Experience
APAC Regional Remote Operations Manager, and Rover Lead
Fugro, Perth, WA, Australia
Directs Fugro’s remote maritime and space operations facilities across the Asia-Pacific region from the Space Automation, AI, and Robotics Control (
SpAARC) complex, flagship of the company’s ten
Remote Operations Centres worldwide and the facility Fugro credits with setting the global benchmark for remote and autonomous operations. Coordinates with the global ROC network on technology and strategy, advises on best practice, and holds advisory oversight of the new
Kuala Lumpur ROC, modelled on Perth and launched in 2025 to serve energy, infrastructure, and water clients across Asia Pacific. Delivers the facility and high-reliability operational technology behind remote ship and
ROV missions across the waters surrounding Australia, supporting crewed and uncrewed vessels from the offshore support vessel
Fugro Etive to the
Blue Essence USVs and their electric ROVs: redundant wide-area networking, geostationary satellite links, and end-to-end remote control. Site security manager for physical, access, and cyber security across air-gapped and internet-connected OT and IT systems, including classified-rated facilities supporting international commercial and government space programs. Served as
Rover Lead for the Fugro-led AROSE consortium, one of two teams funded to compete under the Australian Space Agency’s $50M
Trailblazer program. Led the distributed
lunar rover design team to a successful preliminary design review, built to NASA and ASA standards. Wins work across sectors, closing systems engineering engagements with one of the world’s largest mining companies, agricultural cooperatives, engineering firms, and a significant DARPA performer.
Head of Technology Development
Woodside Energy, Perth, WA, Australia
Directed emerging-technology research, adoption, and operating models across the energy sector: more than $10M in annual R&D across more than ninety tracked opportunities with independently modelled value in the hundreds of millions, helping keep the division above cost-neutral. Grew the team from four direct staff to sixteen, peaking at more than sixty with managed contractors from over five companies. Rebuilt that small R&D group into an implementation-focused, customer-centric engineering organization run on Amazon’s Working Backwards discipline. Presented robotics technology to the Board of Directors, with delivery KPIs carried on the Vice President of Technology’s performance agreement. Deliveries, featured by
AWS and
Boston Dynamics as
case studies, included an industry-first autonomous
quadruped inspection service piloted at Pluto LNG and an automated
caisson cleaning and inspection tool certified for offshore use at the North Rankin Complex, characterising one of Woodside’s material business risks. Renewed the company’s Space Act Agreement with NASA, bringing the Valkyrie humanoid robot to Perth; almost no other institution in the world holds such access. The wider portfolio spanned advanced 3D additive manufacturing, corrosion management, uncrewed helicopters, and drone inspection, built on partner ecosystems across industry, academia, and government.
Group Lead, Project Manager, and Senior Research Scientist
Intelligent Systems, NASA Ames Research Center
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Mountain View, CA, US
Managed an $8.5M annual portfolio of more than twenty research programs, leading a thirty-five-person team delivering autonomous systems, ground software, and spacecraft software. Advanced NASA’s
robotics and autonomy capabilities across satellites, rovers, machine learning, human–robot interaction, and self-driving vehicles, with outputs ranging from open-source
software to International Space Station flight projects. Pitched new initiatives directly to NASA Headquarters, securing investment tied to mission priorities. Founding Project Manager of the Distributed Spacecraft Autonomy (DSA) program, which flew in 2024 as the first fully autonomous
distributed space mission: five
industry firsts, now a reference standard for future multi-billion-dollar NASA programs.
Program Manager
Tactical Technology Office (TTO) and Defense Sciences Office (DSO)
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Arlington, VA, US
One of roughly one hundred Program Managers entrusted with the agency’s $3B annual research portfolio and the U.S. military’s future technical superiority. Led programs spanning autonomy, robotics, advanced manufacturing, and human–machine teaming, and served as a senior advisor to the White House and Department of Homeland Security on urgent national security issues.
- Fast Lightweight Autonomy (FLA): Developed a new class of algorithms enabling UAVs to fly safely at 20 m/s in cluttered environments, advancing robotics at tactically relevant speeds.
- Manufacturing Experimentation and Outreach (MENTOR2): Delivered design, advanced prototyping, and training platforms, including 3D printing, for soldier readiness and adaptation of high-technology systems.
- Robotics Fast Track (RFT): Launched a fast‑paced, up to $150K prototype award program to attract agile innovators, including Makers, to rapidly create revolutionary robotics and AI technologies across land, sea, air, and space, a funding mechanism for science and technology neglected by traditional government and private investment channels, championing unconventional ideas while maintaining a research-first mindset.
- Seedling Investigations: Initiated exploratory research in areas including robotic swarms, Secure ROS, counter-UAS systems, violent crowd behavior prediction, and human performance modeling.
Research Scientist, Project Lead, and Engineering Manager
Intelligent Systems, NASA Ames Research Center
Carnegie Mellon University, Mountain View, CA, US
Led the Human Exploration and Telerobotics
Smart-SPHERES project, certifying the first space-rated consumer smartphone and flying it to the International Space Station aboard the final
Space Shuttle mission; became the first non-flight-certified operator in Mission Control Houston to command an uncrewed spacecraft on the ISS. The project seeded the
Astro-Bee free-flyer program, now a core ISS capability. As Engineering Manager of the ISS SPHERES National Laboratory, ran an orbital research facility for external science teams: sourcing and catalysing new users, then guiding their payloads end-to-end through the safety reviews of a human-rated spacecraft. Led the laboratory’s transition from MIT and the U.S. Air Force to NASA Ames, with accountability for technical planning, facilities, vendor contracts, and Space Act agreements.
Additional experience and skills available.
Chief Technology Officer
Pre-Script, LLC, Mountain View, CA
Directed all technology and digital platforms for a fast-growing human performance education company, overseeing evaluation, deployment, adoption, and long-term sustainability. Managed the full suite of digital product platforms, including
website infrastructure, point-of-sale systems, course delivery, mailing lists, analytics, and customer support workflows. Architected and delivered custom middleware connecting the Squarespace point-of-sale system to the MyPTHub exercise delivery platform, requiring reverse engineering of an undocumented RESTful API. Led customer migration, training, and documentation to ensure a seamless transition. Strengthened platform resilience and scalability to support multiple certification courses and live coaching communities, providing the digital backbone for Pre-Script’s education and coaching mission.
Graduate Researcher and Project Lead
UMass Lowell Robotics Lab, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA
Conducted fundamental and patented research in
multi-touch computer interfaces,
human-computer interaction,
human-robot interaction,
search and rescue robotics, and assistive technologies for people with disabilities. Designed and carried out human subject experiments, authored federal and private sector grant proposals, and published peer-reviewed research while managing laboratory projects and student researchers. Secured funding and equipment support from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Science Foundation (NSF), Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, 3M, and Microsoft Research. Established collaborations with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), applying robotic systems to urban search and rescue missions. This body of work laid the foundation for later leadership in robotics research and national security programs.
Research Associate
Intelligent Robotics Group, NASA Ames Research Center
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Mountain View, CA
Received a full scholarship to conduct research with NASA, focusing on early uses of mobile technology for emergency response. Created and tested an early prototype for GeoCam Mobile, a Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) smartphone app that offered geotagging on first-generation camera phones, integrating results into a Google Earth command-and-control interface. Additionally, participated in the 2008 Ikhana Predator Wildfire Flight Mission over California, supporting CalFire ground teams during the 2008 Big Sur wildfires, an effort later featured in Marvel’s Spider-Man comics. This early work showed how mobile and geospatial technologies can be used in real disaster response, paving the way for applied, field-tested technology and national resilience systems.
President and CEO
American Standard Robotics, Inc., St. Petersburg, FL
Founded and launched the first company dedicated to designing, manufacturing, and deploying
robotic reconnaissance systems for survivor search in partially collapsed structures. Authored business plans, managed legal filings, secured capital investment, and assembled a multidisciplinary team of field-ready roboticists committed to delivering customer-focused solutions. Developed robust robotic platforms, including advanced crawlers and underwater remotely operated vehicles, for applications across industrial inspection, maritime operations, fire rescue, insurance investigation, and energy markets. Oversaw all aspects of product development, from mechanical, electrical, and software engineering to outsourced manufacturing partnerships with leading robotics firms. Led the creation of company branding, marketing strategy, and procedural documentation. Although the venture ultimately closed, the experience was formative, providing firsthand insight into shipping a finished product, business value creation, market entry challenges, and the realities of building technology-driven organizations. This entrepreneurial foundation profoundly shaped later leadership roles, and in industry, it anchored technical innovation in operational impact outcomes.
Graduate Research Assistant
Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Began hands-on work in the search and rescue robotics domain, serving as a technician, operator, and trainer while organizing response equipment and capabilities for field deployments. Gained deep experience operating, maintaining, modifying, and repairing a range of robotic platforms, including Inuktun Services, iRobot, RWI, ActivMedia, Khepera, and Nomadic systems. Supported first responders through technical training and on-site collaboration, building early relationships that would shape future work in disaster robotics. Contributed to projects funded by the National Science Foundation, DARPA TTO (Future Combat Systems), DARPA ATO (Tactical Mobile Robots), SAIC, Office of Naval Research, and the Center for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance. This formative role provided the practical foundation in robotics, field operations, and first responder engagement that informed later leadership at DARPA, FEMA, and industry.
Adjunct Faculty, Instructor
Polk Community College, Lakeland, FL
Taught PC Troubleshooting & Repair (CET 1173C-5930) courses based on the A+ certification curriculum. Developed and maintained class web pages for assignments, resources, and practice exams; held office hours and student appointments; and planned and supervised hands-on laboratory exercises. Achieved a 100% student pass rate on A+ certification exams for all participants, highlighting the effectiveness of thoughtful instruction, course design, and student mentorship.
Provided technical, security, and business strategy consulting services to government, public, and private institutions. Examples include:
- 2010: Knowledge Bridge International, Herndon, VA. Served as subject matter expert and technical lead on a Naval Air Systems Command contract, applying novel mobile phone technologies to support military intelligence operations.
- 2009: Semantic Research, San Diego, CA. Designed and produced a ruggedized field enclosure for the Barracuda radio monitoring system, deployed in global operational environments.
- 2006: iRobot, Burlington, MA. Evaluated and redesigned the human–robot interaction for the PackBot Explosive Ordnance Disposal robot, introducing game-controller interfaces to improve operator learnability.
- 2006: Center for Strategic Health Innovation / University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL. Conducted red-team external security assessments of the Alabama Incident Management System (AIMS) and connected networks, identifying vulnerabilities through non-destructive penetration techniques.
Computer and Network Technician
ComputerMan!, Lakeland, FL
Operated as a self-managed technician for local businesses, providing secure network architecture design, structured cabling installation, and ongoing network management. Worked directly with customers on server maintenance and computer repairs, and conducted penetration testing (both intrusive and non-intrusive) for security audits. Performed post-incident forensic analysis of compromised servers to support recovery and resilience planning. This entrepreneurial role offered early experience in customer-facing technical services and built a solid foundation in cybersecurity and IT operations.
Computer and Network Technician
POLK COMMUNITY COLLEGE, Winter Haven, FL
Supported a multi-platform, multi-protocol network serving 1,200+ users, ensuring reliability and performance across a complex academic environment. Contributed to major network architecture transitions, including a complete campus-wide restructuring and IP renumbering initiative. Designed and implemented technical components of firewall systems, strengthening security and monitoring operations. This role provided early, hands-on exposure to large-scale infrastructure engineering and laid the groundwork for later expertise in systems architecture and cyber defense.