New board to be comprised of industry experts
from a variety of industries covering the technology, software,
manufacturing, aerospace, and defense sectors.
Director nominees include the VP Operations at
Apple Priya Balasubramaniam; former CEO of Credit Suisse USA, and
CEO of Rotor Acquisition Corp. Brian Finn; former Microsoft CFO
Peter Klein; VP of Operations Technology and Innovation at Delta
Air Lines Matt Muta; former USSOCOM Commander Admiral (Ret) Eric
Olson; former VP of The Boeing Company Laura Peterson; former
Nextel CEO and Sotheby's CFO Dennis Weibling; and Sarcos CEO Ben
Wolff.
Sarcos Robotics (“Sarcos”), a leader in the development of
robots that augment humans to enhance productivity and safety, and
Rotor Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: ROT.U, ROT, and ROT WS) (“Rotor”), a
publicly-traded special purpose acquisition company, today
announced the nominees for the board of directors of the combined
company. The director nominees have extensive experience both in
the industries that Sarcos intends to serve as well as in the
production and delivery of complex hardware and software solutions.
The pending merger between Sarcos and Rotor is expected to close in
Q3 2021, with the combined company’s common stock expected to trade
on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol STRC.
Sarcos Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ben Wolff would
continue to lead the new board of directors. Joining Wolff on the
combined company’s board of directors after closing would be:
Priya Balasubramaniam Vice President,
Operations, Apple
Ms. Balasubramaniam is a very experienced
executive with nearly 20 years of experience in a range of senior
Procurement and Operations roles at Apple. She currently oversees
all Core Technologies Operations and iPhone Operations for the
company.
Ms. Balasubramaniam holds a Bachelor’s in
Mechanical Engineering from Bangalore University and an MBA from
Michigan State University.
Brian Finn Chief Executive Officer of
Rotor and former CEO of Credit Suisse USA
Mr. Finn is a 35+-year veteran of the
financial services industry. In addition to his role as CEO of
Rotor, Finn serves as Chairman of Covr Financial Technologies, an
Investment Partner at Nyca Partners, Chairman of Star Mountain
Capital, and a member of the boards of directors of Scotts
Miracle-Gro and Owl Rock Capital, along with several early-stage
companies.
Mr. Finn also served in a variety of roles
for Credit Suisse, including as CEO of Credit Suisse USA and
Chairman and Head of Alternative Investments.
Peter Klein Former Chief Financial
Officer of Microsoft
Mr. Klein served as CFO of Microsoft for four
years, from 2009 through 2013. He began at Microsoft in 2002 and
served as the CFO of several business units within the company
prior to becoming the company CFO.
He currently serves on the board of directors
of Accolade, Inc., Denali Therapeutics, and F5 Networks.
Mr. Klein holds a Bachelor’s degree from Yale
University and an MBA from the University of Washington.
Matthew Shigenobu Muta Vice President,
Innovation of Delta Air Lines
Mr. Muta has over 30 years of experience with
roles in Leadership, Emerging Technologies, Envisioning, and
Innovation.
Mr. Muta oversees an organization within
Delta that drives innovation through exploration, rapid
prototyping, envisioning and the development or investment in new
technology.
Prior to Delta, Mr. Muta served as Global
Managing Director for Hospitality and Travel for Microsoft. He has
served on and advised on various boards over the years.
Mr. Muta holds a Bachelor’s in Communications
from Boise State University.
Admiral (Ret) Eric Olson Former
Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command
Retired Admiral Eric Olson served in the U.S.
Navy and special operations forces for 38 years. He was Commander
of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) from 2007 through 2011
and Deputy Commander from 2003 through 2007. He currently leads a
consulting company that supports several public and private
corporations and non-profit organizations.
Admiral Olson serves on the board of
directors of Under Armour and Iridium Communications and is an
Adjunct Faculty Member at Columbia University’s School of
International and Public Affairs. He is a graduate of the U.S.
Naval Academy and Naval Postgraduate School.
Laura Peterson Former Vice President
of The Boeing Company
Ms. Peterson’s experience spans the
industrial, technology, transportation, and logistics sectors.
Ms. Peterson served as Vice President, China
Business Development, for Boeing Commercial Airplanes from 2012 to
2016. From 1994 to 2012, she held a series of executive roles at
Boeing in aircraft sales, international business development,
government relations, and homeland security. She currently serves
on the board of directors of Air Transport Services Group.
Peterson holds a B.S. in Industrial
Engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from The Wharton
School.
Dennis Weibling Managing Director of
Rally Capital
Mr. Weibling is Managing Director of Rally
Capital, a private equity firm based in Kirkland, Washington, which
primarily invests in telecommunications companies.
Mr. Weibling previously served on Sotheby’s
board of directors and as Chairman of the audit and finance
committees. He served as interim CFO at Sotheby’s until March 2016.
Mr. Weibling also served as CEO of Nextel Communications and was on
the board of directors for Nextel.
Ben Wolff Sarcos Chairman and CEO
Mr. Wolff serves as the Chairman, CEO,
President and is the largest shareholder of Sarcos Robotics.
Previously Mr. Wolff served as CEO,
President, and Chairman at Pendrell Corporation, co-founder and
co-chairman of Clearwire Corporation, and as President of Eagle
River Investments, a telecom and technology investment fund.
Additionally, Mr. Wolff served as a director of the Cellular
Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) and is currently a
member of the board of directors for Globalstar.
Mr. Wolff earned his law degree from
Northwestern School of Law, Lewis & Clark College in Portland,
Oregon in 1994, and his Bachelor of Science degree from California
Polytechnic State University in 1991.
In addition to these directors, Sarcos will also continue to
benefit from the insights and guidance from its Strategic Advisory
Board comprised of former United States Air Force, Army, and Navy
general and flag officers and public safety leaders. Sarcos also
has strong engagement and support from other key strategic partners
and potential customers, including several Fortune 100 companies,
many of whom have participated in Sarcos’ Exoskeleton Technical
Advisory Group (X-TAG), which was created to advance the
development of powered, full-body exoskeletons for the global
industrial workforce.
“Sarcos is laser-focused on revolutionizing the workforce of the
future through the deployment of our next-generation highly
dexterous mobile industrial robotic systems,” said Wolff. “We’ve
been honored to be aligned with some of the top companies and
executives in their respective industries over the years, including
many Fortune 500 companies. Our board of directors will undoubtedly
provide us with a wealth of knowledge and experience that will help
us to further our robotics product roadmap, expand our
relationships across industries, and ultimately have a profound
impact on the global workforce.”
“Both Rotor and Sarcos believe that people — employees,
partners, and vendors — are the key to our success,” said Stefan M.
Selig, Chairman of Rotor. “We’ve assembled a group of world-class
individuals with varied experience that will be an exceptional
resource for the Sarcos team going forward.”
Sarcos expects to commercially release its award-winning
Guardian® XO® full-body, battery-powered wearable industrial
exoskeleton robot in mid-2022, followed later in the year by its
Guardian® XT™ highly dexterous force feedback industrial
teleoperated robot. The Guardian XO and Guardian XT robots are
expected to join Sarcos’ versatile multi-purpose inspection robot,
the Guardian® S robot, in its commercial lineup, with the aim of
delivering a full suite of robots capable of performing physically
demanding work that requires human-like skill, dexterity, and range
of motion. For more information about Sarcos products, please visit
www.sarcos.com.
About Sarcos Robotics
Sarcos Robotics is a leader in industrial robotic systems that
augment human performance by combining human intelligence,
instinct, and judgment with the strength, endurance, and precision
of machines to enhance employee safety and productivity. Leveraging
more than 30 years of research and development, Sarcos’ mobile
robotic systems, including the Guardian® S, Guardian® GT, and
Guardian® XO®, are revolutionizing the future of work wherever
physically demanding work is done. Sarcos is based in Salt Lake
City, Utah, and backed by Caterpillar Venture Capital Inc., Delta
Air Lines, GE Ventures, Microsoft, and Schlumberger. For more
information, please visit www.sarcos.com.
About Rotor Acquisition Corp.
With approximately 100 years of combined experience in investing
and managing capital across markets and industries, structuring
transactions, and building businesses and led by Chief Executive
Officer Brian Finn, Chairman of the Board Stefan M. Selig, and
Director John D. Howard, Rotor Acquisition Corp. is a blank check
company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock
exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or
similar business combination with potential target companies with
certain industry and business characteristics within the areas of
disruptive consumer and industrial technologies. For more
information, please visit www.rotoracquisition.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
including, but not limited to, Rotor’s and Sarcos’ expectations or
predictions of future financial or business performance or
conditions, Sarcos’ product roadmap, including the expected timing
of new product releases, Sarcos’ plans to expand its product
availability globally, the expected composition of the management
team and board of directors following the transaction,
contributions of the director nominees, members of Sarcos’
strategic advisory board, employees, partners and vendors, the
expected use of capital following the transaction, including
Sarcos’ ability to accomplish the initiatives outlined above, and
the expected timing of the closing of the transaction.
Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks,
uncertainties, and assumptions. Generally, statements that are not
historical facts, including statements concerning possible or
assumed future actions, business strategies, events, or results of
operations, are forward-looking statements. These statements may be
preceded by, followed by, or include the words “believes,”
“estimates,” “expects,” “projects,” “forecasts,” “may,” “will,”
“should,” “seeks,” “plans,” “scheduled,” “anticipates,” “intends”
or “continue” or similar expressions. Such forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual
events, results or performance to differ materially from those
indicated by such statements. Certain of these risks are identified
and discussed in the section of Rotor’s Form S-1 titled “Risk
Factors,” which was filed with the SEC on December 18, 2020. These
risk factors will be important to consider in determining future
results and should be reviewed in their entirety. These
forward-looking statements are based on Rotor’s or Sarcos’
management’s current expectations and beliefs, as well as a number
of assumptions concerning future events. However, there can be no
assurance that the events, results, or trends identified in these
forward-looking statements will occur or be achieved.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made,
and neither Rotor nor Sarcos is under any obligation and expressly
disclaim any obligation, to update, alter or otherwise revise any
forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information,
future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers
should carefully review the statements set forth in the reports,
which Rotor has filed or will file from time to time with the
SEC.
In addition to factors previously disclosed in Rotor’s reports
filed with the SEC, including Rotor’s most recent reports on Form
8-K and all attachments thereto, which are available, free of
charge, at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, and those identified
elsewhere in this press release, the following factors, among
others, could cause actual results to differ materially from
forward-looking statements or historical performance: risks and
uncertainties related to the inability of the parties to
successfully or timely consummate the merger, including the risk
that any required regulatory approvals or stockholder approvals of
Rotor or Sarcos are not obtained, are delayed or are subject to
unanticipated conditions that could adversely affect the combined
company or the expected benefits of the merger is not obtained,
failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the merger, risks
related to Sarcos’ ability to execute on its business strategy,
attract and retain users, develop new offerings, enhance existing
offerings, compete effectively, and manage growth and costs, the
duration and global impact of COVID-19, the possibility that Rotor
or Sarcos may be adversely affected by other economic, business
and/or competitive factors, the number of redemption requests made
by Rotor’s public stockholders, the ability of the combined company
to meet Nasdaq’s listing standards (or the standards of any other
securities exchange on which securities of the public entity are
listed) following the merger, the inability to complete the private
placement of common stock of Rotor to certain institutional
accredited investors, the risk that the announcement and
consummation of the transaction disrupts Sarcos’ current plans and
operations, costs related to the transaction, changes in applicable
laws or regulations, the outcome of any legal proceedings that may
be instituted against Rotor, Sarcos, or any of their respective
directors or officers, following the announcement of the
transaction, the ability of Rotor or the combined company to issue
equity or equity-linked securities in connection with the proposed
merger or in the future, the failure to realize anticipated pro
forma results and underlying assumptions, including with respect to
estimated stockholder redemptions and purchase price and other
adjustments; and those factors discussed in documents of Rotor
filed, or to be filed, with SEC.
Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking
statements can be found in Rotor’s most recent reports on Form 8-K,
which are available, free of charge, at the SEC’s website at
www.sec.gov, and will also be provided in Rotor’s proxy statement,
when available. Any financial projections in this press release are
forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions that are
inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies,
many of which are beyond Rotor’s and Sarcos’ control. While all
projections are necessarily speculative, Rotor and Sarcos believe
that the preparation of prospective financial information involves
increasingly higher levels of uncertainty the further out the
projection extends from the date of preparation. The assumptions
and estimates underlying the projected results are inherently
uncertain and are subject to a wide variety of significant
business, economic and competitive risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those
contained in the projections. The inclusion of projections in this
press release should not be regarded as an indication that Rotor
and Sarcos, or their representatives, considered or consider the
projections to be a reliable prediction of future events.
Annualized, pro forma, projected and estimated numbers are used
for illustrative purposes only, are not forecasts, and may not
reflect actual results.
This press release is not intended to be all-inclusive or to
contain all the information that a person may desire in considering
an investment in Rotor and is not intended to form the basis of an
investment decision in Rotor. All subsequent written and oral
forward-looking statements concerning Rotor and Sarcos, the
proposed transaction, or other matters and attributable to Rotor
and Sarcos or any person acting on their behalf are expressly
qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements above.
No Offer or Solicitation
This press release does not constitute a solicitation of a
proxy, consent, or authorization with respect to any securities or
in respect of the proposed transaction. This press release also
does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an
offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or
approval, nor will there be any sale of any securities in any state
or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be
unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the
securities laws of such other jurisdiction. No offering of
securities will be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the
requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, or an exemption therefrom.
Rotor, Sarcos and certain of their respective directors and
executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the
solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of Rotor, in favor of
the approval of the merger. Information regarding Rotor’s directors
and executive officers is contained in the section of Rotor’s Form
S-1 titled “Management,” which was filed with the SEC on December
18, 2020. Additional information regarding the interests of those
participants and other persons who may be deemed participants in
the transaction may be obtained by reading the proxy statement and
other relevant documents filed with the SEC when they become
available. Free copies of these documents may be obtained as
described in the preceding paragraph.
Sarcos Disclosure Channels to Disseminate Information
Sarcos and Rotor investors and others should note that we
announce material information to the public about our company,
products and services, and other issues through a variety of means,
including Sarcos’ website, press releases, blogs and social media
and Rotor’s SEC filings, in order to achieve broad,
non-exclusionary distribution of information to the public. We
intend to use the Sarcos website as a means of disclosing
information about Sarcos and its products and for complying with
the disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. The information we
post through these social media channels may be deemed material.
Accordingly, we encourage investors and others to monitor these
social media channels in addition to following our press releases,
SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts. The social
media channels that we intend to use as a means of disclosing the
information described here may be updated from time to time as
listed on our investor relations webpage.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210421005299/en/
Press Contacts: Sarcos Robotics Kristi Martindale
801-419-0438 pr@sarcos.com ir@sarcos.com Rotor Acquisition
Corp. Stefan Selig 347-396-1377
Rotor Acquisition (NYSE:ROT.U)
Historical Stock Chart
From Oct 2024 to Nov 2024
Rotor Acquisition (NYSE:ROT.U)
Historical Stock Chart
From Nov 2023 to Nov 2024