Dr Zach Murphree re-joins Velo3D as Vice President, General Manager
September 10, 2024
Velo3D, based in Fremont, California, USA, has announced the return of Dr Zach Murphree as Vice President, General Manager, overseeing the company’s go-to-market and product management functions. Dr Murphree, who previously spent nearly eight years at Velo3D, is re-joining the company after a brief tenure at Freeform, a startup building autonomous metal Additive Manufacturing factories.
During his extensive tenure at Velo3D, Dr Murphree was a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, where he played an instrumental role in the design and rollout of Velo3D’s Additive Manufacturing technology. He worked with Velo3D’s earliest customers to gather feedback about their challenges with legacy Additive Manufacturing technology and incorporate those insights into Velo3D’s solution. The work unlocked scalable Additive Manufacturing, which was critical in helping Velo3D customers expand their parts manufacturing from prototyping to production.
“There are not many people who have the breath of Additive Manufacturing experience that Zach has, and I believe I speak for everyone at Velo3D that we are delighted to welcome him back to the company,” said Brad Kreger, Velo3D CEO. “Zach is not only a beloved leader but also a highly respected figure in the industry and we’re happy to see him continue to build on the legacy he left at Velo3D. His return will be a significant boost to our business as we complete our realignment initiatives and continue our adoption growth in the defence and aerospace industries.”
Dr Murphree’s contributions were critical in Velo3D’s development of both its original Sapphire AM machine and the large-format Sapphire XC machine, which has since become a cornerstone of Velo3D’s product lineup. In addition, Dr Murphree’s strong background in aerospace was pivotal in Velo3D’s understanding and meeting the unique needs of its earliest customers in the New Space industry. As Velo3D continues to expand its presence in the defence and general aerospace sectors, Dr Murphree’s expertise will be invaluable in supporting this next phase of growth.
“Some of my most memorable achievements of my career took place at Velo3D and I am excited to rejoin the incredible team and help lead critical product development and go-to-market initiatives within the company,” shared Dr Murphree. “I believe in the company’s mission and its innovative technology, and I am committed to helping drive success during this next phase of growth for the company.”
Dr Murphree will report to CEO Brad Kreger. He has more than 20 years of experience in various research, product development, engineering, and business development roles at various organisations in aerospace, energy, and manufacturing technology. He holds a PhD and Bachelor of Science from the University of Texas at Austin.
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