Novella Personnel

Ventura T. Rufino, Ph.D.

Dr. Rufino graduated in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Porto University, Portugal, in 1972 and obtained a Ph.D. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Bradford University in 1984.

During his varied career Dr. Rufino, has been a Lecturer at Porto University, Research Assistant at Bradford University, Senior Design Engineer and RF Group Leader at Communications System Research/Ferranti, Senior Earth Station Engineer at SES Astra, Head of Engineering at ComScience. During the early and mid 1990s Dr. Rufino led an RF design team who pioneered satellite earth station equipment using the now common and widely accepted L-band interface.

Dr. Rufino has an extensive "hands-on" experience of RF and microwave systems applied to satellite earth station design, satellite system design and a wide knowledge of the satellite communications industry. Dr. Rufino is fluent in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish.

Dr. Rufino founded Novella SatComs in 1997 with Bill Dransfield, and is its main shareholder and Managing Director/CEO.

William Dransfield, B.Sc., B.A.

Mr. Dransfield was awarded a B.Sc. in Electrical and Communications Engineering by Leeds Polytechnic in 1980, and a B.A. in Mathematics by the Open University in 1990.

Mr. Dransfield worked as an engineer at GCHQ, as a Senior Design Engineer at Communications System Research/Ferranti and Chief Engineer at ComScience. During the early and mid 1990s Mr. Dransfield was a key man in an RF design team who pioneered satellite earth station equipment using the now common and widely accepted L-band interface.

Mr. Dransfield possesses a vast experience, acquired over many years of "back room bench work", in the design of RF and Microwave systems from DC to 18GHz, the design of satellite links and installation and commissioning of earth stations.

Mr. Dransfield is a founder and shareholder of Novella SatComs Ltd. and its Chief Engineer.

Christopher Maslen, FCA

Chris Maslen was for a number of years in his earlier professional life with the UK Inland Revenue. He then trained as a Chartered Accountant, qualifying in 1971, having specialised since then in taxation. He became a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales in 1979. Chris has been a partner in the accounting practice of BDO Binder Hamlyn and more recently in Baker Tilly, the national firm of Chartered Accountants and business advisers. He was a founder director of Binder Hamlyn Personal Financial Services (Yorkshire) Limited and has served as a director of Baker Tilly Financial Services Limited.

In April 1999 Chris established his own independent Chartered Accountancy practice, specialising in taxation advice.

Chris is a member of the Tax Faculty of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and is also a member of the International Fiscal Association. After more than 30 years in the accountancy profession, Chris has extensive business experience. In recent years he has advised several businesses in the high technology sector at all levels from new business to quoted international group.

Chris Maslen has been involved with Novella SatComs since its foundation and was appointed a non executive director in 2000.