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Liquid Robotics: Former Sun Microsystems Exec Named CEO Liquid Robotics, developer of the Wave Glider self-powered hybrid sea- surface/underwater robotic vehicle, and cloud-based data service provider, closed a Series D $22m financing round led by VantagePoint Capital Partners, the company’s first institutional investor together with participation by oilfield services provider Schlumberger. In addition, the company announced the appointment of Bill Vass, former President and COO, Sun Microsystems Federal, as CEO. Liquid Robotics has created a new category of wave-powered marine robotic vehicles with a platform for ocean observation, data collection, intelligence, surveillance and recon- naissance. The company’s flagship product, the Wave Glider, is designed as a reliable, persistent and economi- cal autonomous marine drone that has the capability of efficiently com- pleting demanding long-duration missions with minimal environmen- tal impact. In addition to providing Wave Gliders as a product, Liquid Robotics has also set up a Data-as-a- Service cloud which provides direct, real-time access to ocean informa- tion. Vass brings more than 30 years of U.S. government and private sector IT leadership experience to Liquid Robotics. Prior to joining Sun and serving in a number of senior-level positions including Chief Information Officer, Vass had a lengthy public service career. He worked in the Office of the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon, and was Chief Technology Officer and techni- cal lead for U.S. Army worldwide personnel systems. Earlier, Vass devel- oped large-scale IT engineering and business systems solutions for the oil and gas industry, defense systems integrators and ocean engineering. “We are fortunate to add an experi- enced executive like Bill Vass and a leading global energy investor such as VantagePoint to our team,” said Roger Hine, Liquid Robotics’ Founder and Chief Technology Officer. “This important hire and sig- nificant round of financing allows us to further develop and market our unconventional technology for exploring and monitoring the world’s marine environment.” Keith Named GM at OceanWorks OceanWorks International welcomes Robert Keith to its team in the position of General Manager. Acting as General Manager, Robert’s primary function will be to promote the company’s deepwater engineering, fabrication, and operational capabilities. He has worked in the offshore underwater services industry for more than 30 years, and has actively participated in manned, atmospheric, and remotely controlled diving operations in more than 20 different countries. His expertise lies primarily in the use and management of ROVs, and he has held positions with several companies ranging from ROV offshore techni- cian and supervision, through project and operations management, to regional responsibility and senior executive management. Two Join Hydroid Rick Morton has joined Hydroid as Hydrographic Sales Manager, respon- sible for expanding Hydroid's AUV sales into commercial and non-mili- tary markets. Morton brings a diverse scientific background span- ning 20 years in the industry. Prior to joining Hydroid, Morton was the North American Sales Manager- Geosciences for Cambridge-based Ixsea, Inc. Tim Russell has also joined Hydroid, as Proposal Coordinator, responsible for all proposals and quo- tations in support of sales and mar- keting activities. Prior to joining Hydroid, Russell was a Senior Contracts Negotiator at Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Sensors, supporting U.S. government, com- mercial and international naval pro- grams. Marport CEO One of Atlantic Canada's “Top 50” Marport Deep Sea Technologies said that for the second year in a row, Karl Kenny, Marport’s President and CEO, was named one of Atlantic Canada's Top 50 CEOs by Atlantic Business magazine. Marport was also recognized for having the fastest rev- enue growth among the winning companies. Tritech Wins Naval Contract Tritech has been contracted to sup- ply Ultra Electronics, the defense, security, transport and energy compa- ny, with a suite of sonar equipment over a 12-month supply program. With delivery of the first consign- ment completed, Tritech is the sole supplier of the integrated homing sonar mounted on the German- designed Atlas Elektronik Seafox, the oneshot mine disposal vehicle sup- 50 MTR June 2011 people & companies
