Geoff drives a breadth of MARTAC operations, leading company strategy for training, testing, operations, and maintenance. His earlier years as a pilot, working with on-the-ground crews globally and managing disparate groups of people, make him a great fit for directing this wide range of responsibilities.
Is there a specific niche or a problem that you’re known for solving?
I have a background in aviation with the National Guard. I started as a Black Hawk mechanic, then became a Black Hawk pilot, and then a C-12 pilot. In my civilian job at the time, I was a UAS operator. My pilot experience gave me the understanding needed to work on the regulatory development team, defining regulations for unmanned systems and collaborating with the FAA. Later, as Aircrew Resource Manager at AAR, I managed training and compliance for aircrew working at US and overseas sites. I tracked annual qualifications, onboarded new personnel before they deployed, and supported overseas sites during crew rotations. Keeping crews qualified and ready across different global locations gave me the foundation I use to drive operations at MARTAC.
How are MARTAC’s operational sections interdependent?
Our team has four sections, and each one feeds the others: Operations, Testing, Fleet Services, and Training. Engineering builds new software and system capability and puts it on the boat. Testing takes it out on the water to validate that it works. Operations then runs those boats on real missions, exercises, and customer demos. What we learn in Fleet Services, Testing, and Operations feeds directly into Training. Fleet Services is our maintenance support. They keep the MARTAC fleet ready here at home and support customer boats wherever they’re deployed. That covers everything from turning wrenches to running maintenance and sustainment training.
Do you have a core belief or principle that guides how you work?
Take care of the people and they’ll take care of you. As our team has grown, we’ve worked to take care of our people, even through some tougher moments. Now they’re all seeing the positive growth in the company. From my perspective, taking care of our people has paid off very well.
Is there anything that you think people in the industry get wrong that you see differently?
This is a little controversial, but I believe a manned option on USVs will always have value. It makes them much more versatile. Take something simple like moving cargo from vessel to vessel or from ship to shore. If no USV specialist is on hand, a qualified boat operator can still take the helm from the well deck and finish the transfer. A crew member can maneuver by hand for complex tasks, in tight waterways, or in areas that aren’t well charted – this capability is helpful as the industries technology continues to mature and evolve.
Where do you see this industry going in the next few years?
One of the reasons I came to MARTAC was that I wanted to get back into the unmanned world. I didn’t really have experience with boats, but saw that USVs were following the same adoption trend line as UAVs had done. Right now, I think we are about 5-10 years behind in USV adoption from where we are with UAVs. The UAV curve has been a dramatic hockey stick. We’re just starting to see that on the USV side.
Any particular results you’ve driven or a client project that you’re especially proud of?
Safety is the foundation of how we operate. Our team has full authority to call something off if it’s unsafe. At the same time, they go in with the mindset that “no” is the last answer. If something isn’t working quite right, or a condition comes up that might make you think about calling off a mission, we work through every option to get the mission done safely. Our team has done a really good job at that.
On a more personal note, I really enjoyed being part of the Secretary of Defense demonstration in the Philippines. The Filipino team controlled the vessel for him themselves. I’m proud we were there to support them as they did it.
Is there anything in particular you’re curious about learning or doing next?
I’d like to explore business development, to work better and closer with customers on the front end. While I work very well with customers to execute an operation, telling them what’s possible and what’s not, I’d like to learn more about working with customers to develop interest in a demonstration or even a purchase.