Maritime Defense Company Saildrone Appoints Vice Admiral John Mustin as President
Maritime defense and oceanographic survey company Saildrone has announced the appointment of Vice Admiral John Mustin as its President. In his new role, Mustin will focus on growing the defense business of the company, working closely with Saildrone founder and CEO, Richard Jenkins.
Mustin brings with him a wealth of experience from his distinguished 34-year career in the U.S. Navy, where he most recently served as the 15th Chief of Navy Reserve and Commander, Navy Reserve Force. In this role, he led approximately 60,000 Reserve Component personnel supporting Navy, Marine Corps, and joint forces operations worldwide.
Richard Jenkins, founder and CEO of Saildrone, expressed his confidence in Mustin, stating, “John Mustin brings a truly unique blend of naval operational expertise and commercial experience to the company. As naval demand for Saildrone services grows exponentially, John will deliver the leadership firepower needed to grow both the team and the defense business, ensuring our products continue to meet the demands of high-end naval warfare.”
Aside from his military background, Mustin also brings significant commercial and entrepreneurial experience to Saildrone. He founded Wasabi Rabbit, a successful digital customer relationship management firm, and grew it into a leading digital agency specializing in customer acquisition strategies and technology solutions for Fortune 500 clients.
Mustin expressed his excitement about joining Saildrone at a critical moment for global maritime security, citing the rapidly evolving geo-political environment. He highlighted Saildrone’s transformative capabilities in delivering naval strength to warfighters, especially at a time when the nation’s shipbuilding capacity is facing challenges.
Mustin emphasized the importance of high-capability platforms that can be scaled immediately, and he believes Saildrone’s technology is ready to meet this demand. “Saildrone defined the category and is the only operationally proven USV technology that is ready to scale today,” he stated.