The Crew
Bob Pudney
President. Bob Pudney brings over 25 years of experience to his role as President of BlackSea Technologies. The former U.S. Navy officer spent 21 years in the service's surface and special operations forces before transitioning to corporate leadership in 2019. That year, Pudney took the helm as President of Blue Tide Marine, a maritime logistics firm specializing in government services, undersea and aviation operations, and test and evaluation services. Guiding BlackSea's maritime missions today, he draws from his U.S. Naval Academy BS in Political Science and Troy University MA in International Relations.
Pat Reagan
Chief of Staff. Pat Reagan is the Chief of Staff at BlackSea Technologies, bringing with him more than 20 years of special operations and sensitive missions leadership experience across the Department of Defense. He joined Blue Tide Marine in 2021 following a distinguished career in the U.S. Air Force. A career enlisted aviator, Pat accumulated approximately 3,000 flight hours in multiple, specialized military aircraft. His final 15 years of service were spent as an operator and Director of Sensitive Activities for a Special Mission Unit at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Previously at BlackSea, Pat has served as a director of special projects and EVP of Strategy.
Elizabeth Hines
Chief Administrative Officer. Elizabeth Hines is the Chief Administrative Officer of BlackSea Technologies. Elizabeth joined Maritime Applied Physics Corporation in the Spring of 2016 working on marketing, conferences, and business development efforts. She manages the day-to-day operations of the company, processes improvements, and orchestrates business development efforts. Her previous 15-year career before joining MAPC was with State and local governments in various appointed positions, such as Chief of Staff for the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives and Director of the Foreign Trade and Enterprise Zone for Baltimore City. She has a B.A. from Oberlin College in Political Science and French and a 2019 graduate of Seth Godin’s AltMBA program.
Ivan Mills
Chief Financial Officer. Ivan joined BlackSea Technologies in July 2024. Ivan has over 30 years of defense industry experience, with a significant focus on Contracts & Procurement and Business Operations. Prior to joining BlackSea, Ivan worked at Argon ST and DZYNE Technologies. He holds a B.A. in Finance from the University of Tennessee.
Timothy O’Connor
Chief Strategy Officer. Timothy O’Connor is the Director of BlackSea’s Advanced Technologies Division and has nearly 20 years of experience in the successful design, plan, and execution of technical intelligence operations in the maritime environment. At BlackSea, he leads efforts to solve urgent and complex challenges facing mission critical customers in the Intelligence Community and the Department of Defense. In government, he completed military and civilian assignments at the Office of Naval Intelligence, U.S. Cyber Command, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Reconnaissance Office, Joint Special Operations Command, and the Pentagon. He has a B.S. in Physics from the U.S. Naval Academy, a MS in Engineering Management from Duke University, and a MA in Defense & Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.
Brian Fitzpatrick
President, Maritime Systems. Brian Fitzpatrick joined BlackSea Technologies as the President of Maritime Systems in February 2023. He has over 20 years of experience developing and transitioning technology with the US Navy with expertise in Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) and applied superconductivity. Prior to BlackSea, Brian was a program manager at NAVSEA responsible for developing and delivering a portfolio of USVs and the associated enabling capabilities for those platforms. He holds M.S. and B.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Rowan University, has published over 20 peer reviewed papers and holds 2 US patents.
Mike Oberhelman
President, Mission Solutions. Mike Oberhelman is the President of BlackSea Technologies’ Mission Solutions division, bringing more than two decades of experience leading maritime and special operations missions in complex environments. He began his career in 1998 as a U.S. Navy SEAL, serving as a wet submersible pilot, reconnaissance team leader, and member of a specialized unit within the SEAL Teams. He retired from the U.S. Navy in 2016 after 20 years of honorable service, achieving the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer. Mike’s military career included leadership roles in combat operations and the development of advanced maritime capabilities.
Todd Greene
Director, Advanced Technologies. Todd Greene is the Director of Advanced Technologies at BlackSea Technologies, bringing more than two decades of experience across naval engineering, ship design, acquisition, and sustainment. A U.S. Navy Engineering Duty Officer, he has held leadership roles spanning surface warfare, new construction, fleet introduction, and major acquisition programs, including work on the Littoral Combat Ship and next-generation frigate programs. Todd has also served as a faculty member and Associate Department Chair in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering at the U.S. Naval Academy, as well as a Program Officer at the Naval Postgraduate School. His background combines operational experience as a Surface Warfare Officer with deep technical expertise in naval architecture and mechanical engineering. He holds a B.S. in Naval Architecture from the U.S. Naval Academy and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School.