Sidus Space appoints Chair of Board and Chief Operating Officer

Sidus Space has announced the appointment of Leonardo Riera as the Chair of its Board of Directors, effective September 14, 2023. Simultaneously, the company has promoted Jared Novick to the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Leonardo Riera, a current Director at Sidus, brings to his new role a wealth of experience spanning over 35 years in investment banking and fund management. His career includes notable positions such as Consultant at McKinsey & Co., Head of a Mergers & Acquisitions unit at Citicorp Investment Bank, and a decade-long tenure as Country Head for Bankers Trust in Venezuela. Furthermore, Riera has actively served on the boards of numerous private and public companies and currently holds positions on the Board of Directors at Vaya Space, Inc. and FenixOro Gold, where he also chairs the Audit Committee. His appointment as Chair of the Board is expected to provide governance and related matters at Sidus, enabling the company’s CEO and Founder, Carol Craig, to continue spearheading the firm’s expansion and pursuit of its primary goals and objectives.

Previously serving as Senior Vice President of Strategy and Special Projects, Novick has played a pivotal role in the acquisition of Exo-Space, a space-based AI company, and its seamless integration into Sidus’s evolving service portfolio. Novick’s diverse background includes government work within the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense, where he specialises in developing and demonstrating special capabilities. He also has experience at NASA, focusing on high-altitude programmes involving geospatial technologies. Prior to joining Sidus, Novick served as the founder and CEO of companies with subscription revenue models in the Aerospace & Defense and Cybersecurity sectors. Presently, he holds a position on the Board of Advisors at BlueVoyant, a prominent cybersecurity company.

Carol Craig, CEO and Founder of Sidus, said: “I would like to thank Leo for accepting the Chair of the Board position for Sidus. His taking over as Chair will give me the ability to increase my focus on the execution of our commercial development strategy to drive value for our shareholders. Additionally, I am excited to continue working with Jared as his promotion to COO will allow us to work hand-in-hand as we prepare for the five near-term launches of our LizzieSats in Q1 and Q2 of 2024.”