As its efforts to aid U.S. manufacturing competitiveness through the adoption of robotics and workforce development programs, the Advanced Robotics in Manufacturing, or ARM, Institute has grown. The ARM Institute today announced the promotion of two team members to executive positions.
Dr. Charles (Chuck) Brandt has been promoted from vice president for technical initiatives to chief technology officer. Suzanne (Suzy) Teele has been promoted from vice president for strategic initiatives and outreach to chief strategy officer.
“Chuck and Suzy have been instrumental in the ARM Institute’s success and in expanding our capabilities,” stated Ira Moskowitz, CEO of the ARM Institute. The organization said the appointments reflect the increasing diversity of its activities.
New CTO has extensive technology experience
Brandt joined the ARM Institute in 2018 as deputy director of technology development before being promoted to vice president in December 2021. He joined the ARM Institute from Innovation Works, where he was the vice president of technology programs.
Prior to joining Innovation Works, Brandt was the CTO at the Technology Collaborative, another Pittsburgh-based organization. In these and prior roles at Northrop Grumman, Westinghouse, and Raytheon, Brandt has demonstrated an ability to coordinate technology initiatives, early-stage product development, and university-based commercialization.
Brandt holds a Ph.D. in electronic materials from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the University of Illinois. He has presented over 50 papers and holds six patents.
In his new role, Brandt will lead the ARM Institute’s expanding technical strategy and program planning. He will also continue to manage the ARM Institute's program management office and lead the Mill 19 robotic engineering plans and investment strategy.
Brandt will play a key role in the ARM Institute’s engineering activities as part of its recent Build Back Better Regional Challenge award of $14.2 million.
Teele brings business strategy to ARM
Teele joined the ARM Institute shortly after its founding in 2017, and the institute said she has been instrumental in developing its overall strategy and growing its consortium of more than 360 organizations. Teele has over 20 years of experience in business strategy, product management, customer acquisition and retention, marketing, sales, and business development.
She was also an executive at several software companies, driving revenue growth in roles that included chief operating officer and chief marketing officer. Prior to joining the ARM Institute, Teele was an executive consultant and advisor to venture-backed, early-stage technology companies.
Teele has been recognized as an Indiana University of PA (IUP) Distinguished Alumni and has been inducted into the IUP Business Hall of Fame. She is also a board member of the IUP Research Institute.
Other accolades include a Greater Pittsburgh Athena Award finalist and Business Women First Award. Teele helped to start the Pittsburgh Chapter of WELD (Women for Economic and Leadership Development) and has coached many women-owned businesses.
In her new role, Teele will drive the ARM Institute’s overall strategy related to new programs, outreach efforts, stakeholder strategy, and partnership activities.
About the ARM Institute
The ARM Institute is a Manufacturing Innovation Institute (MII) funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and is part of the Manufacturing USA network. The consortium has more than 300 members and partners across industry, academia, and government.
The institute's goals are to make robotics, autonomy, and artificial intelligence more accessible to U.S. manufacturers large and small; train and empower the manufacturing workforce; strengthen the U.S. economy and global competitiveness; and elevate national security and resilience.
The Pittsburgh-based institute said it is “leading the way to a future where people and robots work together to respond to our nation’s greatest challenges and to produce the world’s most desired products.”
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