Leadership Team
Executive Leadership
Tom Furey, Chief Executive Officer
LinkedIn Account
Tom Furey serves as the Chief Executive Officer and Board Member of Sagetech Avionics, having led the company since its launch in late 2019 following a carve-out of the avionics division of Sagetech Corporation, where he had been COO for five years.
Prior to joining Sagetech, Tom enjoyed a 20-year career in general management, engineering and manufacturing leadership roles in the aerospace, automotive, chemical and printing industries. Earlier in his career, he served as a Naval Flight Officer flying the A-6 Intruder aircraft, including service in the Persian Gulf during the first Gulf War. He holds a B.S. in Math from the U.S. Naval Academy, M.S. degrees in Engineering from California State and MIT, as well as an MBA from MIT.
A dog lover, you can find him out enjoying the great outdoors on any given weekend, rain or shine.
Matthew Hamilton, Chief Technology OfficerLinkedIn Account
As Chief Technology Officer, Matthew Hamilton leads the technology teams of the company to create advanced avionics solutions that serve on unmanned aircraft platforms.
Like Tom, he has been with the company since 2015 and continued his leadership role following the carve-out. Before joining Sagetech, Matt developed deep avionics and surveillance technology expertise through leadership roles at ACSM and Aviation Communication & Surveillance Systems, an L3 Harris and Thales joint venture.
Matt holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
David Day, Chief Compliance OfficerLinkedIn Account
David Day serves as Sagetech’s Chief Compliance Officer, responsible for product design and production compliance to government and industry requirements.
David brings 30+ years of avionics engineering experience from major avionics companies including L3 Harris – ACSS, Honeywell, and Motorola Government Electronics Group, where his expertise included surveillance systems engineering, FAA and AIMS PO equipment certification, design assurance, and quality management systems. David holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Arizona State University.
On any given day after work you can find him enjoying the variety of outdoor recreation that the Columbia River Gorge has to offer.
Board of Directors
Pooneet Goel, Columbia River PartnersLinkedIn Account
As Chief Strategy Officer and Board Member, Pooneet Goel lends his 20+ years of strategy, startup, and technical expertise to Sagetech. Pooneet draws on his experience as a serial technology entrepreneur and investor to guide Sagetech’s corporate strategy and operations.
Earlier in his career, Pooneet spent several years at Booz and Company advising Fortune 500 CEOs on operations strategy. Starting his career as a software developer, Pooneet holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University) as well as a B.S. in Computer Science from Stanford University.
In addition to driving innovation in the product road map and technology development processes, be sure to ask this connoisseur about his other passion for home roasting coffee.
Nathan Chandrasekaran, Columbia River PartnersLinkedIn Account
Nathan Chandrasekaran serves as Chief Financial Officer and Board Member, bringing 15+ years of expertise in finance, strategy, and technology. Nathan offers deep experience in private equity firms and has served as a board member for numerous companies.
Earlier in his career, Nathan spent several years at Merrill Lynch, as a telecom strategy consultant at inCode Wireless (now Ericsson) and started his career as a business analyst at Deloitte Consulting. Nathan holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University) and a B.S. in Neuroscience from Bowdoin College.
He thrives on building high performing corporate cultures and infuses Sagetech with his philosophy of “having impact on Day 1.”
Prabhu Goel, Green Span VenturesLinkedIn Account
Dr. Prabhu Goel is an active private venture investor, serving on the Board of Directors of several private companies in the US – Sagetech Avionics, FusionOps Inc., QuanticMind Inc., and Prana Studios Holdings.
He is actively involved in renewable energy projects across Europe and in India. He has also served on the boards of two public companies (SYNP, Synopsis on Nasdaq and CDN, Cadence Design Systems on NYSE). Since 1991 he has invested in over 30 private companies and served on many of their boards. Dr. Goel was the CEO/Chairman of Gateway Design Automation Corporation, which was acquired by Cadence Design Systems in 1989.
Nick Wellmon, Due West PartnersLinkedIn Account
Nick Wellmon serves as a Board Member and is the Founder and Managing Partner of Due West Partners, a private investment firm/family office with a differentiated and collaborative approach to investing and legacy creation. Focusing on investments in Aerospace & Defense, Due West empowers its companies with the resources and expertise they need to succeed at the next level.
Prior to launching Due West, Nick was Director of Finance at Exotic Metals, a recognized leader in the aerospace and defense industry. While at Exotic, Nick controlled the financial and strategic initiatives across the company’s business channels, and in 2019 led the sale of Exotic to Parker Hannifin Corporation. Earlier in his career, Nick was the Corporate Development Manager for eCommerce-startup and started his career in the investment banking industry, where he advised middle market companies on mergers, acquisitions and capital raising activities. Nick graduated from Wake Forest University with a B.S. in Finance.
Advisors
Prabhu Goel, Board Member & AdvisorLinkedIn Account
Dr. Prabhu Goel is an active private venture investor, serving on the Board of Directors of several private companies in the US – Sagetech Avionics, FusionOps Inc., QuanticMind Inc., and Prana Studios Holdings.
He is actively involved in renewable energy projects across Europe and in India. He has also served on the boards of two public companies (SYNP, Synopsis on Nasdaq and CDN, Cadence Design Systems on NYSE). Since 1991 he has invested in over 30 private companies and served on many of their boards. Dr. Goel was the CEO/Chairman of Gateway Design Automation Corporation, which was acquired by Cadence Design Systems in 1989.
Douglas Kirkpatrick, AdvisorLinkedIn Account
Douglas Kirkpatrick is a Sagetech Advisor and the CEO of Eridan, a leader in efficient 5G technology. He is a VC and former Chief Scientist at DARPA, where he led projects ranging from rapid DNA synthesis to real-time holographic displays.
Prior to DARPA, Dr. Kirkpatrick was the VP of R&D for Fusion Lighting, a Maryland-based high-efficiency lighting startup, and prior to that a staff scientist and VP at SAIC.
Dr. Kirkpatrick received his B.S. degree (Physics & Mathematics) from the College of William and Mary (1980) and his Ph.D. from MIT in 1988 (Physics). He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and has authored more than 30 journal articles and 60 US and international patents.
Arpit Mehta, AdvisorLinkedIn Account
As an Advisor for Sagetech, Arpit Mehta brings a deep knowledge & expertise in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) from his experience within the DoD and commercial markets.
Arpit started his career within DoD at Edwards Air Force Base working on multiple high-visibility Air Force programs. Arpit also held additional leadership roles at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., Amazon Prime Air, and Boeing. Today Arpit is the Test & Evaluation Director for the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), which is a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) organization established in 2015 under the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), Research & Engineering (R&E).
Arpit is very passionate about developments in the UAS markets within the DoD and commercial sectors. He has authored and published several technical papers and presented at aviation related conferences. Arpit holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Aerospace Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and California Polytechnic University, Pomona, respectively.