Autonomous tech, finance and growth leadership moves across the market

Auterion Government Solutions

Ted Davis has moved up to president and general manager for role at this robotics and autonomous systems software provider.

Auterion GS provides those products to drone manufacturers, many of whom are contracted to make the vehicles for U.S. government agencies.

Davis is a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel whose career includes service in leadership roles across mission areas such as missile defense, space and autonomous systems. He succeeds Errol Farr, who will continue to work with Auterion GS in an advisory capacity.

DZYNE Technologies

Retired Navy Vice Adm. Collin Green has joined this maker of autonomous vehicles and other related technologies as head of strategic solutions.

This hire comes almost two months after DZYNE wrapped up its combination with fellow uncrewed tech provider High Point Technologies. As part of that transaction, Matt McCue became DZYNE's chief executive following 11 years in other executive roles there including the past two as president.

Green concluded his 38-year military career with service as deputy commander of Special Operations Command. Prior to that assignment, he led Naval Special Warfare Command.

Empower AI

Dr. Jennifer Sample has joined this artificial intelligence-focused integrator as chief technology officer and will oversee deployments of its solutions for customers.

Sample will also oversee Empower AI's overall tech vision and strategy for working with agencies on their digital transformation agendas.

The 24-year government market veteran most recently worked as a managing director at Accenture Federal Services and helped lead its AI strategy. Prior to AFS, she spent almost 20 years at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and led emerging technology programs there.

Iridium Communications

Vincent O'Neill will move up to the chief financial position at this satellite communications provider on Jan. 1 after 10 years there, most recently as senior vice president of finance.

O'Neill will succeed the retiring Thomas Fitzpatrick, Iridium's CFO for the past 14 years that included the launch of its Iridium NEXT constellation and comeback from bankruptcy in the late 1990s.

Iridium also announced that Tim Last, currently a senior vice president, will succeed the retiring Bryan Hartin as executive vice president of sales and marketing. That transition also takes effect Jan 1.

Revenue from U.S. government work represented one-fourth of Iridium's $790.7 million in total 2023 sales, according to regulatory filings.

Nightwing

Dan Almasy has joined this provider of cybersecurity and intelligence solutions to government agencies as its chief human resources officer.

Nightwing was formerly part of RTX until its sale in the first quarter to an at-the-time unnamed private equity firm, which Reuters has previously named as Blackstone. RTX first announced the $1.3 billion transaction in October.

Almasy most recently worked as chief HR officer at SOS International. He spent the 22 years before that at RTX and in its former Raytheon Intelligence and Space business, where the Nightwing team formerly resided.

NuAxis Innovations

Gundeep Ahulwalia has joined this specialist in human-centered design and customer experience services as chief innovation officer.

Ahulwalia will lead NuAxis' push to incorporate the DevSecOps software development practice into its customer experience work for agencies.

The almost three-decade public sector veteran most recently served as chief information officer at the Labor Department for close to eight years.

Nutanix

Greg O'Connell has moved up to vice president of the federal division at this provider of software for data centers and hybrid multi-cloud deployments.

A bulk of his responsibility will cover Nutanix's network of partners that include federal technology integrators and resellers.

Most recently at Nutanix, he worked as senior director of sales for defense and intelligence initiatives. The 25-year technology veteran's career also includes roles at companies such as IBM and Infoblox.

Red River

Dr. James Matney has joined this digital transformation services company as chief technology officer for its government business unit, where he will also hold the title of senior vice president of solutions.

The 35-year public sector market veteran will lead Red River's work to develop new offerings for government clients in areas such as managed services, artificial intelligence, cyber, infrastructure, collaboration and cloud solutions.

Matney most recently worked as vice president of strategy for General Dynamics IT's defense division and his private sector career before that included roles at AECOM, Engility and Science Applications International Corp. He joined industry after 25 years of service as an officer in the Air Force, primarily in IT-centric assignments.

Ursa Major

Ben Nicholson has joined this rocket propulsion system manufacturer as chief growth officer in the same month that it finalized the hire of a new CEO.

Nicholson formerly worked in the same role at CAE USA, where he also was a leader in its government relations team prior to becoming the subsidiary's growth chief. He also held senior government affairs positions at Honeywell and the former L3 Technologies after service as professional staff for the House Appropriations Committee.

Dan Jablonsky started as chief executive of Ursa Major on Aug. 5 following his prior five-year tenure as CEO of Maxar.