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Saildrone is building the future of maritime autonomy—and that future just got a powerful new ally.
We’re honored to announce that Vice Admiral (ret.) John Mustin has joined Saildrone as President. He will work closely with Founder and CEO Richard Jenkins to expand Saildrone’s defense and intelligence business.
Mustin brings to Saildrone more than three decades of distinguished service in the US Navy, most recently as the 15th Chief of Navy Reserve and Commander, Navy Reserve Force. In that role, he led 60,000 reserve personnel supporting Navy, Marine Corps, and joint forces operations worldwide. His global perspective—and frontline understanding of today’s operational challenges—will be invaluable as Saildrone continues to scale our capabilities to meet rapidly increasing demand.
“I’m thrilled to join the Saildrone team at this critical moment for global maritime security characterized by a rapidly evolving geo-political environment," said Mustin. “Having spent my career focused on naval operations and technology innovation, I recognize Saildrone’s capabilities are transformational to delivering Naval strength to our warfighters at a time when our nation’s shipbuilding capacity is floundering. We, and our allies and partners, need high-capability platforms, delivered at scale, immediately. Saildrone defined the category and is the only operationally proven USV technology that is ready to scale today.”
Mustin’s leadership experience doesn’t stop at the Pentagon. He’s also a successful entrepreneur, having founded Wasabi Rabbit—a digital agency specializing in CRM technology and customer acquisition strategies for Fortune 500 clients. His ability to lead complex organizations through change while driving innovation at the speed of relevance aligns perfectly with Saildrone.
“John Mustin brings a truly unique blend of naval operational expertise and commercial experience to the company,” said Richard Jenkins, founder and CEO at Saildrone. “As naval demand for Saildrone services grows exponentially, John will deliver the leadership firepower I need to grow both the team and the defense business, ensuring our products continue to meet the demands of high-end naval warfare.”
Based in our Washington, DC, office, Mustin will focus on expanding Saildrone’s defense and intelligence operations and ensuring that Saildrone’s autonomous systems continue to deliver unmatched capability, speed, and value to the warfighter.
Mustin holds a Bachelor of Science in Weapons and Systems Engineering from the United States Naval Academy, a Master of Science in Operations Research from the Naval Postgraduate School, and an MBA in Finance and Management from Babson College.
Saildrone is excited about what’s ahead—and we’re proud to have John Mustin onboard for the mission.
