Mark Gordon
President & CEO
Stratom’s president and CEO, Mark Gordon leverages decades of experience in working with the federal government and department of defense on robotics R&D, engineering and programmatic activities. With a deep understanding of strategic planning and execution, financial planning and accountability, and identifying and translating customers’ needs into programs and deliverables, Mr. Gordon has extensive experience in the direction, research and management for global Fortune 500 companies and startups in manufacturing, operations and engineering. From high-technology robotic systems to unmanned logistics, payloads and unmanned systems, he has worked with robotics throughout his career and holds numerous patents. His experience in high-technology companies brings a critical perspective on new product introduction, how to bring products to market and supply/value chain management. Mr. Gordon currently serves on the board for the Association of Unmanned Systems Vehicles International (AUVSI) and is also on the board for the National Advanced Mobility Consortium (NAMC).
Sara Blackmer
Senior VP, Corporate Strategy
An enthusiastic, successful, results-oriented and knowledgable tech executive focused on defense and commercial markets, Sara Blackmer is Stratom’s senior vice president, corporate strategy. In this role, she employs extensive leadership, team-building, creative problem-solving, executive business development, customer relationships and corporate strategy experience to drive the company’s strategic planning and execution and business development efforts. She is also responsible for establishing and maintaining customer relationships, strategic partnerships and capital investment opportunities. Recognized by DBusiness Magazine’s Powered by Women feature and named to Crain’s Notable Women in Tech, Ms. Blackmer has authored and been a speaker at multiple technical sessions at industry events. She has also served on numerous boards of advisors/directors, including the Robotics Technology Consortium (RTC), the National Advanced Mobility Consortium (NAMC), Oakland University School of Engineering and Computer Science and several others. A decorated veteran, Ms. Blackmer retired as a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force as an aircraft maintenance officer.
Ryan DelGizzi
Director of Engineering
Possessing in-depth experience spanning robotic architecture design, implementation, system testing, and technical leadership, Ryan DelGizzi is a seasoned robotics engineer. In his role as Stratom’s Director of Engineering, he is responsible for building and motivating teams and driving innovation of the advanced technology development team. He contributes to programs by assisting in the development of emerging robotics/unmanned vehicle system-level requirements, developing operational systems concepts, performing high-level system architecture trade studies, originating design concepts, and performing systems-level integration and test for highly complex systems. From scheduling and assigning work to review the technical adequacy of products, meeting cost and schedule for assigned groups, and interface coordination with other groups, Mr. DelGizzi is responsible for project execution and management. His technical experience stems from various unmanned systems projects, including the XR-P for USMC, AGVR development effort with the United States Army Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC), and the AR3P program for the Army and Navy.
Hector Rubi
Chief Financial Officer
An international business executive with over 30 years of experience, Hector Rubi brings his extensive strategic planning, financial reporting and audits, internal controls, corporate finance, managerial finance and accounting skills to the Stratom leadership team. In the chief financial officer role, Mr. Rubi is responsible for managing the cash flow and financial planning of the company. In previous positions, he analyzed the financial strengths and weaknesses of organizations, leading the development of corrective actions and their implementation: expansion, sale, closure and disposal. Previously, he was a member of a global finance team ensuring the achievement of site and group financial goals. Mr. Rubi has also participated in a multitude of different international task forces directed to assess the current capabilities and future requirements of organizations across industries in order to identify streamline and restructuring opportunities.
Andrew Lycas
Principal Roboticist
Andrew Lycas is an experienced robotics software engineer with a demonstrated history of experience in a range of robotic industries including autonomous defense vehicles, on road self-driving, and agriculture technology. From all of these areas as both a technical lead and an individual contributor, Mr. Lycas brings to Stratom his hand-on experience in architecture and software design, development, integration, testing, demonstration, and providing impactful engineering services to customers. As Principal Roboticist, Mr. Lycas is responsible for the design and execution of Stratom’s vision for ground vehicle autonomy software across their fleet of platforms, along with assisting with team leadership and program management functions. In addition to those responsibilities, Mr. Lycas has been a key software developer for their ground vehicle efforts, including AR-Mule, XR-FAAR, and APL platforms, Stratom’s robotic refueling programs, AGVR and AR3P, and the product owner for Stratom’s United States Army Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) Combat Vehicle Robotics (CoVeR) effort.
Jesse Weifenbach
Lead Vehicle Systems Engineer
With more than two decades of design and manufacturing experience, Jesse Weifenbach has a demonstrated history of leading successful vehicle projects. From autonomous ground vehicles and globe-trotting expedition RVs to performance racing and high-mobility applications, Mr. Weifenbach is accustomed to a wide variety of challenges and operating environments, making him an ideal choice to lead Stratom’s autonomous vehicle development. His diverse background includes component and system development of chassis, suspension, drivetrain, and control systems. Mr. Weifenbach’s deep technical knowledge, combined with a hands-on, production-oriented approach, guides the Stratom team in creating novel and robust solutions in the field of autonomous robotics.