Supporting Our Nation’s Maritime Interests

Richard Jenkins developed Saildrone’s core technology during a 10-year effort to break the land speed record for wind-powered vehicles, which he achieved in 2009, in Nevada USA, with a speed of 126.2 mph. He then moved to San Francisco and began to apply his now-patented wing technology to uncrewed vehicles capable of collecting high-resolution data in the most remote areas of the ocean. Richard holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College, London.

A former US Navy Vice Admiral and C-Suite technology entrepreneur, John brings to Saildrone more than three decades of experience at the intersection of national security, emerging technology, team development, and enterprise growth. A frequent speaker, published author, early-stage start-up investor, and advisory board member, he has led large, global enterprises and managed multi-billion-dollar budgets. With a BS in Systems Engineering from the United States Naval Academy, an MS in Operations Research from the Naval Postgraduate School, and an MBA from Babson College, he is an advocate for military and veteran causes and speaks and writes regularly on national security topics and post-military service hiring practices.

Barak is a seasoned finance executive with a successful track record of scaling enterprises from early growth stage through profitability and at-scale operations developing and implementing innovative strategies for strategic growth. He has held various CFO, advisory, and senior leadership positions managing M&A, investor relations, finance, tax, HR, legal, facilities, and other G&A functions including strategic forecasting, revenue recognition, core accounting, tax compliance, and talent optimization for privately-held and publicly-traded companies including Sunrun (NASDAQ: RUN), Support.com (NASDAQ: SPRT), and Symphony Talent. Barak has an MBA and Master of Education from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Economics from Harvard University.

Mark brings to Saildrone a wealth of knowledge and experience in advanced manufacturing, lean principles, and operational excellence. He comes to Saildrone from Amazon’s (NASDAQ: AMZN) Last Mile program where he was director of global fleet vehicle design, engineering, and execution. Mark has a proven track record of building teams at startups, established OEMs, and new industry players having previously served in senior leadership roles at Faraday Futures (NASDAQ: FFIE), Webasto, Apple (NASDAQ: APPL), and Tesla Motors (NASDAQ: TSLA). Mark began his career in manufacturing engineering with 15 years at General Motors (NASDAQ: GM), and holds a MS in Engineering Management and BS in Mechanical Engineering.

Tom brings extensive government experience to Saildrone having spent more than 16 years at the White House, Department of Defense, and on Capitol Hill in various senior roles. Among other positions, he has served as program associate director at the White House Office of Management and Budget, acting assistant secretary of defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Counternarcotics and Global Threats, and as chief counsel for the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs. Tom is a licensed attorney with a BA from Thomas Aquinas College and a JD from Ave Maria School of Law.

Captain Brian Connon (ret.) served 28 years in the US Navy, in posts including director of the Maritime Safety Office at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, superintendent of the US Naval Observatory, and commanding officer of the Navy’s Fleet Survey Team. Prior to Saildrone, he was director of the Hydrographic Science Research Center at the University of Southern Mississippi. A certified hydrographer, Brian has a MS in Meteorology and Oceanography from the Naval Postgraduate School and an MS in Hydrography from the University of Southern Mississippi. He is a Chartered Marine Scientist (Hydrography), Fellow of the Institute for Marine Engineering, Science and Technology, and President (elect) of The Hydrographic Society of America.

Robbie is a maritime specialist with 25+ years in professional sailing, fleet management, event production, coaching, and marine education. Prior to joining Saildrone, he was Director of Race Operations at St. Francis Yacht Club and led on-water operations for SailGP. He co-founded the Kite Foil Gold Cup and Hydrofoil Pro Tour, and was head coach of the US Olympic Kiteboarding Team. Robbie currently serves as an advisory board member of the California International Sailing Association.

Jaret has more than 20 years of data center and cloud computing experience. Starting at Saildrone in 2018, he quickly grew into leadership roles overseeing the technical infrastructure department. He previously spent 14 years at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (NASDAQ: HMHC) where he served in several technical leadership roles. Jaret earned a BS in information systems from Northwestern University.

Marc has more than 20 years of experience in aerospace and defense and a track record of results leading cross-functional teams, establishing successful partnerships, and negotiating strategic deals. He comes to Saildrone from Raytheon (NYSE: RTX), where he most recently served as executive director for contracts, leading competitive campaigns across a broad spectrum of capabilities and technologies, including air, land, and sea. He holds a BA in International Relations from Stanford University.

Andrew is an experienced strategic legal advisor responsible for managing all of Saildrone’s legal and compliance needs. He comes to Saildrone from Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL), an earth imaging satellite company that went public via SPAC in 2021, where he was responsible for M&A, securities, corporate governance and global subsidiary management, stock admin, debt finance, employment benefits, labor, tax, privacy, and anti-bribery compliance. Prior to Planet, Andrew was an M&A attorney at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati; he has practiced at various firms in the Bay Area, New York, and Singapore since 2009. Andrew has a JD from Brooklyn Law School and a BA in Philosophy, Politics & Economics (PPE) from the University of Pennsylvania.

Diego brings to Saildrone more than 15 years of international experience designing, planning, and supporting business growth strategies, operational expansions, and cross-functional programs, especially in fast-paced business environments and at scale. His core areas of expertise are strategic finance, FP&A, and strategic planning, all developed at the intersection of strategy, sales, operations, and finance, leveraged by strong business partnership principles. Diego holds a MS in Finance and a BS in Economics.