Velo3D has announced the appointment of Brice Cooper as Vice President of Defense and Government Relations.
The metal additive manufacturing company says Cooper, a retired Green Beret with over 25 years of service in the U.S. Army, will be responsible for expanding its presence in the defence and aerospace industries through customer relationships and new market opportunities.
"We are thrilled to welcome Brice to Velo3D," said Michelle Sidwell, Chief Revenue Officer of Velo3D. "Brice's deep knowledge of Department of Defense acquisition processes, congressional appropriations, and his leadership in defence technology make him the ideal person to lead our defence business. We are confident his experience and vision will accelerate our mission to deliver advanced additive manufacturing solutions to key defence and aerospace partners."
Cooper is said to bring expertise across special operations, defence acquisition, and product management, having previously served as Chief Strategy Officer at Allen Control Systems, an advanced robotics and autonomy company focused on counter-drone weapon systems, and as Product Portfolio Manager at U.S. Special Operations Command, where he led efforts to develop new technologies for unmanned systems and tactical vehicle safety. He also served as the Congressional Budget Liaison for the U.S. Army and as a Congressional Fellow in the U.S. House of Representatives, working closely with lawmakers to shape defence policy.
"I'm excited to join Velo3D at such a pivotal time for the company," said Brice Cooper. "Velo3D is already enabling aerospace and defence leaders to produce parts and systems once thought impossible. I look forward to leveraging the company's success to support the defence community across air, ground, maritime, and space sectors, ensuring that Velo3D continues to be a critical enabler of mission success."
Earlier this week, Velo3D also announced changes to its Board of Directors with the appointment of retired Navy Rear Admiral Jason Lloyd and Thieneman Construction, Inc. CEO Kenneth Thieneman following resignations from Brad Kreger's and Michael Idelchik. The company has undergone a number of leadership changes as part of its transitioning under new ownership by Arrayed Additive, including the appointment of Arrayed's Arun Jeldi as CEO, former Sigma Additive executive Darren Beckett as Chief Technology Officer, and Sidwell returning to the company as Chief Revenue Officer, less than six months after leaving her former role as Chief Commercial Officer.
The company has also since launched its Rapid Production Solutions offering to allow manufacturers to 'scale rapidly without significant capital investment', starting with a five-year, 15 million USD master services agreement (MSA) with US commercial space organisation Momentus, Inc., which will see Velo3D provide consulting and parts production services.
