AUTONOMOUS_ID - Key Persons
Barbara Lopez Kunz is an experienced leader with a track record of success in financially accountable roles for socially-responsible organizations that impact education and health. In her current role as Global Chief Executive of the Drug Information Association (DIA), she has lead the organization forward through a series of strategies impacting global positioning, product portfolio, strategic partnerships, and organizational and talent strategies.ﾠ In Barbara's prior role as President of Battelle's Global Health and Life Science business, she transformed the business and, through strategic investments, alliance development, and technology commercialization, delivered high rates of growth that fueled major reinvestments.
Barbara's leadership experience also includes roles as Senior Vice President and General Manager for Thermo Fisher Scientific's Biosciences business, where she championed the formation and growth of the business through a series of acquisitions, and Vice President, Latin America and Global Vice President, Enterprise Business Group for Uniqema, one of the ICI portfolio businesses.ﾠ She has also held senior roles in DuPont and PPG Industries, after starting her career as a research scientist.ﾠ She holds 14 patents.
A leader on numerous corporate and non-profit boards, Barbara has been heavily involved in governance as the chair of the board of one of the world's largest academic medical centers; the creator of a board subcommittee on Technology Commercialization which lead to the creation of a multi-million dollar portfolio; board director for a for-profit ventricular assist device company that went through IPO then acquisition.ﾠ She currently is a member of the Chairman's Advisory for Autonomous ID, a member of the Advisory Committee for the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association, and trustee of the Nationwide Children's Hospital Research Institute.
Job Titles:
- Director, Asia - Pacific Region
Barbara Väätäjä leads autonomous_ID's Asia-Pacific growth strategy from her base in Tokyo. She bears responsibility for customer acquisition, partnerships and the company's regional supply chain. She is the founder of the Scandinavian Center, a Tokyo-based fund that invests in Finnish and Scandinavian innovations and start-ups with global applications. She has also served as an advisor to the CEO of Aozora Bank, a commercial lender. Previously, in vice-presidential roles at Lehman Brothers in New York, she gained experience in structuring and marketing interest-rate products to U.S. institutional, middle-market and retail clients.
Väätäjä holds an MBA from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business in New York, and a BA in economics and international business from Depauw University in Indiana.
Mr. Smale has more than four decades of experience in the research and development of scientific software with particular strengths in real-time applications, simulators, embedded systems, and telecommunication. He specializes in simulation, man-machine interface, troubleshooting and diagnosing problems.
Before joining autonomous_ID, Mr. Smale worked with an Ottawa robotics firm, designing, coding and testing various aspects of robot design and operation. In his time with an Ottawa aerospace manufacturer, he contributed to improvements in satellite-based search and rescue technology, improving location accuracy and accelerating rescue efforts. His work earned a NASA Recognition Award. In his role as senior systems analyst for a Canadian telecommunication manufacturer, he designed, coded and tested a range of applications.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Executive Vice President
Bill Davidson, Executive Vice President, and Chief Operating Officer, is an action-oriented leader with over 20 years of operational experience and a diverse background covering all aspects of business. In this role, his responsibilities include the following: corporate strategy, business segment management (consumer, small business, enterprise, and commercial), IT, marketing, communications, sales and marketing operations, customer care, facilities, and human resources.
Bill's extensive work with multinational, operationally-focused organizations (public and private) allows him to consult on topics regarding international "best practices". He is adept at programmatic and operational analysis with a continuous focus on opportunities for improved process controls, resource allocation, and cost management. Bill has a talent for finding innovative solutions to challenging problems that focus on maximizing efficiency and profitability. In 2011, he was tasked with accelerating the transformation and growth agenda of manufacturing firm through the advancement of key global business units and transformational business opportunities. Bill developed an aftermarket service contract business model which included: defining transformational business model, financial sustainability, implementation strategies and benchmarks, change management, and organizational structure resulting in $1M in increased revenue, increasing to $3M by year three. In 2010 he developed a new model of repair part supply chain management enabling management of inventory, transportation, distribution, and redistribution of parts across operational installations spanning thousands of miles and achieving and overall turnaround time improvement of 45%; solution subsequently became the standard model.
Bill earned a Master of Business Administration from Purdue University, Master of Human Resources Management from Villanova University, and a Bachelor of Science in Business and Stayer University. Bill is certified in Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Phillips ROI Methodology, MBTI, Situational Leadership, and currently resides in Chicago, IL.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President, Global Business
Bill Tyson is a proven InsurTech innovator with a passion for the health, property, casualty and life insurance industries. He has successfully collaborated with diverse teams to deliver insurance protection that makes families and businesses more resilient.
In his 30-year track record of domestic and international success, Bill has built and managed multi-channel, multi-line insurance businesses using varied distribution models, technology platforms and data-driven marketing. A seasoned global insurance executive, Bill's career includes positions in several Fortune 500 companies, including AIG, CIGNA, CIGNA International, Jardine Matheson and, more recently, Swiss Re's New Solutions Group.
Through his product development and underwriting expertise, Bill has brought success to a variety of business lines, including several successful start-ups. He has also worked with affinity groups, brokers, MGAs, Bancassurance partners, direct sales forces, direct marketing, telesales, email, DRTV, paid search, SEO, social networking, cross-sell and up-sell programs. He built and managed three call centers in the United States and Asia.
In his current role as CEO and founder of Strategic Marketing Plus, Bill develops and commercializes new InsurTech solutions that leverage the Internet of Things, blockchain, behavioral science techniques, and digital solutions across the entire insurance value chain.
Job Titles:
- Business Development & Strategy
Mr. Brown leads the sport development and strategy group of Autonomous_ID, with a focus on licensing and partnerships. He brings over 30 years of business experience, including leadership roles as President, CFO and COO. He has directed acquisitions, and led new business development and financial management. He has capitalized several businesses, raising over $90 million, and led an IPO filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In addition, he has spearheaded mergers and acquisitions including a $50 million acquisition of a theme park, hotel and land. This broad-based expertise integrating finance, operations and business development has enabled him to create solutions for complex business situations.
Mr. Brown started his career as a CPA at Price Waterhouse and Touche Ross, two of the world's largest accounting/tax firms, where he performed audit work and handled tax engagements. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University.
Job Titles:
- Executive Advisor
- Executive Advisor to the Chairman
Daniel Tu, Executive Advisor to the Chairman of autonomous_ID, has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in building and advising companies in media, sports, technology and financial services. He was most recently the Group Chief Innovation Officer at Ping An Group, serving on both the Executive and Standing Committees and reporting directly to Founder/Chairman/CEO Peter Ma. In his CIO role, Daniel was one of the chief architects in driving growth through innovation and technology. He was responsible for forging strategic partnerships, identifying new business opportunities, overseeing relationships with key global research institutions, and supervision of PA Ventures. In addition, he was the co-lead for Ping An's artificial intelligence and blockchain initiatives. Today, Ping An is the largest non-SOE in China, ranked 10th on the Forbes Global 2000, and the world's number one insurance company by market cap, revenue, and customers.
Prior to Ping An, Daniel led a listed financial services company with over 4,000 employees and a combined annual revenue of $5 billion. He currently serves in advisory roles with leading global funds, Fortune 500 companies to tech startups in Asia, Israel, Europe and the U.S.
Dr. Bernard Grisoni has more than 25 years of experience in Biomedical materials, product development and commercialization. His leadership roles have included large corporations and start-up companies.
Prior to joining autonomous_ID, Dr. Grisoni successfully developed numerous new products and technologies that have driven millions of sales dollars in the fields of wound care, plastic surgery, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, tissue engineering, and orthotics. These companies include Dow Corning, Allergan, Wright Medical Technology, Schering-Plough and Merck. He created his own company, BioGeneration, developing, manufacturing and selling bone graft substitutes for the orthopedic market. In his 16 years as Principal Scientist at Dr. Scholl's, Dr. Grisoni developed numerous very successful insoles and orthotics for professional and consumer markets.
Dr. Grisoni's education includes a BS in Material Science, a MS in Polymer Science, a PhD in Industrial Engineering, and an MBA in Business Administration. He has numerous patents and publications, and has presented at seminars on Biomaterials.
An orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Blaine Warkentine has worked in the health, orthopedics and aging industries. His accomplishments include a $100m vertical for Brainlab in orthopedics, and building value for five startups through his clinical research and development, accelerating them to their IPOs and acquisitions.
Dr. Warkentine advocates for improving health value by providing consumers with better tools to control their health and wellness. He, believes that the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, mobile, incentive structures and smart cities are the cornerstones of successful 21st-century communities.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President and
- Retired U.S. Army Officer
Dr. Mettala has been a key figure in the U.S. Intelligence community for over 35 years. He served with the Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Army Communications and Electronics Command. Recently Lieutenant Colonel Mettala retired from the U.S. Army after 22 years of service to his country.
Dr. Erik G. Mettala served as the Cyber Chief Scientist at Battelle Memorial Institute's National Security Global Business. Prior to joining Battelle, Dr. Mettala was the Chief Scientist in SPARTA's National Security Systems Sector, responsible for the strategic technology planning and research for SPARTA's intelligence, computer network operations, and information assurance business areas. Dr. Mettala led McAfee Research, which was acquired by SPARTA in April, 2005. As the Vice President and Director of McAfee Research he managed the strategic technology research for McAfee, including R&D business development and laboratory efforts. Under his direction, McAfee Research focused on high risk research addressing the needs of McAfee product lines including anti-virus, anti-spam, host-based and network-based intrusion prevention, and in cooperation with U.S. Government agencies, directed the development of solutions to many of the pressing and difficult problems in information assurance, intrusion prevention, remediation, and network security.
Prior to joining McAfee, Dr. Mettala served as the President of Advanced Coordination Technologies (ACT) providing secure system integration technologies in complex manufacturing and health care markets. Prior to ACT, he served as the Chief Technology Officer of Elagent Corporation providing enterprise management and security systems integration. Dr. Mettala was also the Chief Technical Officer at the Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation (MCC), the cooperative research and development consortium founded in response to Japan's 5th generation computer project. Dr. Mettala also served as the Associate Dean of Engineering for Research, and Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he led the College of Engineering's research business development efforts while teaching graduate level courses in computer vision, artificial intelligence and formal methods.
A retired U.S. Army officer, Dr. Mettala served in a succession of positions of increasing complexity and responsibility in the United States Army. His roles included Deputy Director and then Director of the Software and Intelligence Systems Technology Office (SISTO) at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and Deputy Director in the Information Science and Technology Office (ISTO).
In June of 2012 Dr. Mettala was inducted into the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) International Hall of Fame.
Job Titles:
- Founder and CEO of Vivametrica Ltd
Dr. Rick Hu has been a practicing spinal and orthopedic surgeon for more than 25 years and has held leadership roles in research, teaching and health care administration. Dr. Hu completed his medical training in 1984. He was certified as an orthopedic surgeon in Canada in 1989 and board-certified in the United States in 1993. He is a clinical professor of orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery at the University of Calgary.
Dr. Hu has won multiple scientific research awards for his work on spinal disorders and health measurement. He has founded and health-related companies that provide multidisciplinary care to individuals with spinal disorders and that leverage technology in health care.
Dr. Hu is the founder and CEO of Vivametrica Ltd., a health analytics company providing predictive risk-analysis tools for underwriting insurance. Dr. Hu's vision is to redefine the way that individuals and organizations measure health status and risk by combining easy-to-use, simple, science-based analysis tools with the rapidly expanding world of personalized data from IoT sensors.
Dr. Vladimir Polotski brings decades of design and engineering experience to his role as Chief Technology Officer. He has worked with an Ottawa spaceflight engineering company, integrating and testing modules, sensors and algorithms for space technology applications and their terrestrial counterparts.
Previously he worked with an Ottawa robotics firm engaged in defence and commercial security applications, where he held responsibility for test design and field testing. In a decade of research at the École Polytechnique de Montréal, Dr. Polotski designed Autonomous navigation systems for robotic vehicles, and explored obstacle detection in an underground environment. He also worked on sensor fusion for three-dimensional mapping.
He holds a PhD in Mechanics and Control from Moscow State University.
Dr. Wilma Hunt-Watts began her medical career as an undergraduate at Howard University in Washington, D.C. where she earned a B.S. in Chemistry. She earned her Doctorate of Podiatric Medicine at the New York College of Podiatric Medicine and then entered into residency completing the program at the Bergen Regional Medical Center in 1992. She has more than 25 years of experience in Podiatric Medicine and Surgery. In addition to her private practice, she has held staff privileges at St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Centers of Brooklyn and Queens, Nassau Medical University Medical Center/NuHealth, V.A. Medical Centers, and North Shore/Long Island Jewish Hospital in New York. Her broad career also includes a stint as a Surgical Instructor and clinic administrator. She has served as a Podiatric Physician for the Department of Veterans Affairs which included the role of Chief Tele-Health Provider for servicemen at the CBOC (Community Based Outpatient Clinic).
In addition to being board certified, she is a contributing author and mother. Dr. Hunt-Watts was the first African American elected Trustee to The New York State Podiatric Medical Association. She has been a lecturer and featured guest on Sirius XM Satellite Radio, speaking on diabetes and other medical related topics. Also, she has spoken on behalf of pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer and Novartis.
Dr. Hunt-Watts brings extensive experience from her involvement on the board of Greater Jamaica Development Corporation, Inc. and The American Diabetes Association. Dr. Hunt-Watts serves as Health Care Director for Living, Learning, and Working (LLW), Inc. LLW is a tax-exempt organization that focuses on addressing the health issues facing veterans, the elderly and the economically challenged. She also serves on the Chairman's Advisory Committee for Autonomous_ID.
Faye Sahai has more than 20 years of experience in leading innovation, catalyst for change and strategic initiatives across multiple companies such as Kaiser Permanente, Blue Shield, Deloitte Consulting, Charles Schwab, Disney, HP, and Toyota. She has been responsible for managing innovation labs and innovation fund, structuring strategic collaborations, innovation center advisors, coordinating network of innovators, holding annual strategic innovation challenge and awards. Faye is a health innovation adviser to companies, start ups and accelerators and serves on the UCSF Catalyst Advisors.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- International Executive
Rob is an international executive and consultant specialized in global insurance and technology. His focus is strategic market entry, insurance and technology, and China business development. He is skilled at leveraging insurtech ecosystem opportunities through partnerships. He is the founder and COO of Crossbordr, a startup insurtech company specializes in sourcing and structuring transformational affinity programs and new insurance products and services supported by leading insurance technology.
Steve Sandquist brings an innovative insurance and health care pedigree to wearable technology and digital health, including Biometrics. It is this unique combination of experiences and relationships that can be leveraged to the benefit of those seeking to make a difference in these segments. Close
Todd D. Gray - CEO, Chairman, Founder
Mr. Gray, the founder of autonomous_ID and its principal inventor, has built a career in designing, developing and implementing leading-edge products, systems and services. Mr. Gray has collaborated with industry-leading CEOs, CTOs, and the governments of the United States, Canada, India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
In close collaboration with his colleagues and research partners, Mr. Gray works at the leading edge of innovation in material sciences, distributed systems, user-directed communication systems and networks, adaptive connectivity and infrastructures, cyber security/defense and intuitive utilities. He also has interests in media, sports and distributed gaming.
Since establishing autonomous_ID in 2009, Mr. Gray has led the firm's work in evaluating possible applications for its technologies in the military, security, critical infrastructure and transportation sectors. He has also led its efforts to develop PEDO_BIOMETRICs as a discipline in the field of Biometric sciences.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President
- Security Executive
Mr Robinson, cyber security executive and technology visionary, has a long career focused within the security sector covering Risk Management and Operations to development of new services and products. Mr Robinson has held positions of Global Security Manager, CTO, CISO and CEO from Startups to the F100.
Mr. Robinson's recent efforts cover cyber security within large enterprises covering DoD, R&D, and Automotive. His emphasis has been on the Internet of Things (IoT), embedded systems and the critical infrastructure environment within Medical, Smart Grid, SCADA, Energy, and Vehicle Security sectors.
Mr Robinson has more than 28 years of experience in various fields of cyber security and technology management. Mr. Robinson has global experience with cyber security and Intellectual Property (IP) protection as a subject matter expert.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President
- Retired President of Bates Project Management Inc
Bill Bates has over 55 years of management and leadership experience, including nearly four decades of experience in professional project management in industry and government. He has developed several project management methodologies and software systems, and delivered more than 800 seminars internationally. His achievements span the areas of engineering, social services, aerospace, high technology, facilities and accommodations, information systems, manufacturing, government, oil and gas, mining, and construction.
Mr. Bates is the retired President of Bates Project Management Inc., a private company with a business history of 34 years, specializing in project management services. He founded Multinational Management Systems, Ltd. of Springfield, Virginia, and Projetronics Inc. of Ottawa, Canada. He served also as vice president of information systems for an electronic engineering and manufacturing company. Mr. Bates is a retired officer of the United States Marine Corps with 20 years of service.
Mr. Bates holds a B.S. from the University of Maryland and an M.A. in the Technology of Management from the American University. He is active in professional organizations, and is past Chairman of the Board of Watercan, a non-governmental organization dedicated to providing aid to developing peoples. He is Chairman of the Board of Governors of Robert Land Academy, a private school in Ontario and has served on the Board of Directors of the Ottawa Valley Chapter of the Project Management Institute. He has served on PMI's Research Advisory Committee, and contributed articles to Datamation, Computing Canada, The Government Computer Magazine and other publications.
Mr. Bates has held significant positions in academia. He was Chairman of the Data Processing Department of Strayer College, Academic Head of the U.S. Marine Corps Computer Sciences School and Lecturer in the College of Continuing Education of the American University and the Executive MBA program of the University of New Haven. He has taught with the Masters Certificate in Project Management for York University, Memorial University and St Mary's University.