Agility Robotics announced three executive additions to its planned public-company board of directors today. Specifically, Merline Saintil, Derek Aberle, and Pierre Gentin will join the board following the business combination with Churchill Capital Corp XI. Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer Peggy Johnson and co-founder Damion Shelton will continue serving on the board. These appointments bring decades of expertise in global commercialization, corporate governance, and strategic partnerships to Agility Robotics. Consequently, the expanded board will guide the business as it scales humanoid robot deployments worldwide.
The company enters this expansion stage when its main humanoid robot, Digit 4, has already been employed in commercial settings. For example, such firms as Schaeffler, GXO, and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada have already deployed their operations. Additionally, Agility Robotics launched the next generation, Digit 5, which is expected to become commercially available in late 2027. Thus, the team continues to work on the expansion of its physically integrated AI platform. This means that Agility Robotics plans to address growing demand for industrial automation.
“We’ve already demonstrated through Digit 4 deployments that humanoid robots can perform valuable work in real customer operations. Our next challenge is bringing that capability to industrial scale,” said Peggy Johnson, CEO of Agility Robotics. “That takes more than groundbreaking technology. It requires the experience to build global businesses, forge strategic partnerships, navigate complex markets and establish the governance needed for long-term success. Merline, Derek and Pierre have helped lead some of the world’s most consequential technology businesses and institutions. Their collective experience, together with Damion’s deep understanding of Agility, will be instrumental as we move into our next chapter and work to make humanoid robotics an integral part of the global workforce.”
Industry Veterans to Support Global Expansion
Merline Saintil brings over twenty years of technology leadership and public board experience to the company. Currently, she serves on boards at Rocket Lab, Symbotic, and TD SYNNEX. Previously, she held senior management roles at Intuit, PayPal, Adobe, and Sun Microsystems. Thus, her deep knowledge in industrial automation will accelerate commercial strategies for Agility Robotics.
While on the other hand, Derek Aberle has gained substantial knowledge in international business dealings as a result of his 17 years at Qualcomm. Notable among his roles is that of president at Qualcomm during its period of globalization and technology licensing processes. At present, Aberle has co-founded Virewirx and sits on the InterDigital board.
Additionally, Pierre Gentin offers more than thirty years of legal and risk management experience. Most recently, he served as General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Commerce. Previously, Gentin worked as Chief Legal Officer at McKinsey & Company and spent nearly two decades at Credit Suisse. Consequently, his guidance will help Agility Robotics navigate complex regulatory environments during global operations.
“Agility has established a meaningful commercial foundation in one of the most consequential emerging technology markets,” said Michael Klein, Chairman and CEO of Churchill Capital Corp XI. “Building on that foundation requires a board that understands what it takes to scale sophisticated technology into a global business. Merline, Derek and Pierre bring an exceptional combination of operational leadership, strategic judgment and public-company experience. We believe their contributions will be invaluable as Peggy and her team expand Digit’s commercial footprint and Agility enters the public markets.”
Saintil joins the existing board immediately as an independent director, subject to approvals. Meanwhile, Aberle and Gentin will join upon transaction closing. Ultimately, the combined entity will trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AGLT, solidifying market leadership for Agility Robotics.
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Source: Businesswire
