Skeyeon today announced with profound sadness the passing of its founder and visionary, Dr. Ronald E. Reedy. To continue his mission, Skeyeon has named Mike Knowles as Executive Officer and Rob Weitendorf as Operations Officer.
A pioneering semiconductor and space-systems innovator, Dr. Reedy’s career spanned groundbreaking work in RF SOI/UltraCMOS® at Peregrine Semiconductor (now pSemi) and, more recently, the advancement of Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) satellite architectures at Skeyeon. Dr. Reedy earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, an M.S.E.E. from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering & Applied Physics from UC San Diego.
To continue his mission, Skeyeon has named Mike Knowles as Executive Officer and Rob Weitendorf as Operations Officer. Both leaders have been integral members of the Skeyeon Advisory Board and have worked closely with Dr. Reedy to prepare for this transition and ensure continuity of strategy and execution.
Mike Knowles brings 30+ years of aerospace and defense leadership driving innovation and growth. He previously served as President of Cubic’s Mission & Performance Solutions (leading a broad all domain C5ISR portfolio) and as VP/GM of C5ISR Systems at Curtiss-Wright. Earlier in his career, he held senior posts at Collins Aerospace and Lockheed Martin. A retired U.S. Navy officer and graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, Knowles holds a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School, and an MBA from George Mason University.
Rob Weitendorf is a satellite-communications veteran who co-founded Lepton Global Solutions (acquired by Kymeta in 2020). At Kymeta, he led U.S. government and military sales and previously served as VP of Business Development, focusing on mission-critical SATCOM solutions for SOCOM and other agencies. He began his career in COTM SATCOM at Tachyon Networks and led sales at MTN Government. Weitendorf also serves on the World Teleport Association Board of Directors.
“Ron taught us how to turn ‘impossible’ into ‘inevitable’—by marrying rigor with imagination,” said Mike Knowles. “Our team will honor his legacy by accelerating Skeyeon’s roadmap in VLEO systems and delivering resilient solutions for customers who depend on timely, high-fidelity data.”
“Ron made the complex understandable—and often delightful,” said Rob Weitendorf, COO. “We’re focused on scaling programs from the lab to orbit, building on Skeyeon’s advances in communications, coatings, and mission architecture that make VLEO practical and powerful.”
Dr. Reedy’s contributions to RF and space technology have influenced billions of devices and inspired generations of engineers and operators. His leadership and mentorship shaped Skeyeon’s culture and technical direction, establishing a durable foundation for the company’s next phase.
