# Michael G. Johnson

> Michael Gordon Johnson is the founder, President and CTO of Sea Machines Robotics. A Texas A&M-trained marine engineer and former Crowley Maritime and TITAN Salvage executive, he founded the Boston maritime autonomy business in 2015 after a career in offshore projects, transportation and salvage.

- **Role:** Founder, President & CTO at Sea Machines Robotics
- **Organizations:** Sea Machines Robotics, Crowley Maritime, TITAN Salvage
- **Education:** Marine engineering degree, Texas A&M University
- **Known for:** Led development of the winning Costa Concordia salvage proposal., Founded Sea Machines Robotics and commercialized maritime autonomy systems., Named number three in Marine Technology Reporter’s 2021 Ocean Influencer selection.

## Career timeline

- **Before 2015** — Merchant Marine engineering officer; subsequently worked in ship repair, shipbuilding, offshore projects and marine transportation; owned a marine project management company and held executive roles at Crowley Maritime and TITAN Salvage.
- **2012** — Led the team developing the winning proposal to recover Costa Concordia.
- **2015** — Started Sea Machines; early prototype work with Jaybridge Robotics and a German tug in Boston Harbor.
- **2016** — Sea Machines participated in MassChallenge and was a winner.
- **2021** — Sea Machines completed the Machine Odyssey remotely commanded autonomous voyage around Denmark.
- **2023** — Testified at the September 19 House hearing on autonomous and experimental maritime technologies.
- **2024** — Sea Machines introduced SELKIE; Johnson became President and CTO in November as Chip Wasson became CEO.

## Achievements

- Led development of the winning Costa Concordia salvage proposal.
- Founded Sea Machines Robotics and commercialized maritime autonomy systems.
- Named number three in Marine Technology Reporter’s 2021 Ocean Influencer selection.
- Led Sea Machines during the 2021 Machine Odyssey demonstration.

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Sea Machines appointed Shintoa Corporation as its authorized value-added reseller in Japan.
- **2025-09** — Sea Machines announced six new products serving defense customers, including STORMRUNNER.
- **2024-11** — Johnson transitioned to President and CTO; David “Chip” Wasson became CEO.

## Links

- Website: https://sea-machines.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/micgjohnson/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/michael-g-johnson
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-11