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 Modupe Gbadeyanka
Lagos Television (LTV 8), Alausa, Ikeja, has a new General Manager, and he is Mr Kayode Oyekanmi, replacing Mrs Sola Kosoko, who was ousted by the Lagos State government.
Mr Oyekanmi was presented with his letter of appointment on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, by the Lagos State Head of Service, Mr Bode Agoro, in a brief ceremony.
The new General Manager of the state-owned broadcast station was tasked with using his vast experience in the media space to take LTV 8 to greater heights.
Mr Agoro expressed confidence in Mr Oyekanmi’s capacity to reposition Lagos Television and wished him a successful and impactful tenure of office.
Prior to his appointment, Mr Oyekanmi served as the Director of Strategy Centre at the Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, a position he has held since 2022.
A seasoned brand communications practitioner, Mr Oyekanmi has over three decades of professional experience spanning both the private and public sectors, with expertise in Advertising, Public Relations, and global export services.
He commenced his public service career as a Public Affairs Practitioner on March 1, 2000, with the Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy.
The new LTV boss, a Lagos State indigene from Isale Eko, Lagos Island, has received several awards in recognition of his dedication, hard work, and commitment to the journalism profession.
He holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Lagos and a Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Education from Lagos State University.
He is an active Member of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
In addition, he is a voracious reader and a passionate lawn tennis player, and currently serves as the Charter President of the Lagos State Ministry of Information Toastmasters Club.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A retired Major-General, Mr Adeyinka Famadewa, has been appointed as the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Homeland Security.
The appointee retired from the military after over three decades, with experience in national security strategy, intelligence fusion, counter-terrorism operations, and international security diplomacy.
His career reflects a rare blend of operational excellence, strategic foresight, and institutional leadership in safeguarding Nigeria’s territorial integrity and national interests, a circular signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr George Akume, said.
It was disclosed that Mr Famadewa was chosen for the position because of his exceptional record of service, strategic expertise, and outstanding contributions to Nigeria’s national security architecture.
The notice said the appointment underscores the commitment of the administration of Mr Tinubu to strengthening internal security coordination, enhancing intelligence-driven operations, and deepening inter-agency collaboration in addressing emerging security threats across the country.
The President expressed confidence that Mr Famadewa’s appointment will further enhance the government’s efforts toward achieving a safer and more secure Nigeria through improved coordination of homeland security initiatives, intelligence integration, and proactive risk management.
He also urged him to deploy his wealth of experience, professionalism, and strategic insight in advancing national security objectives and supporting the administration’s agenda.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
In a bid to strengthen its board and support its transformation goals, FCMB Group Plc has appointed the chairman of the board of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), Mrs Adepeju Adebajo, as an independent non-executive director.
A statement signed by the company secretary, Mrs Olufunmilayo Adelabu, disclosed that the appointment has been approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
She brings to the board over 30 years of experience across industry, renewable energy, agriculture, finance and consulting. She has worked with teams and clients in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, helping them grow and multiply impact.
Throughout her career, Mrs Adebajo has led teams through change and growth. She previously worked at Lafarge Africa Plc, and was once the chief executive of Mouka Limited, Lumos Nigeria, UTC Nigeria Plc and an Assistant General Manager at United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc. She is a Transformation Lead at Etex Group (Nigerite and Emenite Limited).
In 2025, she founded Climate Governance Initiative Nigeria, affiliated with the World Economic Forum (WEF) and serves on the World Economic Forum Council on Climate and Nature Governance (2025-2027).
Mrs Adebajo holds a Master’s and a BSc in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College London and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
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