The Team

Operators, engineers & capital builders

WaterStrider is led by a board that has built and scaled major North American companies, paired with an aerospace and propulsion engineering team — the depth to take autonomous UAVs from prototype to fleet.

Board of Directors & Management

JK

Jon Kennedy

Chairman, Board of Directors
  • President & CEO of Glacier Media (1998–2023) — grew the company to $210M revenue and 1,400 staff.
  • Deep M&A, equity & debt capital-raising; built ERIS, Glacier FarmMedia and REW.ca into leaders.
  • BA / MBA, Harvard University.
HW

Hugues Wallen

Chief Technology Officer
  • Former Project Engineer at Delphi Automotive Systems with 40+ Records of Invention.
  • Owner, HW Performance Products & Racing Engines; championship-winning motorsport engineer.
  • Internal-combustion engine & automotive expert; BSc, England.
EL

Eric Lawson

Chief Financial Officer
  • Designated accountant; B.Comm, Edwards School of Business, University of Saskatchewan.
  • 14+ years across global manufacturing and service companies.
  • Finance strategy, business planning and B2B contract negotiation.
AH

Andrew Hicks

Director — IP Strategic Advisor
  • President & CEO, Hicks IP — 30+ years in intellectual property.
  • Canadian & US Patent Agent; former Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP.
  • MASc, Chemical Engineering.
MG

Matt Gowanlock

Director
  • Former President & CEO, Cleantek Industries (TSX-V: CTEK).
  • Co-founder & former CEO, Apollo Energy Services; multiple cleantech leadership roles.
  • Master Electrician and electrical subject-matter expert.
JW

Jason Wiun

Director
  • Long tenure at Pembina Pipeline — SVP & COO of the Pipeline Division.
  • Led 700 staff, $2B EBITDA and ~$1B of capital projects annually.
  • Strategy, business development, leadership and integration.

Engineering & Design Team

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Julien Godard

Aeronautical Engineering
  • Master's in Aeronautical Engineering (high honours); Bachelor's in Aircraft Technology (avionics), HEPH Condorcet.
  • Airbus A320 type rating; EASA certifications from PPL to ATPL.
  • Assistant Professor — electronics, thermodynamics and CAD.
TG

Thomas Gautier

Engineering — Controls Lead
  • Engine-management systems (EMS) and Gasoline Direct Injection control strategies.
  • Energy & propulsion subject-matter expert.
  • Advances in neural-network air estimation, supercharger control and variable valve timing.
JP

JF Preuhs

Engineering — Launch Lead
  • Leading-edge design and simulation software for product development and testing.
  • Project quality control and workflow optimization.
  • Product-development process efficiency.
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