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Steve Wadey, CEO of QinetiQ said, “I am delighted to be making a positive investment in OptaSense by appointing Jamie Pollard as its CEO to augment the current leadership team and build on what they have already achieved. Jamie’s record of growing businesses at Schlumberger will prove invaluable as we look to take the business forward and realise its potential to change the way we monitor oil wells, transport networks and infrastructure.”

Jamie graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Loughborough University of Technology. At Schlumberger he ran and grew large global businesses and joint ventures, working across the UK, US, Continental Europe and Africa. Jamie Pollard said, “I am really excited to be joining OptaSense, the undisputed market leader. DAS technology brings real business benefits across a range of sectors and I look forward to working with the excellent team in place at OptaSense to take it to the next level.”

Magnus McEwen-King, who built OptaSense from inception, will remain with the business as an Executive Director with a focus on strategic pursuits and industry partnerships.

Jamie Pollard brings a depth of oil and gas industry expertise that will be complemented by additional investment in an advisory board for OptaSense comprising senior specialists to provide further domain expertise in key target markets.

Mr Pollard will be joining the OptaSense leadership team at the annual Society of Petroleum Engineers – Distributed Fibre Optic Sensing Conference, which takes place 10-13 August in Napa, California, USA.

Notes for Editors

About QinetiQ

• A FTSE250 company, QinetiQ uses its world class knowledge, research and innovation to provide high-end technical expertise and advice, to customers in the global aerospace, defence and security markets. QinetiQ's unique position enables it to be a trusted partner to government organisations, predominantly in the UK and the US, including defence departments as well as other international customers in targeted sectors.
• Follow us on twitter @QinetiQ
• Visit our blog www.qinetiq.com/blog

About OptaSense

• OptaSense is a platform technology which has applications in a number of markets, including infrastructure security where the technology is already in use to monitor 15,000kms of assets, principally providing leak detection and third party intrusion detection for oil and gas pipelines and transport network monitoring.
• OptaSense is the World leader in Distributed Acoustic Sensing and operating in 40 countries globally with operations across multiple industries including Oil & Gas, Defence & Security, Transport and Utilities. It is managed as a subsidiary of the QinetiQ Group.
• Website: www.optasense.com

For further information

• QinetiQ Press Office – pressoffice@qinetiq.com / +44 (0) 1252 39 3500