[Satellite TODAY 12-26-12] Fixed satellite operator Intelsat has appointed Grant Marais as its regional vice president of African sales, effective Jan. 3, the company announced. Marais succeeds Jon Osler, who will join Intelsat’s Global Accounts team in Washington, D.C.
   Marais will be responsible for supporting the growth of Intelsat’s customers in the region, which includes leading telecommunications and wireless operators, network services providers, and DTH platform operators and broadcasters. Intelsat provides customers in Africa with communications infrastructure and service from 23 satellites serving the region, which will be joined by the Intelsat EpicNG high throughput satellite platform when it is launched in 2015.
   Marais joins Intelsat from Nokia in Dubai, where he served as General Manager of Sales for the Pan-Middle East, Africa and the Commonwealth of Independent States.