Materials handling automation provider Vecna Robotics today named Denis Lussault as its vice president of autonomy. Lussault has nearly 20 years of engineering and management experience. He will be responsible for overseeing the company’s autonomy division and helping it meet the growing demand for robotics hardware and software to simplify customer workflows, Vecna said.

Lussault has a deep understanding of managing country-wide operations, bringing new products to market, and delivering on strategic growth initiatives, according to Waltham, Mass.-based Vecna Robotics. He has served in leadership roles for several companies, including Balyo, Atlantic Technologies, and Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi.

Lussault holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Métiers and a Master of Business Administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Most recently, Lussault served as vice president of the Americas at Balyo, where he previously managed European operations.

Lussault joins Vecna Robotics as it strives for AMR leadership

“As companies around the world demand automation to improve operational efficiencies and simplify workflows, Vecna Robotics is best positioned to capitalize on this need,” stated Lussault. “The company is the proven leader in AMRs [autonomous mobile robots], with an innovative spirit and deep customer focus.”

“I’m honored to join the growing team, and I look forward to bringing a full suite of autonomous robots and orchestration software to market that helps distributors and manufacturers ensure resiliency in the supply chain,” he said.

Vecna Robotics said its AMRs help some of the world’s largest distribution, warehouse, and manufacturing organizations automate their bulk materials handling and logistics operations. It offers automation for cross-docking, line-side delivery, replenishment, case-picking, kitting, goods-to-person, person-to-good, and oversized and nonstandard SKU delivery.

The company said its Pivotal AI orchestration engine integrates with existing warehouse management systems for a coordinated approach that maximizes human-robot collaboration and increases productivity.

Vecna Robotics has a ‘historic year’

Vecna Robotics has had an eventful 2020 so far. In January, it closed a Series B fundraising round of $50 million. In March, the company expanded its partnership with UniCarriers for support of automated pallet jacks. Last month, Vecna Robotics partnered with other organizations to develop the Ventiv automated manual resuscitator in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company was also named as a STEX25 startup for the MIT Startup Exchange’s Spring 2020 cohort.

“This has been a historic year for us, and adding a proven leader like Denis to our team only builds on that momentum,” said Daniel Theobald, founder and CEO of Vecna Robotics. “Automation and orchestration are key differentiators for Vecna Robotics, stemming from our commitment to help customers tackle some of the most complex supply chain and material handling problems.”

“Denis will help us meet the growing demand for our offerings, working closely with our engineering and manufacturing teams to build the most innovative, flexible and resilient AMRs,” he said.