Vecna Robotics announces new CEO

Autonomous mobile robot (AMR) maker Vecna Robotics has appointed Craig Malloy as chief executive officer.

In his role, Malloy will focus on the organizational and operational needs to scale and meet demand for the company’s robotic platforms and workflow orchestration software.

Founder Daniel Theobald will resume his role as chief innovation officer to further advance Vecna Robotics’ technology. Theobald will also continue to serve as the executive chair of the board.

Malloy brings 25 years of experience in founding, scaling and leading global technology companies in venture capital, publicly traded and private equity environments, including Lifesize, Bloomfire and ViaVideo.

Prior to entering the corporate world, he served as a lieutenant, surface warfare officer and nuclear weapons officer in the United States Navy. Malloy holds a bachelor’s degree from the United States Naval Academy and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of California, Los Angeles Anderson School of Management.

“Daniel is unequivocally one of the worlds’ foremost roboticists and automation experts. At his request, we ran a thoughtful process to find a similarly exceptional CEO to lead Vecna Robotics through the next phases of growth,” says Trevor Zimmerman, co-founder and managing partner of Blackhorn Ventures, lead investor for Vecna Robotics’ Series B fundraising round, in a statement. “We’re delighted to have found that leader. Craig and Daniel are already proving to be a formidable combination, driving value for our customers and shareholders.”

The company recently partnered with other robotics organizations to publish the world’s first autonomous mobile robot interoperability standards, which enable robots from different vendors to “speak” the same language and work together cooperatively.

“It’s an incredibly exciting time to serve the robotics and automation market. Now, more than ever, materials handling companies require solutions that deliver greater flexibility and resilience to survive and compete in a rapidly changing global market,” says Malloy.

“I have been building technology companies for a long time, and I couldn’t be more impressed with the technology, talent, customer portfolio, and culture of innovation that Daniel and his team have built. I am thrilled to step into this role on such a solid foundation as we continue to scale Vecna Robotics to new heights.”