Declan Ganley Irish entrepreneur, businessman and political activist Date of Birth: 23.07.1968 Country: Ireland

1. Early Life and Business Ventures
2. Telecommunications Success
3. Political Activism
4. Current Endeavors
5. Honors and Recognition

Early Life and Business Ventures

Declan Ganley was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, to Irish parents. At the age of 14, he returned to Ireland with his family and settled in Glenamaddy, County Galway. Upon completing school in 1987, Ganley became involved in business ventures involving the sale of Russian aluminum and the forestry sector in Latvia.

In the early 1990s, Ganley established Kipelovo Forest Products, which became one of the largest forestry companies in the Russian Federation. He sold the company in 1997. In 1996, his company Ganley International founded the Anglo-Adriatic Investment Fund, an Albanian financial fund created to collect and invest privatization vouchers. Political turmoil and multiple government changes led to the Albanian government ceasing planned privatization programs, rendering the fund inactive.

Telecommunications Success

Ganley's most significant business success came from his ventures in the telecommunications industry. He co-founded Broadnet, a company that provided internet and telecommunications services across the European Union in the late 1990s. In 1999, after Broadnet was awarded 42 German licenses, the Irish Independent valued Broadnet at $875 million. Ganley later sold his shares to Comcast for an undisclosed sum.

In 2005, Ganley founded Rivada Networks, a telecommunications company specializing in the utilization and arbitrage of wireless spectrum. Rivada holds numerous patents for its dynamic spectrum arbitrage technologies. In 2013, Ganley stated that Rivada's patents could "save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars."

Political Activism

In 2006, Ganley co-founded the Institute of Libertas, a campaign group that advocated against the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty in Ireland. The treaty was initially rejected in a referendum but was later approved in a second referendum.

In 2009, Ganley founded the Libertas Party, a pan-European political party. He ran as a Libertas candidate in the 2009 European Parliament elections in North-West Ireland but failed to win a seat. Despite the party's неудача, Ganley was optimistic, calling it an unsuccessful experiment.

Current Endeavors

As of 2022, Ganley serves as the CEO and Chairman of Rivada Networks, a US-based firm specializing in providing telecommunication systems to military, law enforcement, and emergency responders during disaster scenarios. He is a vocal advocate for a federal Europe and a strong opponent of abortion.

Honors and Recognition

Ganley has received the Louisiana Medal for Distinguished Service for his work during Hurricane Katrina, where Rivada's emergency deployable communications systems were credited with vastly improving communication between emergency responders and saving countless lives. He is also an Honorary Member of the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame.