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Derek Pietz is an accomplished engineering professional with extensive experience in automation and robotics within the food service industry and other sectors. Currently serving as the Director of Automation Equipment and Test Engineering at Intuitive since March 2023, Derek also provides expertise as a Technology Advisor at FTW Ventures. Previously held significant roles include Head of Automation Engineering at Covariant and VP of Hardware Engineering at Hyphen, where efforts focused on robotics for restaurants. Derek co-founded L2F Inc. and served in various leadership roles, culminating in the company’s acquisition by the Middleby Corporation. Prior experience encompasses key engineering positions at Kateeva, Solyndra, and ESCO-IMG. Derek holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Santa Clara University and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Kettering University.