Kacey Roberts
Austin Pugh, former public sector head at a Xerox company, has been appointed as the first vice president of government business development at autonomy system developer Merlin.
He will be responsible for leading Merlin’s expansion activities into the defense and broader public sector markets in both domestic and global scales, the Boston, Massachusetts-based flight technology company said Monday.
Pugh previously directed business development efforts at the open innovation laboratory Palo Alto Research Center, where he worked for over eight years. The executive also formerly served in a role focused on advancing technology transitions at the U.S. Department of Energy.
Merlin also tapped Rick Wilson to become vice president of engineering and head the implementation and commercialization of the company’s integrated hardware and software product called Merlin Pilot.
Wilson brings to the table his extensive experience in leading, designing and launching autonomous technologies.
“Both Rick and Austin have the skill sets and hands-on experience to progress Merlin’s capabilities and commercialization within critical markets, and we are excited to have them aboard our executive team,” said Matt George, co-founder and CEO of Merlin.
