NEW HEAD OF R&D AT DETECTRONIC

Gavin Wagstaff has joined wastewater monitoring specialist, Detectronic, as the company’s new head of research and development (R&D).

Gavin brings a wealth of product and business development knowledge and expertise gained over 30 years in a variety of different technology roles within consumer, retail, healthcare and more recently smart city/connected devices.

Commenting on his new position, Gavin said: “I’ve been interested in technology from an early age, and this interest has led me to forge a career in creating solutions, technologies and products for several blue-chip companies including Pace Micro Technology, Marconi Instruments and Coca Cola.”

Gavin succeeds existing Head of R&D Nick Bennett, who plans to retire after a remarkable career building the talent and capabilities that have made Detectronic an innovative leader in wastewater monitoring. Nick will remain with Detectronic coordinating hardware design.

States Gavin: “As the new head of R&D here at Detectronic my plan is to introduce modern planning and processes that will streamline and concentrate on unrivalled product development, but also ensure that the fantastic ideas the business and my colleagues have are made into a reality.

“The passion and commitment within the entire team is clear and I have no doubt that our product range will continue to grow and provide the solutions demanded by the global water industry. I’m looking forward to playing my part in the ongoing success of Detectronic for years to come.”

Innovation leadership

Detectronic leads the way in introducing new products and innovations to meet the challenges of the industry, including its latest sewer network monitoring solution. The LIDoTT Smart System is currently being deployed in its thousands across the UK and making a huge impact to the water utilities management of their sewer networks.

Neil Butler, Managing Director of Detectronic commented “Since joining Detectronic, Gavin has shown the business mindset and leadership qualities to shape the future of innovation at Detectronic. I am confident Gavin will discover, develop and deliver an exciting pipeline of new products and continuous innovations across our portfolio.

About Gavin Wagstaff

Over the last few years, Gavin has managed teams of engineers to provide 24-hour cover for a five-line production facility, developed global production test solutions, supported the creation of ‘smart’ thermostats for soft drinks coolers and project managed the development of a tele-healthcare product that is enabling elderly people to be independent as long as possible.

Prior to joining Detectronic, he was recruited to project manage and develop a connected street lighting system and smart city ecosystem which involved identifying and engaging with industry leading collaborators. He also helped to grow the team from four to 15 engineers focusing on hardware, firmware, cloud development, mechanical and validation IBM, Google and Amazon Web Service (AWS) systems that manage over 600,000 devices.

Ends.