AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. a leading provider of best-in-class full stack unmanned aerial systems (UAS), sensors and software solutions for customers worldwide in the commercial and government verticals, announces the appointment of William ”Bill” Irby as President, effective February 12, 2024.
AgEagle’s Chairman and Interim CEO, Grant Begley, commented, “Bill is a timely and exciting addition to AgEagle’s leadership team. His significant defense industry experience -particularly in scaling unmanned technology, product development, and business operations will be transformative for AgEagle as we enter our next stage of growth. We believe Bill’s deep domain UAS professional successes and industry foresight will contribute as we continue to expand our market footprint and focus on building sustainable shareholder value.”
Irby, a United States Naval Academy alum, has more than 25 years of senior management experience in uncrewed air and maritime systems, actuation hardware, ISR systems, and communication systems. He served as a Vice President at Northrop Grumman, one of the world’s largest weapons manufacturers and military technology providers, generating $30 billion annually. Most recently Bill was President of MTI and Steel Partners Holdings L.P., a diversified global holding company with operations in industrial products, energy, defense, supply chain management and logistics.
An active Board member of Ghost Robotics and Chairman of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), Irby also served as President of VBAT, leading the former Martin UAS business after Shield AI’s acquisition, and L3 Harris Technologies, directing the Reconnaissance Mission Systems division providing world-class complex systems development and integration, ISR capabilities, senior leader communications systems and aircraft modification services/sustainment.
He holds a Master’s degree in Technical Management from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the United States Naval Academy. He also serves as a Board member of Secmation and LaunchPoint Electric Propulsion Solutions.
Irby commented, “The escalating interest from government and military agencies worldwide in AgEagle’s best-in-class eBee VISION and TAC UAS, sensors and software presents a significant inflection point for the Company. I am eager to leverage my expertise in scaling operations within the global defense and security industry to help drive long-term value for all our stakeholders.”
SOURCE : GlobeNewswire