David Whelan joins Cubic as SVP, Chief Scientist

On October 26, San Diego, CA-based Cubic Corporation announced the appointment of David Whelan, PhD, NAE as senior vice president and chief scientist where he will be responsible for establishing product line technical strategies and engineering excellence to drive the company’s overall growth strategy. Whelan will collaborate with Cubic’s innovation, strategic, business and technical leaders to produce customer-centric, innovative and cost-effective technical solutions for new and improved products to enhance Cubic’s technology portfolio.

“David has an exceptional track record of facilitating innovative science and technology-based solutions to enable critical breakthroughs within public and private sectors,” said Bradley Feldmann, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Cubic Corporation. “David’s technical expertise as well as his experience establishing multi-discipline and multi-stakeholder programs will make him a true asset for Cubic as we continue to transform our business in pursuit of our NextCUBIC strategic objectives.”

Whelan will work with Cubic’s leadership and segment chief technology officers to establish plans for technology and product development, create engineering excellence and design criteria as well as provide technical oversight on new products, concepts and projects. He will also serve as a strategic advisor to Cubic’s business units in order to assess and validate technology maturity and inform Internal Research and Development (IRAD) and innovation strategy.

Throughout his notable career, Whelan has successfully led and directed cross-functional portfolios of multi-billion-dollar projects in both the public and private sectors. He has transitioned technologies to enable breakthrough artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Unmanned Submarines, Space-based Surveillance and Robotic Satellite Servicing. He has also contributed to applied research in quantum technologies for miniature atom-based clocks, computing, gravimetry and inertial sensing, enabling the resilient navigation/positioning/timing of multiple GPS systems.

Prior to Cubic, Whelan served as the vice president of engineering and chief technologist for Boeing where he created growth strategies, oversaw profit and loss (P&L) and guided research and development budgets for new products. He also served as director of the Tactical Technology Office (TTO) at the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) as well as acting director for the Sensor Technology Office (STO).

Whelan is currently the professor of the practice of electrical and computer engineering at the University of California, San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. Additionally, he serves as the chairman of the board for AOSense Inc., a quantum sensing company and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). He earned his bachelor’s degree in physics from UC San Diego and holds a master’s and Ph.D. in physics from the University of California, Los Angeles. Whelan was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2007, a section of the National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine.

Source: Cubic