network Corporation (formerly EchoStar Communications Corporation) in 1980, which sold C-band satellite TV dishes to rural homes in Colorado. Under his vision and leadership, DISH Network was launched in 1996, which has become the fastest growing direct-to-home satellite television company in the United States. In 2001, Ergen was the first person to ever win the Rocky Mountain News' Business Person of the Year for a second time, being recognized for the same award in 1996. Ergen was named to the Forbes Magazine Top Ten CEO's list and as the Frost & Sullivan 2001 CEO of the Year for Satellite Industry. In 2000, Aviation Week Magazine named him Space Industry Business Man of the Year. In June 1991, INC. Magazine named him Master Entrepreneur of the Year for the Rocky Mountain region. In 1988, he received the Home Satellite TV Association Star Award. Ergen was instrumental in fighting for consumer rights with the passage of the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act in 1999 which gave American consumers the right to watch local TV channels via satellite. He has also testified before Congress regarding other video competition issues on numerous occasions and was a co-founder of the Satellite Broadcasting Communications Association. He received his B.S. in General Business and Accounting from the University of Tennessee and his M.B.A from the Babcock Graduate School of Management at Wake Forest University.
Carl E. Vogel
Director and Vice Chairman
Carl Vogel serves as the Director and Vice Chairman of DISH Network in charge of all financial and strategic initiatives. Vogel served as President of DISH Network from September 2006 until February 2008 and has served on the Board of Directors and as Vice Chairman since 2005. From 2001 until 2005, Vogel served as the President and CEO of Charter, a publicly-traded company providing cable television and broadband services to approximately six million customers. Between 1997 and 2001, Vogel held various senior executive positions in companies affiliated with Liberty Media Corporation. He was also chairman and chief executive officer of Primestar and chief executive officer of Star Choice. Vogel received a Bachelor of Science degree from St. Norbert College in DePere, WI, with an emphasis in finance and accounting. Vogel was one of our executive officers from 1994 until 1997, including serving as our President from 1995 until 1997 when he was a key member of the executive team that created and launched DISH Network in 1996.
Bernard L. Han
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Bernie Han serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of DISH Network. He joined the company in September 2006 and is responsible for all accounting and finance functions. Prior to joining DISH Network, Han served as executive vice president and CFO of Northwest Airlines, the world's fourth largest airline. Before that role, Han held the chief financial officer and chief marketing officer roles at America West Airlines. He began his career in the space and communications group of Hughes Aircraft Company and then at American Airlines. Han received master's degrees in Business Administration and Electrical Engineering as well as a bachelor's degree from Cornell University.
R. Stanton Dodge
Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Stanton Dodge serves as the Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of DISH Network. He is responsible for all legal and regulatory affairs of Corporation and its subsidiaries. Since joining DISH Network in November 1996, he has held various positions with increasing responsibility in the legal department. Prior to joining DISH Network, Dodge served as a law clerk to the Hon. Jose D.L. Marquez of the Colorado Court of Appeals. He received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School in 1995 and his B.S. in accounting from the University of Vermont in 1991.
Stephen Wood
Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Stephen Wood serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Office for DISH Network. Prior to joining the company, Wood practiced employment and labor law, as well as held executive and directorial Human Resources positions at Cigna Healthcare, Advantica Restaurant Group, Inc. and Hardee's Food Systems. Most recently, Wood was Executive Vice President for Gate Gourmet International. He currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the Wharton School of Executive Education. Wood received his undergraduate degree from the College of William and Mary and his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
James DeFranco
Director and Executive Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Distribution
James DeFranco co-founded DISH Network along with Charles Ergen. DeFranco serves as the Executive Vice President and oversees sales and distribution, travel/events and marketing. He has held various positions with DISH Network's subsidiaries, including president of Echo Acceptance Corporation, HTS and HT Ventures, Inc. DeFranco attended Clarkson College of Technology in Postdam, N.Y., where his academic emphasis was industrial distribution. DeFranco is a member on EchoStar's Board of Directors.
W. Erik Carlson
Executive Vice President, Operations
Erik Carlson serves the Executive Vice President of Operations for DISH Network. He provides oversight of its customer service centers, DISH Network Service (DNS) which provides home and commercial installations, internal customer billing, and equipment retrieval and refurbishment operations. Carlson previously was Senior Vice President of retail services & sales, a position he held since mid-2006. He joined DISH Network in 1995 and has held progressively larger operating roles over the years. Carlson received his undergraduate degree from Bradley University.
Thomas L. Stingley
Executive Vice President, Sales and Distribution
DISH Network Corporation
Thomas Stingley serves as the Executive Vice President, Sales and Distribution. His primary responsibilities are to oversee the national sales force including managing, developing and coaching the sales team. Stingley is also responsible for evolving relationships with sales partners, retailers and distributors. Since joiningg the company in 1995, he has held various sales, marketing and operational management positions with DISH Network subsidiaries, including Vice President of Sales and Distribution, Vice President of Target Marketing and Vice President of Marketing. He received his B.A. degree in Mathematics and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin and his M.B.A from American Graduate School of International Management.
Tom Cullen
Executive Vice President, Corporate Development
Tom Cullen serves the Executive Vice President of Corporate Development for DISH Network, and oversees business development functions including sourcing, evaluation, structure and closure of potential acquisitions, investments and joint ventures. He also is responsible for DISH Network ISP strategy and implementation, as well as accelerating the company's broadband opportunities and customer introduction of new broadband-related products. Before joining DISH Network, Cullen served as President of TensorComm, a venture-backed wireless technology company focused on wireless interference issues. Prior to TensorComm, Cullen held senior leadership roles at Charter Communications and MediaOne. Cullen graduated from the University of Colorado with a master's degree in Business Administration, and received his bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Northern Arizona University.
Michael Kelly
Executive Vice President, Commercial and Business Services
Michael Kelly serves the Executive Vice President of Commercial & Business Services at DISH Network, focusing on generating and increasing new lines of revenue within the fixed satellite service business. His responsibilities include the oversight of business television and DISH Network Business Solutions, advertising sales, interactive applications, and satellite-based Internet Protocol (IP) technologies. In 1991, Kelly founded Kelly Broadcasting Systems (KBS), a leader in distributing international radio and television programming in the United States. KBS was acquired by DISH Network in 2000. Prior to KBS, Kelly served as executive vice president of Hamilton Communications Consultants, Inc., a professional consulting firm that specialized in the design and construction of broadcast and telecommunications systems in the United States. Hamilton Communications was later acquired by Kelly. Kelly was also a DISH Network programmer and retailer for many years.