North Andover, Mass., 4 March 2009 — Flight Landata Inc. today announced the election of Bruce Blessington as non-executive Chairman of the Board and the appointment of Jeffrey Smith as Chief Executive Officer.
Flight Landata is a developer and manufacturer of ultra-high resolution, airborne digital imaging systems used for aerial mapping and the collection of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information (ISR). Flight Landata imaging systems are deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan in support of the US military. The Flight Landata BuckEye system has been widely credited with saving soldiers’ lives by detecting roadside bombs and other threats in the war zone.
Blessington, 66, was previously CEO of Ferraris Group, PLC, an FTSE- listed medical diagnostic device manufacturer. Prior to his position at Ferraris, Mr. Blessington was CEO of Bionostics Inc. in Devens, Mass. He also serves on the board of Seabrook International, an orthopedic surgical instrument manufacturer. Mr. Blessington lives in Georgetown, Maine.
Flight Landata’s new CEO, Jeffrey Smith, previously served as CEO of KWI International, a global water treatment technology company. As a partner in NextBoston Investment Partners LLC, Mr. Smith successfully restructured GENSYM, a publicly traded software firm, and also engaged in value creation at firms in the systems integration, software, and furniture industries. He resides in Newington, N.H.
Announcing the new appointments, Flight Landata board member Avi Nelson said, “We are confident that under the leadership of Bruce and Jeff, two very experienced senior executives, Flight Landata will build on its current success and achieve its full potential as an important and technically innovative contributor to our nation’s defense/intelligence community.”