For ambitious professionals, a career isn't just a destination but rather a journey of continuous learning and growth. At EchoStar, this philosophy is not only encouraged but actively supported, as demonstrated by the inspiring stories of Dean Zigulich, a Senior Sourcing Manager and MBA student at the University of Denver Daniels College of Business, and Rohit Reddy, a Staff Information Security Engineer and MBA student at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Both have leveraged EchoStar's tuition reimbursement program and supportive culture to pursue their MBAs, transforming their careers and expanding their impact in the process. Their journeys offer a powerful testament to why EchoStar is a launchpad for talented individuals looking to grow.
As a Senior Sourcing Manager, Dean’s role is to ensure EchoStar’s internal business units have the best partners and technology to succeed. He works with a range of leaders across the company, from the Cloud and Core teams to the Regulatory and Enterprise teams. His role is particularly unique in the telecommunications space because EchoStar’s Open RAN philosophy means the company has the flexibility to swap out vendors at a much higher rate than competitors. "It's a very fast-paced role," he says, "and it's a lot of fun." Dean’s experience with the Open RAN Center for Integration & Deployment (ORCID) further highlights the innovative nature of his work, where he helps fulfill contractual obligations for new technology partners.
"In my role, I help identify potential partners. It’s a very fast-paced role, and I get to work with new companies and technologies. I work for great leaders and it's a lot of fun."
— Dean Zigulich, Senior Sourcing Manager
Rohit's professional journey is a story of three stages: the entrepreneurial spark, the technical deep-dive and the strategic synthesis. It all began in India, where he founded a photo-book subscription startup. Though the venture didn't succeed, it taught him a crucial lesson: "a good product isn't enough." This experience ignited his desire to master not just the "how" of technology, but the "why" of business. This led him to pursue a Master's in Computer Science in the U.S. and build his engineering craft, preparing him for the pivot into cybersecurity. EchoStar gave him that opportunity, becoming the place where his technical skills were forged into leadership capabilities.
Both Dean and Rohit's decisions to pursue an MBA stemmed from a desire to gain a deeper understanding of business. For Dean, it was a way to continue building his business knowledge and expand his scope across different aspects of the industry. He was encouraged by leaders he respected, who had been successful in the industry, a testament to the open-door policy at EchoStar. After beginning in a program management role overseeing virtualization and RAN automation, Dean realized the value of working alongside some of the best engineers in the industry and developing with the business, as EchoStar continued creating automation and cloud-based solutions. Dean has since held various roles on three different teams for EchoStar, including program management, financial analysis and sourcing. Across these roles, he earned five promotions within five years, along with several award recognitions.
For Rohit, the pursuit of an MBA was driven by the opportunity to make a tangible impact. He was tasked with helping lead the rapid deployment of security solutions and learned that challenges are less about technical fixes and more about leadership and cross-functional influence under pressure. This experience, combined with the academic frameworks from his Booth MBA studies, allowed him to reframe the challenges not as a series of isolated issues but as a single, systemic problem of fragmentation.
EchoStar’s tuition reimbursement program was a major factor for both Rohit and Dean in pursuing their MBAs, but they are quick to point out that the support went far beyond the financial. Rohit, for example, credits the support from executives, including a C-level executive, for providing references that were a core reason for his admission to a top business school.
EchoStar's culture, they agree, is a key driver of growth. Dean emphasizes that curiosity is a core value that is consistently practiced across the organization. He advises candidates to "be curious and try to exhaust your resources," highlighting that leaders at EchoStar are always willing to help.
Rohit echoes this, calling the open-door policy and culture of mentorship "fundamental." He and Dean have observed that their peers in other large companies do not have the same level of access to senior leadership or the same opportunities for cross-functional development. This supportive environment transforms EchoStar from a mere employer into a "launchpad" for ambitious professionals.
Further embodying this commitment to community, both professionals dedicate time to fostering an inclusive culture at EchoStar. Rohit serves as the President and Dean as the Treasurer of HAAPI (Honoring Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders), one of the company’s employee resource groups. Their leadership in HAAPI is a direct reflection of their desire to give back, helping to build the same supportive and collaborative environment that has been instrumental in their own career journeys.
Rohit’s story isn’t just about growth; it’s a living example of how EchoStar launches careers. As he puts it, EchoStar provides the “high-stakes problems and high-level exposure” necessary to accelerate one’s career. The combination of intense, real-world challenges and direct access to senior leadership creates an environment where team members can grow new skills and be supported along the way. This synergy, paired with the academic frameworks of his MBA, has allowed Rohit to translate his technical skills into strategic leadership. The results are tangible. Rohit has earned two promotions in his three years at EchoStar.
"EchoStar provides the two critical elements for career acceleration: high-stakes problems and high-level exposure."
— Rohit Reddy, Staff Information Security Engineer
For both Dean and Rohit, the journey is far from over. Dean continues to grow, using his MBA to expand his impact, while Rohit works to evolve from a technical expert into a strategic leader for the organization. Their stories are a reflection of the culture at EchoStar, and the opportunity for individuals to launch their career as part of our organization.
