Karlsen Associates is headed up by Hans Karlsen, who has over 25 years of international and cross-cultural expertise as a CEO, advisor, board member, entrepreneur, aerospace engineer, high technology pioneer, and a successful start-up founder in the aviation, space, satellite communications and defence sectors.

He is an MBA-qualified Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and a former military officer. He is also a European Union appointed expert on Entrepreneurship and Governance and a qualified commercial pilot and offshore sailing instructor.

He was one of the core team members that created and commercialised Inmarsat’s aeronautical service, laying the foundation for a multi-billion dollar satellite communications industry. He pioneered satcoms on helicopters and secured the first large-scale procurement of aeronautical Satcom systems for the military.

He’s proven at commercialising high-value innovation, creating and growing successful high-tech ventures, delivering projects and missions, and forging new markets and global industries.

PhD, Program Director and security expert in C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications and Computing, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance), including defining, deploying and managing secure national (in-country) security solutions for metropolitan areas, critical national infrastructure, and border security.

Before entering the commercial sector, he served for 23 years in the British Army in communications, intelligence, and special forces counter-terrorist roles. Areas of expertise cover terrestrial and satellite mobile telecommunications. He is a Chartered Engineer, a Member of the UK Institute of Engineers and Technologists and has a PhD in security in mobile telecommunications.

We have a team of independent Associates: CEOs, CTOs, CFOs, advisors, project managers, senior engineers, business leaders and consultants. They are the Go-To experts in their speciality, and all have the credentials, experience, skills and deep industry expertise to confront pivotal issues.

We match our resources to each specific engagement or need and do not have large consultancies’ overheads, enabling us to deliver high-value services and results at competitive prices. We are agile, highly responsive, and can quickly react to changes and challenges.

Our associates have provided services to KACST, a world-leading research organisation which is part of the Saudi Arabian Government, OVZON of Sweden, Zodiac Aerospace USA), Taqnia Space, UK Ministry of Defence, Cobham, ING Investment Bank, the European Union (EU), United Nations, APAX Private Equity and the UK Department of Business, Innovation and Skills.