Valeport strengthens team with new Product Manager
Leading manufacturer of oceanographic and hydrographic instrumentation, Valeport, has welcomed Amy Thompson as Product Manager.
Amy, an experienced oceanographic engineer, brings more than a decade of expertise from customer relations roles to this newly created position at Valeport.
Joining from a Support Manager role at OceanWise, Amy will strengthen Valeport’s Innovation and Product Department working with respected hydrographic professional, Iain Slade, who leads this department.
Drawing on her operational oceanographic experience, Amy’s new role sees her assisting in shaping the product strategy for all Valeport and Valeport Water products. Her responsibilities encompass generating innovative ideas and managing the product lifecycle from inception to customer delivery and beyond. Amy collaborates closely with the broader team to ensure Valeport’s product portfolio remains relevant and aligned with current and future customer needs.
The appointment of Amy underpins Valeport’s commitment to continually innovate its range to ensure Valeport technology remains at the forefront of the sector. Iain Slade comments:
“Amy’s appointment comes at a key time as we consolidate our offering, improve product support and look to future developments with our range of environmental sensors.”
“Amy’s operational knowledge, practical experience, passion for sustainability and in depth understanding of customer needs is a real asset and a great match for our growth plans. We’re delighted to have Amy on our team.”
Amy has worked on a variety of projects both in the UK and internationally, including projects for the UK Hydrographic Office and Environment Agency. She holds a Masters in Oceanography and sits on the Board of the Marine Science and Technology Group at the Society of Maritime Industries. Commenting on her new role, Amy said:
“I am very excited to join Valeport. I’ve worked with many Valeport products in previous roles and have always trusted the technology. The opportunity to join the new Innovation and Product Development Department to assist in the development of new technologies and indulge my passion for innovative solutions is very appealing. But another important factor was also the culture of the Valeport business. I find Valeport’s culture very attractive – not only are the team all highly skilled, but they seem to me to be incredibly happy! There’s an impressive number of colleagues having many years of experience working within the business, and I really like that.”
EIVA announces Christian Thomsen as new CEO
Maritime survey software and equipment manufacturer, EIVA, part of Covelya Group, is delighted to announce the appointment of Christian Thomsen as its new Chief Executive Officer, following an extensive search process. Christian replaces Flemming Hjorth who took over as Acting CEO of EIVA when former CEO Jeppe Nielsen stepped down for medical reasons in 2022.
Christian joins EIVA after seven years with logistics solution provider, Lyngsoe Systems where he was Senior Vice President. Christian is a business leader with an excellent track record, working in multiple technology companies across a range of market sectors, focused on delivering sustainable growth without losing sight of customer and employee satisfaction.
EIVA Chairman, and CEO of parent company Covelya Group, Stephen Fasham says: “It’s great to welcome Christian to the team as our new CEO. Christian is a dynamic, values driven leader who comes to us with a great range of experiences. He brings strategic acumen and proven operational effectiveness with a warmth that I’m confident our customers and team will appreciate. The board of EIVA and the wider management team across Covelya are looking forward to working with Christian to create extraordinary value for all our stakeholders.”
Stephen continues: “I’d also like to thank Flemming for stepping forward to lead EIVA through a difficult time when Jeppe unexpectedly left us last year. Thanks to his dedication, ably supported by the EIVA management team, the business has continued to be successful and is in a good position to kick-on under Christian’s leadership.”
Commenting on his new role, Christian explains: “EIVA has an amazing past story and a great future - I’m excited to have been appointed to lead the company on the next leg of its voyage. With the support of Covelya Group, I will continue to build the core business and take advantage of working in collaboration with the other Covelya companies to do more for and with our great customers and partners.”
OTAQ announce directorate change
OTAQ, the innovative technology company targeting the aquaculture, geotracking and offshore markets, announces that George Watt has stepped down from his position as Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee as of 20 September 2023.
George has made a significant contribution to the Company since joining the Board in March 2020, upon admission to the London Stock Exchange. The Board thanks George for his commitment to the Company’s development.
Adam Reynolds, Non-Executive Chairman, commented: “I would like to thank George for all of his work and contribution to OTAQ during his three years on the Board. He has been a highly valued member of our team and I know that all here at OTAQ will wish him well with his future endeavours.”
Kraken Robotics announces management update
Kraken Robotics Inc. announces that Ms. Lynne Adu will take over leadership of Kraken’s Services business, expanding her current role as Vice President Commercial at Kraken. In 2018, Ms. Adu joined PanGeo Subsea (acquired by Kraken in 2021) as General Manager and VP Commercial. Based in Aberdeen, Scotland, Ms. Adu has an MBA and more than 25 years of experience in a variety of management roles in offshore oil and gas and offshore services. Kraken is also announcing the retirement of Moya Cahill, previously Kraken’s EVP of Services as well as co-founder of PanGeo Subsea. Moya has made significant contributions to the Kraken organization, the least of which was building a strong base of upcoming leaders within our Services group.
Greg Reid, President & Chief Executive Officer, stated "I would like to express my gratitude to Moya for her significant contribution to Kraken’s Services business and the Company overall. We sincerely thank Moya for her countless contributions and wish her all the best in her future endeavors. As part of that team, we welcome Lynne into her new role and look forward to the strong leadership for our Services group as we continue to grow our capabilities. Lynne brings significant experience and diligence working in the marine technology sector which we anticipate will bring meaningful benefits to Kraken.”
Kraken has continued to add depth to the organization in 2023 across many areas including engineering, project management, business development, HSSE, and production. As a global leader in the marine technology sector, Kraken has been attracting talent worldwide from notable companies and organizations such as Ultra Defense, Cenovus Energy, ExxonMobil, Mind Technologies, Royal Canadian Navy, Turkish Navy, and Technip.
As the market for naval defense technologies is seeing strong secular growth, Kraken has been building increased depth in our Business Development and Sales teams. Below we highlight several changes:
- Commander Peter Kirkegaard will be migrating to Kraken’s sales team as Subject Matter Expert in Seabed Warfare, after the past 3 years supporting Kraken’s successful delivery of the Royal Danish Navy’s Towed Sonar Upgrade program. Based in Copenhagen, Mr. Kirkegaard oversaw the integration and testing of Kraken’s KATFISH High Speed Towed SAS and Autonomous Launch and Recovery System (ALARS) to the RDN’s optionally manned MSF-class remote minehunting vessels. These vessels will now be used for MCM and Subsea Infrastructure inspection. Prior to joining Kraken in 2020 as Customer Relationship Management, Mr. Kirkegaard had 20 years of service in the Royal Danish Navy, including as Commanding Officer of the MSF class.
- Commander Roland Leyte recently joined Kraken after 35 years of distinguished service in the Royal Canadian Navy. His various roles included Director of Diving Safety and four years as Commanding Officer (CO) of Fleet Diving Unit Atlantic in Halifax. FDU Atlantic is a 110 member operational unit that conducts worldwide operations in both diving and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD). Mr. Leyte joins Kraken as Customer Success Manager in charge of supporting the successful delivery and operations of the Kraken Remote Minehunting and Disposal System (RMDS) contract with the Royal Canadian Navy. The $50 million RMDS contract was signed at the end of 2022.
- Captain Cem Hasanoğlu has joined Kraken’s sales team as a Senior MCM Specialist, after 25 years of distinguished service in the Turkish Navy. His various roles included Commodore of the Mine Hunting Ships Flotilla, Commander of Mine Warfare Support Centre, Defence Attache to Norway, Chief of Staff both at Turkish Mine Group Command and Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group-1 (SNMCMG-1). Cem brings a wealth of operational MCM experience to the Kraken sales team, is based in the Middle East, and will be focused on European and NATO markets.
- Mr. Dennis Hogan has joined the US Sales Team and based out of the Boston office. Before joining Kraken, Mr. Hogan served as the Commercial Sales Manager – North America for Klein Marine Systems from 2019 to 2023. Specifically, he handled sonar sales and account management for commercial, defense, and law enforcement clients. Prior to that position, Mr. Hogan had held positions in product management, marketing, and technical sales for marine electronics manufacturers Navico and Raymarine. Hogan has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Rivier University and is a United States Coast Guard veteran; having served tours on an 82-foot patrol boat and the USCGC Eagle.
Subsea Supplies Limited appoints new sales manager as company gears up for growth
Subsea Supplies Ltd, an independent supplier of offshore and underwater equipment, has appointed a new sales manager as the company targets new markets due to a period of continued growth.
Subsea Supplies has been a provider of ROV, AUV, oil and gas, oceanographic and defence solutions for more than 20 years and has vast experience across the subsea and cables industry. The company is exploring new opportunities in the renewables market as offshore wind development ramps up around the world.
The company has appointed Shaun Stirling in the newly created role of sales manager, where he will work alongside sales director, Pauline McCann to develop new business opportunities in new and existing sectors.
An experienced salesperson, Shaun joins from Teledyne Marine where he delivered key account management for customers as well as providing technical and commercial support internally externally.
Shaun said: “From my own experience, I know Subsea Supplies is regarded as a trusted supplier of advanced underwater technology equipment. I’m proud to be joining the team and supporting the company’s ambitions going forward as we target new markets.
“The company's dedication to innovation and customer satisfaction aligns perfectly with my own values, and I am eager to work with the team to deliver exceptional results for our clients."
Subsea Supplies partners with world-leading manufacturers of electrical and mechanical components. Headquartered in Aberdeen, the company delivers subsea equipment to clients from ambitious small companies to global businesses.
Pauline McCann, Subsea Supplies’ sales director said: “It’s great to have Shaun on board. His in-depth understanding of the industry dynamics and customer needs will play a pivotal role in furthering our mission to deliver innovative and reliable subsea solutions to new and existing customers.
“For more than two decades, we have formed partnerships with respected brands, delivering equipment for a broad spectrum of underwater activities. We’ve built our reputation on industry knowledge, a track record for delivery and unparalleled customer service in the supply of quality components.”
Formed in 2000, Subsea Supplies is a global distributor for Burton Subsea, Nexans, Sun Star Electric, Masto, Innerspace and Clear Com. The company is the only Burton product range distributor in Europe to be certified to manufacture Burton cable and connector assemblies to Eaton standards.
Change in leadership at Chelsea Technologies
Chelsea Technologies, a leader in optical sensing technologies for oceanographic research and compliance monitoring, announced that Elizabeth Paull, Managing Director, will be stepping down from her role. Ian Hale, who brings 20 years of experience from a range of industries, including the marine and defence sectors, has been brought in to support Chelsea's management team while it seeks a permanent successor.
Elizabeth will take up a new role supporting the development of the wider Ocean Science strategy for parent company Covelya Group during the leadership transition period, allowing the Chelsea team to continue to benefit from her deep knowledge and experience of the Ocean Science marketplace.
Guided by Paull, Chelsea has pioneered the use of active fluorometry as a new tool for climate research and has developed biological sensing instruments with wide applicability in Ocean Science. She also navigated the company through the stormy waters of the Covid pandemic and led a change process that refocused the team back onto its Ocean Science roots.
Paull says, “I’m proud of the market and technology leadership Chelsea has undertaken and of the team’s accomplishment in repositioning the company for renewed growth within Covelya Group. The last few years have been challenging but I’m confident Chelsea is emerging as a strong player in the Ocean Science marketplace. I look forward to seeing new leadership build on what we have created.”
Stephen Fasham, Chelsea chairman and Covelya Group Chief Executive Officer, says, “Elizabeth has put Chelsea on a great course for the future and she leaves behind a strong team with a unique offering to Ocean Science. We are indebted to her for bringing the company safely through a turbulent period and for her vision in setting the right direction for the future. We are working closely with Ian and the Chelsea team to ensure a smooth transition, and we are confident that we will be able to build on the strong foundation that Elizabeth has laid.”
Chelsea Technologies was acquired by Covelya Group in 2018. The acquisition was the first step in Covelya Group’s long-term growth strategy to build a family of companies with complementary technologies and capabilities for the marine sector. Chelsea continues to benefit from strong commitment and financial backing from Covelya and is able to extend its reach through relationships with the other group companies, which now comprise Sonardyne International, EIVA, Wavefront Systems, Voyis and the most recent addition in defence company, Forcys.
CSignum appoints David Leslie as Chief Revenue Officer
CSignum Ltd., the global leader in electromagnetic (EM) underwater communication that sends data through the water’s surface without cables, has announced the appointment of David Leslie as Chief Revenue Officer, responsible for business strategy and development, sales, and go-to-market for CSignum and its new RadiEM Modem™. Leslie reports directly to CSignum CEO Chris Brooks and is based in the Washington, D.C. area.
An industry expert with over 30 years in IT consulting, networking and telecommunications, Leslie has been advising CSignum on market positioning and possible new use cases for the revolutionary RadiEM technology that will help natural and manmade water industries modernise data networks, which have lagged networks above the water by 50 years. Leslie was most recently Chief Commercial Officer of Gadget Software and served as advisor as The Modern Data Company scaled operations to go to market. He has served as President and CEO of MedicAlert Foundation, as well as co-founded and led companies such as ZippSlip and Intersect Software Corp. He has held executive sales positions at Ericsson, Torrent Networking, Newbridge Networks, and UB Networks.
“David’s unique experience and abilities perfectly address where we are and what we need to do at CSignum to develop a new market with our extraordinary breakthrough in underwater EM data connectivity,” said CSignum CEO Chris Brooks. “He is adept at educating and evangelizing the technical benefits and the resulting positive business impact of this new wireless solution, which will work with and expand the capabilities of existing acoustic and optical deployments.”
“I’m delighted to be joining CSignum at a time when we will usher in a new era for modernized underwater digital networks,” said David Leslie, CRO at CSignum. “RadiEM is designed to work alongside acoustic and optical solutions and answers the need for more visibility into what is happening underwater.
Today, it allows customers for the first time to get data directly through the water surface, seabed, water column and subsea structures in challenging environments (turbid, aerated and biofouled waters and splash zones), which wreak havoc on cables and lie beyond the abilities of other communications systems. In the near future we expect RadiEM to serve as an intelligent gateway and act similarly to Bluetooth for all digital things underwater. The result will be to exponentially increase the amount of data we have access to and allow us to prioritize, filter and route data while managing bandwidth, quality of service and battery power consumption – just as networks function above water.”
CSignum is currently working with companies in natural water industries such as aquaculture, environmental monitoring, as well as wind and oil and gas subsea structures, and exploring the needs of manmade water industries such as irrigation, drinking water, and waste water systems. RadiEM is already successfully deployed in a multitude of use cases from AUV/ASV (HESS and Ocean Aero) and tidal water data recovery, to offshore structural and met ocean data transmission to real-time ADCP data. The EM-1 Modem is designed to work seamlessly with the standard interfaces of sondes, sensors, AUVs, ADCPs and dataloggers. EM signals are resilient and sustain their integrity where sound and light scatter at the surface and anywhere ambient light, line of sight, and noise interference is an issue. Because EM fields are also silent and invisible, they are more secure as well as safer for the environment and marine life.
Teledyne Geospatial announces new Vice President and General Manager, Geoffroy Deltel
Teledyne Geospatial is pleased to announce the appointment of Geoffroy Deltel as Vice President and General Manager. Mr. Deltel will replace Michel Stanier who is moving to an Executive Business Development role within the larger Teledyne Digital Imaging segment with a focus on Geospatial businesses.
Mr. Deltel brings with him a significant background in optical, laser and software technology with an extensive knowledge of the defense sector, and previously served as Chief Technology Officer and Group Executive Vice President for a global provider of imaging and detection solutions. Mr. Deltel’s formidable education includes a MSc in Physics, MSc in Electrical Engineering, Global Executive MBA and Management Certificates from MIT Sloan. He will be based out of the Vaughan (Toronto, Canada) office starting in July.
Teledyne Geospatial unifies the lidar technology and software expertise of both Teledyne Optech and Teledyne CARIS. The new group provides customers with innovative integrated solutions. Offerings include turnkey systems and OEM products, lidar and sonar integrated workflows and a range of systems and solutions that support holistic, precision data collection.
SeeByte appoints Sean Slee as Capability Delivery Manager
SeeByte, the global leader in software solutions for Robotic and Autonomous Systems is pleased to appoint Sean Slee as their Capability Delivery Manager.
Sean joins SeeByte with over 23 years of Mine Warfare experience within the Royal Navy, where he achieved the privileged rank of Warrant Officer First Class.
Sean will bring his operational military experience in Mine Warfare to support SeeByte’s global naval programmes.
“We are delighted to welcome Sean onboard at SeeByte. Sean’s experience will be a significant asset to SeeByte as our capabilities operational use continues to expand,” said Chris Haworth, CEO at SeeByte
Recently awarded a contract to provide C2 and autonomy architecture across the Royal Navy MHC programme, Sean joins SeeByte at this important phase in the company’s growth.
“This is an exciting time for me which will allow me to continue growing my Mine Warfare experience whilst working alongside the inspirational work force from the professional SeeByte organisation,” said Sean Slee, Capability Delivery Manager at SeeByte
SeeByte will be demonstrating their vendor agnostic Mission Management system at this year’s REPMUS event in Portugal and DSEI in London.
Unique Group appoints Sahil Gandhi as CEO ushering in a new era of growth
Unique Group, global innovators in subsea technologies and engineering, has announced the appointment of Sahil Gandhi to the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO), succeeding Himanshu (Harry) Gandhi, who will now assume the position of Chairman of the Group.
Acting as Unique Group’s COO since 2017, Sahil has previously held Executive Director and Group Sales Manager roles. Under his leadership, the company has experienced rapid growth, diversifying its portfolio into unmanned survey technology and initiating digitisation that led the business to operational excellence, as well as renewing its commitment towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG).
Harry Gandhi, Chairman of Unique Group, founded the company in 1993 with three employees, turning it into a thriving multinational organization with over 500 employees. Harry Gandhi expressed his confidence in Sahil's ability to lead the company into the future, stating, “Over the years, Sahil has been instrumental in shaping Unique Group to become a leader in providing comprehensive technical and digital solutions for the subsea, renewable, and wider energy industries, with a continued focus on sustainability. Sahil’s appointment heralds the beginning of a new era for Unique Group, and I’m confident that his expertise, passion, and ambition will steer the company towards new heights.”
Upon assuming his new role, Sahil Gandhi expressed his commitment to building on the company's legacy and positioning Unique Group as a frontrunner in providing subsea innovation for clients. He emphasised his dedication to innovation and transforming the industry by developing new products across various divisions, including survey, unmanned solutions, diving, buoyancy, and load testing.
Unique Group has already made significant strides in its growth strategy, with technical appointments in the first quarter and major development plans in the pipeline. The company is set to launch key products under its Unmanned Surface Vessel portfolio, expand its global facilities, and introduce new divisions throughout the second quarter and the remainder of the year. To support its ambitious plans, Unique Group has made multimillion-dollar investments in autonomous research and development programs and digitisation initiatives.
With Sahil Gandhi at the helm, Unique Group is poised to achieve even greater success and drive innovation in the subsea technology sector. The company's continued commitment to excellence and its dedication to providing cutting-edge solutions will solidify its position as a leader in the industry.