Gary B. Smith nominated to Planet Labs board ahead of July stockholder vote

Former Obama advisor and current Ciena CEO expected to join satellite imagery firm’s board of directors

Satellite data and geospatial solutions provider Planet Labs PBC has nominated Gary B. Smith, President and CEO of Ciena, to join its board of directors. Smith is expected to be elected as a Class I director at the company’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders on 10 July 2025.

Planet Labs, a public benefit corporation listed on the NYSE, operates the world’s largest fleet of Earth observation satellites and provides imagery and analytics to sectors including agriculture, defense, education, and finance.

The company stated that Smith’s experience in technology, operations, and sales aligns with its evolving position as a data platform business. He would join the board as the firm continues to expand its work with U.S. government clients and focus on commercial growth.

Will Marshall, Co-Founder, CEO, and Chairperson of Planet, comments on the appointment: “Gary’s expansive career and leadership across technology, operations and sales is invaluable to Planet’s continued growth as a data platform company. As Planet and the space industry at large continue to evolve and mature, ensuring board alignment with our business objectives is critical – and we know Gary’s expertise will be instrumental in helping us reach our goals.”

Ongoing board refresh includes recent appointment of U.S. Space Force leader

The nomination follows the March 2025 addition of General John W. "Jay" Raymond to Planet’s board. Raymond previously served as the first Chief of Space Operations for the U.S. Space Force and was a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

As part of the upcoming changes, Heidi Roizen will not stand for re-election, and Niccolo de Masi will step down from the board. Roizen joined in 2018, while de Masi became a director following Planet’s public listing in 2021.

Smith currently leads Ciena, a global networking systems and software provider. He previously held senior roles at Intelsat and Cray Communications and served on President Obama’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee between 2011 and 2023. His board experience includes tenures at Commvault, Avaya, and several academic and corporate innovation councils.

Smith says: “I am honored to be nominated to join Planet's Board of Directors at such an exciting time as the company drives growth and bottom-line performance. What drew me to Planet, like so many, was its mission: to use its deep and unique dataset and collaboration to drive meaningful impact. I look forward to contributing to Planet's continued success and its vital role in shaping our understanding of the world.”