River Advisers enhances its organisation with integrated solutions for the space and satellite industry

Dr Jennifer Stone has taken on the role of Senior Vice President and Head of Spectrum Strategy and International Coordination

River Advisers has announced it is strengthening its core practices through a strategic realignment around Spectrum Strategy and International Coordination, and Global Licensing and Market Access.

This evolution reflects the firm’s commitment to delivering end-to-end regulatory support and responding to the growing complexity of international market access.

"After securing international recognition through an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) filing, national licensing is the decisive next step in our clients’ path to market. And, it has become the battleground for commercial deployment," said River Advisers CEO, Alexis Martin. "Our clients increasingly need support in this area, including securing timely, cost-effective authorisations across dozens of national markets. We believe this is where the next frontier of innovation lies and we are aligning our structure to meet that challenge.”

To support this evolution, River Advisers is formalising Head of Practice roles across both Spectrum Strategy and Global Licensing and Market Access. These roles are filled through internal promotions, recognising the strength and depth of the firm’s talent.

Both practices are long-standing cornerstones of River Advisers’ success.

Dr Jennifer Stone has taken on the role of Senior Vice President and Head of Spectrum Strategy and International Coordination, continuing her and her team’s expert support in spectrum filings, coordination, and engagement with the ITU and other international and regional forums, particularly in the lead-up to the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC).

“I am excited to take up this new position as we enhance our end-to-end service offerings to empower clients in bringing innovative technologies to market,” said Dr Jennifer Stone. “With WRC-27 rapidly approaching and the agenda dominated by space topics, this is a pivotal time for our industry and our outstanding team is uniquely positioned to ensure our clients thrive in a complex, rapidly shifting regulatory landscape.”

At the same time, the firm is significantly enhancing the visibility and scale of its Global Licensing and Market Access practice, following substantial client growth in recent years, and to further position it for continued future growth.

Matthew Evans has become Head of Global Licensing and Market Access

Matthew Evans has become Head of Global Licensing and Market Access and will continue to expand upon the expertise and capabilities in this area: from market access strategy and planning, to licence acquisition, regulatory compliance and worldwide regulator engagement. 

“I am pleased to take up this position following the growth of the Global Licensing and Market Access (GLMA) practice over recent years,” said Matthew Evans. “In the current highly complex environment, clients are seeking evermore strategic and tailored solutions in this area, to help enable their next-generation technologies to reach global markets and navigate continually shifting and multi-layered regulations. This requires among other things a dynamic and seamless approach, with intricate awareness of regional frameworks and procedures, and effective channels to the regulators themselves.”

“The GLMA offering adds the essential piece to the ‘end-to-end regulatory journey’ which River Advisers offers clients: from originally securing recognition at the ITU, through to the early planning and authorisations to commercialise their service at national levels according to local rules,” continued Evans. “This makes our overall value proposition extremely compelling and I look forward to building the GLMA team further”.

“Matthew Evans joined us in 2021 after a successful career in-house and has been instrumental in shaping the practice into what it is today, as well as contributing thought-leadership on related topics to major industry publications”, added Martin.

As part of the leadership changes, Rachel Beattie has also been promoted to Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, in recognition of her outstanding work supporting the company’s operations, overseeing legal and HR matters, and contributing across a wide range of strategic and day-to-day functions.

“River Advisers continues to build on over 25 years of experience and it’s a privilege to be part of such an exceptional team,” advised Rachel Beattie. “I am delighted to take on this expanded role and look forward to embracing the future with our clients, both existing and new.”

The new structure creates dedicated pathways, improve internal coordination, and ensure that River Advisers remains a trusted partner at every stage of the regulatory journey from spectrum filings and international coordination, to national licensing and ongoing compliance.

“We’re proud of the exceptional people who power our business,” added Martin. “This evolution of the organizational structure not only reflects our strategy, but also empowers our team. By promoting from within, we’re investing in proven leadership and recognizing the strength and depth of the firm’s talent. This also ensures essential continuity for our clients.”