Jobs/Appointments
Velodyne Lidar Promotes Rick Tewell to Chief Operating Officer
By Dipo Olowookere
Silicon Valley-based LiDAR technology company, Velodyne Lidar, has announced the promotion of Mr Rick Tewell to Chief Operating Officer.
Mr Tewell assumes leadership of the company’s vast manufacturing efforts at its Megafactory in San Jose, California.
He joined the company in September 2017 as Senior Vice President of Automated Manufacturing and was promoted to Chief Advanced Manufacturing Officer prior to the promotion to COO.
He brings a wealth of expertise to the day-to-day production of Velodyne’s industry-leading lidar sensor product line.
According to Marta Hall, Velodyne’s President and Chief Business Development Officer, Velodyne “recruited Rick Tewell to manage Robotics and Advanced Technology, and within a year it was clear he could lead Operations as COO.
“Velodyne Lidar is at the extreme edge of high tech, and Rick meets the challenge with da Vinci-like multiple talents. In the last three months Rick upgraded the entire Velodyne Megafactory with robotics and newly designed innovative processes for production. As COO he brings a futuristic vision and fresh energy to the operations of the company.”
“My main responsibility,” said Mr Tewell, “is to take a design that came from the mind of a genius, David Hall [Velodyne’s Founder and CEO], and make it into a product worthy of the Velodyne name. I work with David and Anand [Gopalan, Velodyne’s Chief Technology Officer] to translate these wonderful designs that have the ability to change the world into something that is manufacturable and then ramp production to meet the demand. To take an invention from Dave Hall and turn it into a manufacturable product is a huge responsibility and one that I take very seriously. It’s an incredible opportunity. I get out of bed excited to go to work, and I go to bed thinking about it.”
According to Mr Tewell, the job of Chief Operating Officer at Velodyne is unlike any other. Between designing and manufacturing the highest quality sensors on the market comes the equally challenging task of inventing and building the machines that then build the sensors.
“For our sensors to be able to see so far and produce incredibly accurate data for autonomous vehicles to use, we have to employ incredibly precise processes, which include utilizing robotics and automation. So we need to also invent the machines that will build our sensors.” Given the uniqueness of Velodyne’s products, Mr Tewell pointed out that he must address the complex processes of “taking something that’s never been invented or built before and building tens of thousands — hundreds of thousands — millions of them. It is a whole series of inventions to produce the sensor invention. So, it is not just the genius of the lidar itself; it’s the genius of saying, ‘This is what you are going to need to invent in order to manufacture the sensor.’”
Before coming to Velodyne, Mr Tewell established a successful career in the automotive semiconductor industry, including stops at Fujitsu and NVIDIA.
Rick remembers, “The idea that cars eventually would be robots emerged while Dave Hall was participating in the DARPA Grand Challenge. At NVIDIA we were creating the brains that would be used in self-driving cars.”
Mr Tewell’s interest and experience in developing key technologies for autonomous mobility grew over the years. Finally, Tewell decided to join Velodyne with the clear realization that he would be “aligning with a company that will be one of, if not the, principal company in the self-driving industry.”
Mr Tewell recognizes the essential role Velodyne’s products have in enabling safe mobility at scale. “We are working hard to meet the next wave of demand for sensors to put on autonomous vehicles. Scaling up will drive the cost down to where the price is attractive to all customers. But we will never compromise on quality. It is critical from an operations standpoint that our product will ultimately impact someone’s life. This realization needs to permeate every aspect of what we do. This is not a piece of technology that is going to stay in a box. When you put a sensor on a car the person in that car is trusting that technology to keep them safe.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company PLC (NAHCO Aviance) has announced the appointment of Mr Olumuyiwa Olumekun as its new chief executive, with effect from January 1, 2025, following the retirement of Mr Indranil Gupta.
Mr Gupta concluded his tenure as the company’s CEO on December 31, 2024, marking the end of an era that saw growth under his leadership.
The company’s announcement, delivered via a notice to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, confirmed the board’s approval of Mr Olumekun’s appointment.
He brings over three decades of leadership experience, which will help steer NAHCO through its next phase of growth. His career at the company includes key roles such as Group Executive Director of Corporate Services, where he played an instrumental part in driving the company’s 2019–2023 strategic plan.
This plan resulted in a 300 per cent increase in profitability. He brings his experience in business development and commercial strategy to bear.
His previous tenure as Acting Managing Director and Executive Director of Corporate Services contributed to the development of NAHCO’s operational success and long-term strategic direction.
Mr Olumekun also led the company’s efforts in driving new business opportunities during his leadership of the Commercial and Business Development sectors in 2019.
Since retiring from his active role at NAHCO in 2022, he has continued his involvement in the company as a non-executive director on the boards of its subsidiaries, helping guide their growth.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
No fewer than 49 young graduates have been employed in the oil and gas sector after completing an internship programme, which began in 2022.
A graduation ceremony was held for them recently in Port Harcourt, Rivers State after finishing the NCDMB/PETAN/SPDC JV Graduate Internship programme, which has benefitted about 170 young graduates.
The initiative was created by the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) Joint Venture in collaboration with the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
During the internship, the fresh graduates are attached to indigenous technical oilfield service companies in the upstream and downstream sectors for hands-on experience.
The scheme, which was established in 2014, has been lauded as a key human capital development initiative which is central to the promotion of Nigerian content in the oil and gas industry.
At the graduation ceremony this month, the chairman of PETAN, Mr Wole Ogunsanya, commended Shell for supporting the programme which is helping to build local manpower for a critical sector of the economy.
The General Manager for Nigerian Content at SPDC, Mr ‘Lanre Olawuyi, said: “The internship is more than a learning opportunity. It provides fresh graduates with technical expertise, equipping them with the practical skills needed to excel in their careers.
“It aligns with SPDC’s broader educational initiatives, contributing significantly to the actualisation of the UNESCO Education for All agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria, particularly in the Niger Delta.
“We owe the success of the programme to the untiring support of our JV partners, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC,) TotalEnergies and Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited for which we’re grateful.”
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Mr Robert Dalziel has been picked to be the new Managing Director of Interocean Marine Services, as part of the strategies of the company to drive its growth in the Middle East and Asia Pacific (APAC) region.
A statement disclosed that Mr Dalziel was chosen for the task because of his in-depth understanding of Interocean’s operations and strategic objectives.
It was stated that his leadership would ensure a seamless transition into this new role, reinforcing the company’s commitment to delivering an integrated technology-led, asset support service.
He joined the organisation in December 2024. He had been the chief executive of Rigmar Group, which recently merged with Interocean, a specialist provider of marine services to the global energy industry.
He comes with nearly 30 years of engineering and business development expertise within the energy sector.
His extensive technical knowledge, coupled with a proven track record in commercial strategy, will be pivotal in driving Interocean’s ambitious growth plans across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Asia Pacific (APAC) regions.
“We are thrilled to welcome Robert to the team. His exceptional leadership and proven success in driving business growth will be invaluable as we enhance our market presence, and continue to deliver exceptional service to our clients across the region,” the chief operating officer of Interocean, Mr Alex Clark, commented.
The appointee, while speaking, said, “I am absolutely delighted to be rejoining Interocean during this exciting period of growth.
“After nearly 10 years, it was a fantastic opportunity to be involved in the next evolution of the business. The company’s commitment to innovation and its client-centric approach is inspiring.
“I look forward to working with the talented team to drive continued growth and strengthen our position internationally.”
In line with its international expansion, Interocean is growing its MENA & APAC business, with plans to increase its regional presence in five new regions.
This investment demonstrates the company’s dedication to supporting both current and future projects while strengthening its regional capabilities.
Looking ahead to 2025, the company will continue to deliver a comprehensive range of project solutions that encompasses everything from planning, design, and installation to operational maintenance and decommissioning.
-
Feature/OPED5 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism8 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz2 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking7 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy2 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking2 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Sports2 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn
-
Technology4 years agoHow To Link Your MTN, Airtel, Glo, 9mobile Lines to NIN