Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research pillar of Abu Dhabi's Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), has announced the appointment of veteran technologist and entrepreneur Dr. Ray O. Johnson as CEO. 

 

Johnson will work on shaping the direction of the institute and lead the execution of its growth strategies to achieve operational excellence.

 

Prior to joining TII, Johnson was an operating partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, a American venture capital company that has been part of 130 IPOs in the last 50 years, and before that, he was with Lockheed Martin Corporation.

 

On the appointment, ATRC Secretary General Faisal Al Bannai said: “We welcome Johnson as the first CEO of Technology Innovation Institute. We were keen that the person entrusted with this role should not only be a research and technology specialist, but also a consummate professional and industry stakeholder capable of ensuring positive outcomes for the breakthrough projects TII is currently engaged in."

 

“We are confident Johnson will be able to build game-changing synergies for TII as he leads it towards realising its wider goals of growing its talented global team of 375+ researchers, scientists, and engineers, and ensuring the objectives of the current workstreams are met," Al Bannai added.

 

Johnson said: “I am excited about this new role in a region that I admire for its dedication to advanced research and development. As TII moves into a new phase of growth, I look forward to working with the talented teams of researchers to drive competitive results and facilitate solutions that transition to the market.”

 

TII is a global research and development centre that focuses on applied research and new-age technology capabilities. The institute has seven initial dedicated research centres in quantum, autonomous robotics, cryptography, advanced materials, digital security, directed energy, and secure systems.-TradeArabia News Service