Blackbird Robotics Transitions CEO: People in the News: 2/5/25

Blackbird Robotics has appointed Rüdiger Brockmann as the company’s CEO, taking over for Karl Christian Messer who has held the position since 2017. Brockmann has over 30 years of experience in the industry and laser sector, having held various top management positions in large groups as well as mid-sized companies.

Rüdiger Brockmann (left) and Karl Christian Messer. Courtesy of Blackbird Robotics.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Optical interconnect technology platform Celestial AI has added Lip-Bu Tan to its board of directors. With more than 40 years of deep-tech expertise as well as extensive board experience, Tan is the founder and chairman of Walden International, a global venture capital firm, as well as a founding managing partner of Celesta Capital and Walden Catalyst Ventures.

Dr. Rox Anderson. Courtesy of AVAVA.

WALTHAM, Mass. — AVAVA, an aesthetic energy device company, has appointed Rox Anderson to its board of directors. Anderson is the co-founder of AVAVA as well as a professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School and director of the Wellman Center for Photomedicine.

Claudia Nemat. Courtesy of ABB.

ZURICH — ABB’s board of directors has proposed Claudia Nemat as a new member for election following the decision made by current member Lars Förberg to not stand for reelection. Nemat has been a member of Deutsche Telekom’s management board since 2011 and led its European business until the end of 2016. Other members standing for reelection are Peter Voser, David Constable, Frederico Fleury Curado, Johan Forssell, Denise C. Johnson, Jennifer Xin-Zhe Li, Geraldine Matchett, David Meline, and Mats Rahmström. Elections will take place during the company's annual general meeting on March 27.