Dr. Murphree rejoins the company he helped build to drive Velo3D’s product innovation, support strategic growth efforts, strengthen customer relationships, and lead realignment initiatives
FREMONT, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — September 9, 2024 — Velo3D, Inc. ( NYSE: VLD), the leader in scalable metal 3D printing technology for production manufacturing, today 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 rejoining the company after a brief tenure at Freeform, a startup building autonomous metal 3D printing 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 industry-leading 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 stand-out solution, which provided the industry with the ability to achieve machine-to-machine repeatability for the first time. This 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 defense and aerospace industries.”
Dr. Murphree’s contributions were critical in Velo3D’s development of both its original Sapphire printer and the large-format Sapphire XC printer, which has since become a cornerstone of Velo3D’s product lineup. In addition, Dr. Murphree’s strong background in aerospace was pivotal in Velo3D understanding and meeting the unique needs of its earliest customers in the New Space industry. As Velo3D continues to expand its presence in the defense 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,” said 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 a variety of organizations across aerospace, energy, and manufacturing technology. He holds a Ph.D and Bachelor of Science from The University of Texas at Austin.
About Velo3D:
Velo3D is a metal 3D printing technology company. 3D printing—also known as additive manufacturing (AM)—has a unique ability to improve the way high-value metal parts are built. However, legacy metal AM has been greatly limited in its capabilities since its invention almost 30 years ago. This has prevented the technology from being used to create the most valuable and impactful parts, restricting its use to specific niches where the limitations were acceptable.
Velo3D has overcome these limitations so engineers can design and print the parts they want. The company’s solution unlocks a wide breadth of design freedom and enables customers in space exploration, aviation, energy, and semiconductor to innovate the future in their respective industries. Using Velo3D, these customers can now build mission-critical metal parts that were previously impossible to manufacture. The fully integrated solution includes the Flow print preparation software, the Sapphire family of printers, and the Assure quality control system. Through this vertically integrated approach, the Velo3D ecosystem facilitates scalable metal AM using the same print file across any Sapphire system, ensuring repeatable outcomes without the need for additional optimization. This enhances manufacturing scalability and supply chain flexibility, allowing Velo3D customers to seamlessly adapt to fluctuating demand. The company delivered its first Sapphire system in 2018 and has been a strategic partner to innovators such as SpaceX, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Lockheed Martin, Avio, and General Motors. Velo3D has been named as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies for 2023. For more information, please visit Velo3D.com, or follow the company on LinkedIn or Twitter.
VELO, VELO3D, SAPPHIRE and INTELLIGENT FUSION, are registered trademarks of Velo3D, Inc.; and WITHOUT COMPROMISE, FLOW, FLOW DEVELOPER, and ASSURE are trademarks of Velo3D, Inc. All Rights Reserved © Velo3D, Inc.
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Velo3D Bob Okunski, VP Investor Relations
investors@velo3d.com
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