Forcys strengthens team to empower your underwater dominance
Forcys is excited to announce further expansion across its global operations, adding to its team of experts dedicated to equipping navies with the most advanced underwater solutions, and establishing a US entity. Forcys is committed to working alongside you and your supply chain to elevate your lethality and situational awareness in the critical undersea domain.
Counting on a legacy built over five decades, Forcys’ technology offer is trusted by navies worldwide. It provides a unique range of remote, autonomous, and networked control capabilities that deliver integrated underwater intelligence for every mission.
In a significant move, Dan Zatezalo joins Forcys as General Manager for Forcys Inc. and Head of Global Sales. Dan was responsible for US DoD sales at sister company Sonardyne Inc. delivering continued growth. At Forcys he will look to instil the same customer led culture. "I'm excited to take on the new role. I cherish the responsibility that comes from supporting our customers at a time when new technology challenges the way we have been acting".
Covering a range of maritime operations including asset protection, littoral strike, mine warfare, submarine rescue, and submarine and anti-submarine warfare, Forcys seeks to transform the underwater domain by enabling increasingly distributed and automated operations. This is made possible by integrating and bringing to market world-changing solutions from leading technology partners Chelsea Technologies, EIVA, Sonardyne, Voyis, and Wavefront Systems.
Ioseba Tena, Commercial Director, "Since we launched Forcys eighteen months ago, the underwater domain has continued to receive unprecedented levels of interest. It's no longer a question of when autonomous systems will become a factor. It's now a question of what we do to counter them. It's time for original responses to novel threats. Time to create our own fleets of systems and counter measures. At Forcys we are ready to spearhead the delivery of situational awareness sensors and software to support this transition. It’s an exciting time for our team and we are looking forward to supporting our global customer base.”
Driving Growth: Greensea IQ appoints Jeff Vos for key role
Greensea IQ, a leading provider of intelligent ocean solutions and the creator of the OPENSEA operating system, is pleased to announce the newest addition to its team, Jeff Vos, who has been appointed as the Business Development Manager for Integrated Systems. Vos brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the marine industry, having worked in ocean robotics for the past five years, most recently at Oceantobics, Inc.
In his role as Business Development Manager for Integrated Systems, Vos will be based out of Greensea IQ's San Diego office, where he will focus on driving sales and building strategic partnerships. His primary responsibility will be to promote and enhance the market presence of Greensea IQ's Bayonet autonomous underwater ground vehicles (AUGV), a cutting-edge solution that offers unmatched autonomy and versatility in near shore, underwater operations, making it an invaluable asset for marine applications in the surf zone.
"We are really excited to have Jeff join Greensea IQ," said Rob Howard, Chief Growth Officer at Greensea IQ. "His strong background and experience in ocean robotics business development, along with his international network, will provide tremendous support to our commercial and defense growth next year."
In his new role, Vos will play a pivotal role in identifying key partners, building long-term relationships, and developing new market segments. His focus on the Bayonet AUGV technology will contribute to its success as a groundbreaking solution for marine applications in the surf zone.
Vos expressed his excitement about joining Greensea IQ, stating, "I am excited to join the team at Greensea IQ and contribute to the growth of the Bayonet AUGV product line. The opportunities for innovation in marine robotics are immense, and I look forward to leveraging my skills to elevate Greensea IQ's position in the market."
Greensea IQ is confident that Jeff Vos's addition to the team will further strengthen the company's position as a leader in intelligent ocean solutions and reinforce its commitment to providing state-of-the-art technology for underwater operations.
Ørsted’s Benj Sykes becomes President of the SUT
The Society for Underwater Technology recently marked the official hand over to new elected officers in three senior posts – President, Hon Secretary and Hon Treasurer; the announcement of a new Fellow of the Learned Society; and of winners of four Awards. These being The President’s Award, the Gwyn Griffiths Award for Underwater Robotics, the Lennard-Senior Award; and the Captain Don Walsh Award for Ocean Exploration. Once all the formalities were concluded SUT members were treated to a look at decarbonising the energy system by Abigail Davies PhD with particular reference to decommissioning..
Benj Sykes, Vice President, Head of Environment, Consenting and External Affairs at Ørsted has been elected SUT’s President, Nick Swift becomes Hon Secretary, and Mick Cook returns as Hon Treasurer. Sue John continues in her role as SUT’s Chair.
As SUT’s Chief Executive, Cheryl Burgess explained: “Benj Sykes will bring valuable insights and connections to the Society. He has worked extensively in both the offshore oil and gas and the offshore renewables sector. Through his current role at Ørsted, and previously at the Carbon Trust, and his non-executive roles in the Offshore Renewables Catapult and previously the Offshore Wind Industry Council and RenewableUK. He is a current member of the Board of the Global Underwater Hub.
“His experience and connections are well suited to helping the Society navigate the energy transition; helping to guide the offshore oil and gas sector through the energy transition, while building a stronger position in offshore renewable energy and the wider components of a sustainable ocean economy.”
Benj Sykes, now a Fellow of the SUT, said: “Renewable energy will be at the heart of the world’s future energy systems. I’m looking forward to helping champion the SUT on its journey to playing a full role in the energy transition as we move away from fossil fuels and towards a cleaner, greener future.”
The President’s Award
Outgoing SUT President, Moya Crawford, revealed that: “This year’s winner of the SUT President’s Award for outstanding achievement is Mr Ali Hynd, Vice Principal of Mintlaw Academy in Buchan, NE Scotland and the pupils he inspires in Mintlaw ROV, a very professional school club run under his technology remit.
“It has been awarded in the face of very stiff opposition, as a shining example of what can be achieved in the most formative stages of life when the creative and rewarding relationship between mentor and young minds is operating at its best. Directed by a strong sense of purpose and supported by the community, including industry, the focus of overcoming the challenges of delivering function in the underwater realm has developed personal skills and generated opportunity as well as being an applied learning experience.
“Together, they are a shining example to us all one which justly deserves the honour of President's Award, to acknowledge their effort and commitment. This will be handed over at Subsea Expo in Aberdeen in February 2024 and we look forward to covering their joint achievements in full, then.”
Awards made July 2022- June 2023
The 2022 President’s Award was made to Mensun Bound in recognition of his career achievements to, and contributions in, the field of marine archaeology and the Falkland Maritime Heritage Trust in recognition of their dedication to preserving the rich and varied seafaring history of the Falklands and those who have been associated with them.
The 2023 Gwyn Griffiths Award for Underwater Robotics was presented to Rustom Jehangir of Blue Robotics at Ocean Business 2023.
Norma Hogan of Highlands and Islands Enterprise was the recipient of the 2023 Lennard-Senior Memorial Prize. The prize is awarded in recognition of outstanding individual achievement in the field of Marine Renewable Energy. Norma has supported the wave and tidal sector for 15 years, working behind the scenes to support a sector that will be transformational for the UK.
The 2022 Captain Don Walsh Award for Ocean Exploration, presented jointly with the Marine Technology Society (MTS), was awarded to University of Georgia oceanographer Dr Samantha Joye.
Decarbonising the energy system with reference to decommissioning
Following the formal proceedings Abigail Davies spoke on decarbonising the energy system, which she described as “one of the most pressing issues of our time” and presented her PhD work investigating the greenhouse gas emissions from decommissioning and how the results can be used to inform decarbonisation decision making.
Abigail has over 15 years of experience in the oil and gas industry working in various roles in geosciences for operators and supply companies. Having very recently completed her PhD in the quantification of greenhouse gas emissions from decommissioning Abigail joined the Robert Gordon University in September as a lecturer in sustainability. Her research interests include quantification of GHG emissions from the energy system, including GHG emissions transition pathway mapping, sustainability, circular economy and climate change mitigations.
Kimberlee McHugh joins Teledyne Marine - Falmouth
Kimberlee McHugh has joined Teledyne Marine - Vehicles, located in North Falmouth, Massachusetts, as the organisation’s new marketing manager.
Mrs. McHugh, former marketing director at the Steamship Authority, has over 15 years of senior level marketing experience in the maritime transportation, hospitality, and tourism industries. Her career highlights include digital marketing development and execution, HR recruitment advertising planning and execution, increasing market share, sales and revenue growth, website development and launch, 360 marketing strategy, project management, event planning, attending trade shows, and digital content planning and execution.
"We welcome Kimberlee to the Teledyne Marine team and look forward to her bringing her wealth of digital marketing experience and knowledge to us,” said Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing William Egan.
Kimberlee's role at Teledyne encompasses the planning, development and implementation of internal and external marketing strategies, marketing communications, event coordination and planning, social media, web presence and messaging, and public relations activities, and coordinating the development and implementation of support materials and services day-to-day for Teledyne Marine located in North Falmouth, Massachusetts.
“I am thrilled to be a part of Teledyne’s dynamic sales and marketing team and getting to know the brilliant professionals who are responsible for developing, managing and delivering cutting-edge subsea technology,” Ms. McHugh said. “I look forward to sharing a fresh, new perspective to Teledyne’s marketing strategy.”
Kraken announces changes to Board of Directors
Kraken Robotics Inc. is pleased to announce that effective November 20, Peter A. Hunter has been appointed to the Company’s Board of Directors. Mr. Hunter replaces Larry Puddister, a long time Kraken Director who has resigned. Mr. Puddister has other active business interests and has resigned from his board position with the Company to dedicate more attention to those interests.
Mr. Hunter is the founder, Chairman, and Managing Partner of Artemis Capital Partners, L.P., a Boston-based specialized private equity firm focused on differentiated industrial technology manufacturers. An attorney and a CPA, Mr. Hunter brings more than 30 years of experience as both an investor and operator. His areas of expertise include strategic growth, structuring of multi-stakeholder strategies (including M&A, joint ventures and partnerships), corporate governance, and organizational planning. Mr. Hunter also brings subsea technology expertise to Kraken’s Board, having served 3 years as the Chairman of Hydroid, LLC, an industry leader in unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) with its REMUS UUV brand. Mr. Hunter was Chairman of Hydroid from its early days to its eventual acquisition by Kongsberg Maritime, AS in 2008. Hydroid was subsequently acquired from Kongsberg in 2020 by Huntington Ingalls, the US Navy’s largest shipbuilder and UUV provider (now known as HII).
Commenting on the changes, Greg Reid, Kraken’s President and CEO and Director noted, “We are very pleased to welcome Peter to the Board of Directors. His strategic, governance, financial, and operational experience and knowledge of the subsea industry will add significant value to Kraken. In addition, on behalf of management and the Board, I would like to thank Larry for his input and guidance over the years and we all wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
The Company issued 400,000 stock options to Mr. Hunter in connection with his appointment to the Board. These options have a five-year term, with vesting in three equal instalments on the date of grant and on the one and two-year anniversaries of the date of grant. Each option is exercisable for one common share at an exercise price of $0.495.
Elevate Offshore appoints Alex Natale, Geotechnical Engineering specialist, bolstering a new era of growth
levate Offshore, a prominent provider of survey, ROV, and inspection personnel serving the offshore oil and gas, renewable energy, telecoms, and power sectors, is pleased to announce the appointment of Alex Natale, an experienced Geotechnical Consultant in the offshore industry.
With a diverse career encompassing both onshore and offshore projects, Alex brings a distinctive combination of expertise and forward-thinking to Elevate Offshore’s geotechnical engineering discipline. His insights and passion for this specialised field are poised to enrich Elevate Offshore’s services and how it caters to the offshore industry.
Andrew Blears, Managing Director of Elevate Offshore, commented, “When we decided to expand our presence in the Geotechnical sector to complement our existing site characterisation business line, we recognised the importance of bringing in an industry expert to enhance our service offerings to our clients and offshore teams. In this regard, collaborating with Alex was a natural and straightforward decision. I had previously represented Alex years ago and was well-acquainted with his expertise and work approach, which seamlessly aligned with ours.
Together, we share a common vision: to bring value to our clients by ensuring that we possess the in-depth knowledge required for the successful and safe execution of projects, while also providing unwavering support to our offshore teams. With Alex’s invaluable expertise bolstering our efforts, we are poised to deliver personnel solutions our clients can always rely on, without fail. Our ambition is not to be the largest supplier in the industry; instead, we aim to be the one that consistently delivers outstanding results, without incident.”
Background
Alex’s journey in geotechnical engineering commenced with onshore and offshore geotechnical drilling projects, where he honed his skills in ground investigation and data collection. He then transitioned to vessel and office-based management roles, subsequently becoming the general manager of a survey company. His extensive experience was further boosted as he ventured into the oil and gas sector, serving as a site characterisation and package manager before working on a freelance basis as a geotechnical and foundation installation consultant.
This extensive and diverse experience has equipped Alex with a profound understanding of geotechnical requirements, underscored by a commitment to safety, operational efficiency, and technical precision in offshore projects. He remains firmly attuned to the latest advancements in the field through his active involvement in geotechnical client representation projects.
For Alex, the geotechnical industry isn’t just a job; it’s a community with a shared passion for tackling unique challenges. He notes, “Being part of such a niche and highly technical field feels like being a member of an extended family, where innovation and expertise thrive.”
The vital role of geotechnical engineering in offshore projects
Geotechnical engineering constitutes a pivotal phase preceding the initiation of any offshore project. It encompasses a series of rigorous processes designed to ensure that manmade structures positioned on the seabed are resilient against the formidable forces of nature throughout their intended design life and decommissioning. This discipline assumes an irreplaceable role in upholding the safety and longevity of offshore structures.
In today’s dynamic landscape, the field grapples with unique challenges, notably identifying and deploying suitably qualified and experienced personnel. As a specialised personnel agency, Elevate Offshore is dedicated to assembling a team comprising individuals with hands-on field experience, enhancing and differentiating the way we work compared to conventional recruitment efforts. Herein lies the significance of Alex’s first-hand expertise, which is instrumental in mitigating the challenges clients face when seeking experienced geotechnical professionals for their projects. Alex emphasises, “To excel as a Geotechnical Engineer in the offshore industry, effective one-to-one communication is paramount. Elevate Offshore ensures clients access these vital skills by investing in personalised interactions and cultivating a team culture that values transparent communication. Our approach to vetting geotechnical candidates is centred on individual meetings and collaborative conference calls. This meticulous selection process guarantees that only the most proficient and seasoned professionals become part of our team.”
To stay abreast of the latest industry standards, regulatory developments, and best practices, Alex participates in conferences hosted by renowned organisations such as the Society for Underwater Technology (SUT) and the Offshore Site Investigation and Geotechnics (OSIG). These gatherings serve as essential platforms for networking, knowledge exchange, and maintaining a competitive edge in a field characterised by rapid evolution.
A glance into the future
“As offshore projects grow in scale and complexity, dealing with various seabed conditions becomes an ongoing challenge. Ground conditions inherently carry risks that can often lead to project delays and increased costs when not managed effectively throughout the supply chain,’ Alex explains. To mitigate these challenges, Alex emphasises the importance of implementing correct scheduling, rigorous quality control and quality assurance processes at each project stage, and open contracts that account for all likely situations that can arise during a project.
In light of the difficulty in finding experienced geotechnical personnel capable of tackling these challenges, Alex underscores the significance of recruiting individuals who are not only highly skilled but also adaptable, ready to embrace challenges, and committed to continuous self-training and personal development.
In looking ahead to Elevate Offshore’s future, Managing Director Andrew Blears articulates the company’s strategic vision: ‘As we move forward, we are enthusiastic about expanding our offshore personnel services across various sectors, always with our collective expertise working behind the scenes to ensure the success of every endeavour.”
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.