Kepler Communications has named Carl Jenkins as senior vice president of engineering.
Who Is Carl Jenkins?
Jenkins joins Kepler with more than three decades of experience in vehicle and systems engineering, program management and operational leadership across automotive, mobility and advanced technology sectors. His prior roles include senior positions at Cruise Automation, Virgin Hyperloop One, Google X and Karma Automotive, where he oversaw the development of autonomous systems, electric vehicle platforms and next-generation transportation technologies.
Jenkins has led international product development teams, managed full lifecycle technical programs and delivered hardware-software integrated systems in mission-critical environments. At Cruise, he grew the hardware team from 20 to around 650 engineers, overseeing the development of multiple generations of autonomous vehicle hardware.
“Kepler is entering an exciting chapter, marked by bold technical ambition and a clear vision for scaling its global impact,” said Jenkins. “The company’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of connectivity in space aligns with my dedication to building high-performing teams and delivering complex engineering programs at scale.”
Carl Jenkins’ Role as Kepler SVP
At Kepler, Jenkins will lead the company’s global engineering organization, which oversees the execution of technical strategy as Kepler advances the deployment of its optical data relay network and in-orbit communications infrastructure, designed to provide sub-second latency, gigabit throughput and seamless data relay capabilities for commercial, scientific and government missions in orbit.
In June 2024, Kepler demonstrated its first optical inter-satellite link in space, paving the way for the deployment of its next-generation constellation.
“Carl’s experience leading engineering organizations through complex, high-stakes innovation cycles make him the ideal leader for this stage of Kepler’s growth,” said Mina Mitry, CEO and co-founder of Kepler. “He understands how to scale from prototype to production, and brings a unique blend of technical depth and operational clarity.”
