Our Team

Carl Göran Dandanell is an accomplished executive with a rich background in business development, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic leadership within the energy sector. With a Master’s degree in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Stockholm, his professional journey spans over three decades, showcasing a blend of financial expertise and operational leadership across multiple industries.

Carl’s career includes senior positions at prominent energy companies such as Vattenfall AB, where he led business development and M&A activities, driving major acquisitions and expansions in the energy sector. His leadership roles extend to board memberships and chairmanships in various companies, including Freja Offshore AB, Vortex Energy Investments, and Wavebob Ltd. Notably, he played a pivotal role in large-scale projects such as offshore wind farms and hydroelectric power plants in Europe and Latin America.

A seasoned leader with extensive international experience, Carl has demonstrated expertise in driving growth through strategic acquisitions and divestitures, most notably in the renewable energy space. His career is marked by a strong track record in successfully managing high-value transactions and optimizing operational efficiencies across diverse markets. In addition to his professional achievements, Carl is an active member of various industry organizations, further reinforcing his commitment to advancing the global energy transition.

Derek Robertson has enjoyed a diverse career of leadership positions in the areas of marine technology development and the energy sector for more than 30 years.

First serving as a ship's officer in the U.S. Navy, he distinguished himself with the successful delivery of complex programmes and offshore operations over the course of multiple overseas assignments.

Having first moved to Dublin in 1999 for graduate school, Derek subsequently joined the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland at the time of its establishment in 2001, managing the development and execution of a €20m R&D programme focused on the energy performance and sustainability of residential buildings. 
 
Commercial activities include work as a consultant with Strategic Insight (Washington D.C.) and leading business development for ocean renewable energy programs at Lockheed Martin. In response to the cost and challenges associated with anchoring large floating platforms for Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, the initial research and development of intellectual property (acquired by Subsea Micropiles in 2021) first began in 2008 with co-funding from the U.S. Dept. of Energy. It was under this programme and while at Lockheed Martin, Derek enjoyed his first collaborations with Jon Machin and Dr. John Halkyard.
 
Derek holds a B.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, an MBA from Trinity College Dublin, and a certificate for Advanced Project Management from Stanford University.

Jon Machin has over 30 years' experience at the forefront of oilfield engineering and technology and has worked extensively in the deep-water sector. He has held senior management positions in the technical and commercial departments within market leading organizations Fugro, Technip and Schlumberger. He is the co-inventor of Subsea Micropiles’ patents along with Dr. John Halkyard, developed with funding from Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Dept. of Energy.

He was a co-founder of deep-water geotechnical engineers UTEC Geomarine. Jon has a remarkable track record of design and build of numerous Remote Operated Vehicles (ROV’s) and ‘extreme’ machines engaging the seafloor, including trenchers for pipelines and cable laying and deep-water dredgers. With DeepGreen Resources Director David Heydon, he jointly conceived the ROVdrill to overcome limitations of conventional drill ships in the marine minerals industry.

Jon holds a master’s degree in engineering science from the University of Oxford. He is a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, is accredited with over 20 published peer-reviewed papers and lectures widely on deep-water engineering. He holds at least 6 patents.

Over 20 Years of experience in the global hard rock drilling industry with Mincon Group plc. Experienced in the complexities of drilling technology with a strong background in major project management.

MBA from University College Dublin and B.Eng from University College Galway.

Andrew Parish is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and business leader with over 25 years of experience in commercial, finance, strategic, and operational roles. As a partner at WakeUp Capital, he invests in high-growth, impact-driven companies across Europe.

He has a strong background in investment funds, startup ecosystem development, and angel investing, as well as consulting on open innovation. Previously, he was the CEO of Wavebob, a pioneering wave energy startup. Andrew is a jury member for the EIC Accelerator and a member of the Maynooth University Governing Authority.

He holds a primary degree in Chemistry and Mathematics from the National University of Ireland and postgraduate qualifications in Strategy and Management from Henley Business School.

Mark Williamson, our Chief Commercial Officer is a highly experienced executive with over 25 years of operational and commercial experience across the energy sector. He has held executive and leadership positions in a variety of marine and subsea focused businesses, bridging a demonstrated track record of conceptualizing and delivering complex integrated solutions.

As a Master Mariner, Mark has led and provided technical leadership for a variety of large-scale marine and subsea projects for Houlder, OSM Maritime Group, Acteon Group and Maersk globally. He is widely regarded as a marine project and operations specialist across the industry, particularly in complex subsea installations. 

Mark has also held leadership roles in the areas of commercial and business development, with a proven track record in driving growth and expansion into new markets.

David Watt is an accomplished strategic leader with experience in business growth, operational efficiencies, organisational change and developing high performing teams. With a strong background in service and manufacturing industries in the energy sector, David is known for his ability to align business priorities, generate efficiency, create positive organisational culture, and build strong teams.

In a career spanning over 30 years, David has held a variety of senior leadership roles, with most recent as Chief Operating Officer and UK Director at privately owned Global Gases Group, headquartered in Dubai. Prior to that, David held the role as Managing Director of Nippon Gases Offshore; a stand-alone international entity within Japanese global industrial gases group NSH. Throughout his career, he has successfully managed multiple global entities, creating and executing strategies for domestic and international growth, rapidly creating, and scaling efficient operations, while delivering excellent safety and quality performance.

David has a business background with an MBA from Robert Gordon University, and he is a member of the Chartered Management Institute. His hobbies include golf, hill walking, badminton and swimming, and he is involved in several local community groups and charities.

Paul Barry is a seasoned strategic leader with extensive experience in driving organisational transformation, business growth, financial restructuring processes and outcomes. With a robust background in corporate finance, M&A and strategic advisory, Paul is known for his ability to align organisational priorities, foster collaboration, and inspire teams to deliver exceptional results.
 
Paul's career spans over three decades, most recently as CFO at the private-equity backed Independent Builders Merchant Group (UK) and as a strategic finance consultant; prior to that he held various senior finance roles at the multinational building materials group, CRH plc, including Director of Corporate Finance, Group Controller and Head of Internal Audit. Throughout these positions, he has successfully managed complex business integrations, led large-scale restructuring initiatives and spearheaded high-value transactions, significantly improving profitability and operational efficiency.
 
In his role as CFO at Independent Builders Merchant Group, Paul’s leadership led to the trebling of EBITDA within two years, showcasing his expertise in integrating and transforming businesses. In CRH, he played a pivotal role in delivering large scale finance and governance finance projects, executing multi-million-euro divestments and driving long-term strategic initiatives at local, divisional and group-wide levels.
 
Paul holds a degree in Accounting and Finance and an MBA from Dublin City University; he is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland. His interests include golf, rugby, tennis and music.

Professor Jacques Yves Guigné, Chief Scientific Officer of Subsea Micropiles, is a renowned expert in his field. His geoscience leadership focuses on advancing seabed acoustic-based technologies. His Ph.D. in Underwater Acoustics (Bath) came with the recognition of the Deryck Chesterman Medal for Physics. Additionally, Jacques received the President’s Award for Outstanding Research from Memorial University of Newfoundland in recognition of his research that followed his Ph.D. He was awarded the Doctor of Science (DSc.) degree in Physics by the University of Bath in 2014.

Over the past thirty years, Prof. Guigné has pioneered and led innovative acquisition and interpretation protocols for sonar, as well as high-resolution seismic data campaigns for both shallow and deep earth. In the last ten years, he has introduced new methods and techniques to enhance high-resolution seabed acoustic imaging for the unprecedented characterization of benthic habitat health, the delineation of geohazards related to buried UXOs, and offshore geotechnical correlations for wind farm foundations.

Over the past decade, Jacques has been a Visiting Professor at the University of Bath (England) and continues to expand his extensive record of peer-reviewed journal publications. He is widely cited internationally, ranking in the upper percentile among peers on ResearchGate. His scientific contributions include over seventy published papers and eighty patents. A publication called ‘Acoustic Investigation of Complex Seabeds’ is of special mention. This book is a "how-to" guide to offshore industries (oil and gas, renewables, harbour building), examining techniques to make their offshore installations safe and efficient. Prof. Guigné was honoured in 2013 with the Rayleigh Medal by the Institute of Acoustics for his recognized work in new deep-earth imaging techniques.

Prof. Guigné is a former chair of the regulatory board PEGNL (Professional Engineers and Geoscientists Newfoundland), a Fellow of Geoscience Canada, and a director on the Geoscientists Canada Professional Practice Committee appointed by PEGNL.

He is the founder and managing director of Acoustic Zoom Inc. and the co-founder and director of PanGeo Subsea Inc., which was acquired in 2021 and now operates as Kraken Robotics, where he served as a geoscience advisor until 2024.

James Adamson has a distinguished and pioneering track record with over 40 years of professional engineering experience leading the design, engineering, and product development of a highly diversified range of projects in the offshore and subsea environments.
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He has actively participated in the design, design management and systems engineering of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), Seabed Drilling Systems, Subsea Crawlers and Plows for Pipeline and Telecommunications burial, as well as other Subsea Tooling and remotely operated machinery. His diverse portfolio of innovative projects includes work in renewable energy, oil & gas and defense sectors. ​

Mr. Adamson serves as a visiting lecturer at Florida Atlantic University, and serves as a member of that university’s industrial advisory board. He is accredited with multiple peer reviewed publications and is the inventor of six patents.
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James holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology (Highest Honors) and a Masters in Subsea Engineering from Florida Atlantic University. He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Society of Naval Architects and Engineers (SNAME) and Marine Technology Society (MTS).

Dr. Halkyard has over fifty years of experience in the development and successful implementation of novel deep-sea mining and deep-water oil & gas production and drilling facilities, including the first floating production system in the Gulf of Mexico and the award-winning spar drilling and production platform. He is the co-inventor of Subsea Micropiles’ patents along with Jon Machin, developed with funding from Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Dept. of Energy.

Dr. Halkyard has served as visiting lecturer and professor at several universities, including the University of Western Australia, National University of Singapore (2007–2014), Harbin Engineering University, China (2008–2011), and the Universidad de los Andes in Bogota, Colombia (2015 – present).  He is a past member of the Marine Board of the National Research Council, for the National Academy of Engineering, a registered Mechanical Engineer, a Life Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, a Fellow of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, a member of SME and a Qualified Person under the NI 43-101 Canadian Mining Code.  He served on the Board of Directors for ASME-International Petroleum Technology Institute, as Chairman of the Executive Committee/Offshore for the Ocean and Arctic Engineering Division of ASME, and Section Chair for the Marine Technology Society. He also serves on the academic review committees for the University of Hawaii and held a similar position in the past for the U. S. Naval Academy.  

Dr. Halkyard has published two books, has authored chapters in several others, and has published numerous refereed articles in conference proceedings and journals on ocean engineering, ocean mining, and related topics.  His book on Floating Structure Design and Analysis is used by several universities as a textbook.

Dr. Halkyard holds a B.S. in Engineering Science from Purdue University, an M.S. in Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an Sc.D. in Ocean Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.