Epirus, Comtech, Saab's US arm build out exec teams

Epirus

The defense technology startup has been at work in building out its leadership team over recent months in the wake of Ken Bedingfield's promotion to the chief executive role.

Epirus' most recent hire is for its chief growth officer post now held by Mara Motherway, who most recently led Peraton's public policy and government affairs organization as a senior vice president.

Motherway will oversee Epirus' functions in business development, corporate campaigns, marketing, communications and government relations. She also founded and led the government and customer relations organization at Booz Allen Hamilton prior to her role at Peraton.

Los Angeles-headquartered Epirus designs directed energy systems and power management solutions to have a software-driven and -defined approach when used.

In early 2022, the company completed a Series C Funding round that pushed its touted valuation to around $1.35 billion. Bedingfield moved up to the CEO role later that year from his prior position of chief operating officer.

Comtech

This terrestrial and wireless network operator is eyeing the space market as an avenue for expansion as seen in its appointment of two-decade market veteran Nicole Robinson.

As Comtech's chief strategy officer, Robinson will work with the company's strategic council to create and implement a strategy for pursuing space opportunities and developing new technologies to support that push.

She will also lead other priorities related to geospatial imagery, data and space communications for U.S. and international customers. Robinson joins Comtech eight months after its board of directors chairman Ken Peterman became chief executive.

For Comtech's most recent fiscal year ended July 31, the company recorded $132.6 million in revenue from U.S. government contracts and subcontract work to represent roughly 27% of overall sales.

Robinson most recently was president of Ursa Space Systems, where she led that company from startup mode to becoming a larger provider of satellite intelligence and data analytics. She is also a former president of global government at satellite network operator SES.

Saab Inc.

This subsidiary of the Sweden-headquartered aerospace and defense company is looking to be a leader in applying disruptive technologies to government programs.

Michael Brasseur will work with its partners across government, industry and academia in his new role as Saab Inc.'s chief strategy officer. The U.S. military and Federal Aviation Administration represent two key customers of Saab Inc.

Brasseur is the founder and first commodore of the Navy's Task Force 59 organization, which is one of the military's earliest such teams focused on integrating robotics and artificial intelligence into missions.

Task Force 59 supports naval forces in the Middle East and parts of the Indian Ocean. The task force was established in September 2021 and reached full operational capability in January of this year.

Brasseur served for 26 years in the Navy and took on assignments supporting the White House, Pentagon and NATO.

Entities that are a part of Saab AB have recorded $261.2 million in unclassified prime contract revenue over the trailing 12 months, according to USASpending.gov figures.