Interesting events indeed. Whilst it is easy to jump to all sorts of ‘theories’ as to what happened, it may simply be that Mark is better suited to CTO and that is the direction he would rather be working on. Contrary to some people here I think Mark has done an extremely good job in many respects getting Sigma to where it is now. A very solid platform from where to launch with the industries growth. For the most part I think he has been exceptionally professional in his handling in the crucial, and very difficult early days of a R+D company that is progressing towards commercialization. Many less accomplished CEO’s would have run this into the ground without too much difficulty given the complexities of the science and the nature of the industry it is attempting to crack into it. Paradigm shifts in engineering do not happen in a hurry as we have found out. To have got where we are, listed on Nasdaq, in evaluation with the leading companies in the space, a groundbreaking, game changing product in an industry about to take off with a shoe string budget and a handful of employees is a very impressive feat. He has always been multiple steps ahead of what even the most diligent of researchers here have imagined, with so many projects being carved behind the scenes, allowing the three verticals to grow into real opportunities. The platform is built and now the growth will come.
My feeling all along though is Mark is somewhat a reluctant CEO. He has a true passion for the science and technology that the new era is craving. He has connections most can only dream of, he is incredibly well respected in the industry and his skill set in this technology is second to none. Now is probably the right time for him to step aside from the day to day CEO roles and all the bureaucratic flotsam that comes with it. He did a great job, but it’s not where his true passion lies. We will perhaps never know whether he was more pushed than requested the change. There were for sure issues that needed to be addressed going forward. Had he suggested it himself then he is even more impressive a man than many realize. The art of delegating your start up is one of the trickiest feats in business. Either way CTO is a good, hastle free place for him to be. It sounds like he will now push this technology way beyond its present form and markets, spreading out to hybrids and other laser inspection tools. I could think of no person I would rather have pushing PrintRite3D into these areas. He is top of class in the field with top notch connections and his focus on a push into that area will bring great benefits to Sigma I am sure.
One also wonders how this may be connected to the Morf3D/Jaguar alliance, again something that would have taken up an inordinate amount of Mark’s time. In fact just thinking about it makes me even more convinced that Mark would prefer the CTO role. It perhaps opens a door for Ivan Madera, another highly respected market participant with great connections to step in. Just a thought.
Any which way, this will all represent a big change for Sigma Labs. There will be an added focus on improving/expanding the tech with Mark as CTO and a new CEO will surely push for a more business, and hopefully shareholder friendly push to Sigma’s future. As I mentioned, the platform and technology have been set, adoption and growth is the next shoe to drop. Here’s hoping.
