Optimus Ride Appoints Verizon Executive Sean Harrington As New CEO

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Optimus Ride, a leading developer of autonomous vehicle technology systems, announced Sean Harrington has been appointed as its new CEO and member of its board of directors, effective November 30. Harrington replaces co-founder Ryan Chin, who will remain at the company with responsibility over policy and sustainability initiatives. Under Harrington’s leadership, Optimus Ride will continue advancing its world class technology and plans to scale up its commercial operations.

Harrington brings deep expertise developing, commercializing and scaling technology solutions, with experience at both startups and large, global corporations. Most recently, Harrington was Vice President of City Solutions at Verizon where he was responsible for a broad portfolio of innovative products and services that helped cities increase livability, sustainability, and safety for their citizens. Prior to that, Harrington was Chief Operating Officer and member of the board of directors at Sensity Systems where he oversaw technology development, marketing, sales, and operations for the company through its acquisition by Verizon in 2016. Harrington has a B.S. in Geomatics Engineering from the University of Calgary and an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.

“I’m thrilled to join Optimus Ride and lead the company through its next chapter,” said Harrington. “I knew from the moment I met the team and had the opportunity to ride in one of the electric, self-driving vehicles powered by the Optimus Ride system that this was a very special company and I wanted to be a part of it. The mobility industry is shifting rapidly and there is an enormous opportunity for Optimus Ride to transform the way people get around.”

Optimus Ride’s autonomous vehicle technology system, designed to flexibly integrate into existing vehicle platforms, is now deployed at five customer locations around the U.S. With Harrington at the helm, the company plans to expand its suite of mobility services, offering convenient, reliable, safe and zero-emission transportation to corporate and academic campuses, residential communities, mixed-use developments, and other localized environments. Having demonstrated proven results with its early customers, including Brookfield Properties, the largest real estate developer in the world, Optimus Ride is poised to expand its commercial deployments both nationally and internationally.

“Sean brings a unique mix of product development and go-to-market leadership experience, which will serve Optimus Ride well as the company transitions from initial technology validation to large scale commercial operations,” said John Tough, Managing Partner of Energize Ventures and Chairman of Optimus Ride’s board of directors. “We are very excited to welcome Sean to the Optimus Ride team and we look forward to working closely with him.”

“I’m incredibly proud of the entire Optimus Ride team and what we have achieved thus far,” explained Chin. “Now is the right time for me to step aside from the CEO role and bring in an accomplished technology and business leader who can help us fully capitalize on the opportunity we have created. The whole team is looking forward to Sean’s arrival and I will do everything I can to support him through the transition and beyond.”