Oregon-based Agility Robotics has tapped former Magic Leap CEO for its top job.
Peggy Johnson is taking over as CEO. Previous chief executive Damion Shelton, who is also a co-founder of the company, is moving to the role of president.
Johnson was most recently CEO of virtual reality company Magic Leap where she spent three years. While there she pivoted the company from a consumer product to an enterprise product. She also led a recapitalization of that company.
This leadership change comes as the company moves from startup to its next phase of growth, said Shelton in a written statement. Johnson will be focused on sales, strategic industry partnerships, future fundraising and delivering products at scale.
Agility makes a robot called Digit that is designed to move like a human. The machine's design is important because it means the robot can easily move in spaces that are designed for humans. In October the company announced a major milestone with tests of Digits in an Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) warehouse outside Seattle. The company has more than 250 employees.
In December it announced a partnership with GXO Logistics (NYSE: GXO) in Flowery Branch, Georgia. GXO is a logistics contractor that works with name brand companies across e-commerce, retail and consumer packaged goods.
“In a field cluttered with ‘demo-ware’ and hype, Agility stands apart for having resolutely, steadily, and remarkably made a human-centric robot that actually works — and in demanding customer environments,” said Johnson in a written statement “Damion Shelton and his exceptional team have positioned the company for global scale and growth across industries. Together, we will make Agility the world’s most trusted maker of robots that are as helpful to workers as they are beneficial to bottom lines.”
Johnson’s career also includes six years at Microsoft where she was executive vice president of business development and reported directly to CEO Satya Nadella. Before that she spent 24 years at chip maker Qualcomm. She is also a member of the board of directors for global investment company BlackRock.
“Peggy Johnson’s long track record of engineering and business success at Qualcomm and Microsoft, and her recent achievements driving change as CEO of Magic Leap, make her the perfect leader to take Agility through the transition from cutting-edge technology startup to leading global robotics company. I couldn’t be more excited to have her join us,” said Shelton.
This year Agility is set to open a robotics factory in Salem. Dubbed RoboFab, the factory will have capacity to produce more than 10,000 robots a year once it is fully ramped up. Agility grew out of research from Oregon State University. The company is headquartered in Tangent, Oregon. It also has offices in Pittsburgh and Palo Alto, California.
Johnson will be based in California.
