01 October 2026 | News
Agility Robotics, a leading humanoid robotics and physical AI company, announced that Merline Saintil, Derek Aberle and Pierre Gentin are expected to join its board of directors following the completion of its previously announced business combination with Churchill Capital Corp XI (NASDAQ: CCXI). The new directors will serve alongside Agility CEO Peggy Johnson and co-founder Damion Shelton, both of whom will continue as members of the board.
The appointments bring together executives with decades of experience leading global technology companies, building strategic partnerships, navigating complex legal and regulatory environments, and guiding publicly traded businesses. Together, they will help oversee Agility's next phase of growth as the company looks to expand commercial deployments of Digit®, scale its manufacturing capabilities, and advance the adoption of humanoid robotics across industrial environments.
Agility enters this next chapter with its current generation humanoid robot, Digit 4, already operating in commercial environments, including at Schaeffler, GXO and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada. Following the recent announcement of Digit 5, anticipated to be commercially available in the second half of 2027, the company's focus will be on scaling its vertically integrated platform to meet growing demand for safe, reliable and commercially deployable humanoid robots.
"We've already demonstrated through Digit 4 deployments that humanoid robots can perform valuable work in real customer operations. Our next challenge is bringing that capability to industrial scale," said Peggy Johnson, CEO of Agility Robotics. "That takes more than groundbreaking technology. It requires the experience to build global businesses, forge strategic partnerships, navigate complex markets and establish the governance needed for long-term success. Merline, Derek and Pierre have helped lead some of the world's most consequential technology businesses and institutions. Their collective experience, together with Damion's deep understanding of Agility, will be instrumental as we move into our next chapter and work to make humanoid robotics an integral part of the global workforce."
Experienced Leaders to Guide Agility's Next Phase of Growth
Merline Saintil brings more than two decades of executive leadership in technology, product development and business operations, as well as extensive public-company board experience. She currently serves on the boards of Rocket Lab, where she is lead independent director, Symbotic and TD SYNNEX. Previously, Saintil held senior leadership positions at Change Healthcare, Intuit, Yahoo!, PayPal, Adobe and Sun Microsystems. Her experience overseeing technology-driven businesses and serving on the boards of companies operating at the intersection of advanced technology and industrial automation will bring valuable perspectives to Agility's commercialization and governance strategy.
Derek Aberle brings extensive experience building global technology businesses, establishing strategic partnerships and commercializing transformative technologies. He spent 17 years at Qualcomm, including serving as president from 2014 to 2018, where he oversaw global strategy and business operations and helped drive the company's international expansion. He also led Qualcomm's technology licensing business, establishing major global licensing programs and negotiating strategic agreements. Aberle is co-founder and executive vice chairman of Virewirx, serves on the board of InterDigital and previously led Prospector Capital Corp. through its business combination with LeddarTech. His experience in scaling technology platforms, intellectual property commercialization and international business development will support Agility's expansion into global markets.
Pierre Gentin brings more than 30 years of experience spanning law, business and public service. Most recently, he served as General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Previously, he was a senior partner and Chief Legal Officer at McKinsey & Company and spent nearly two decades in senior legal and risk-management roles at Credit Suisse. Earlier in his career, Gentin was a partner at Cahill Gordon & Reindel and an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. His experience in corporate governance, legal and regulatory strategy, and the intersection of business and government will provide important perspectives as Agility expands its commercial operations and navigates the evolving environment for advanced robotics.
Agility co-founder Damion Shelton will continue to serve on the board, contributing his experience in robotics development and his perspective on the company's long-term vision. Peggy Johnson will also serve on the board following completion of the business combination.
"Agility has established a meaningful commercial foundation in one of the most consequential emerging technology markets," said Michael Klein, Chairman and CEO of Churchill Capital Corp XI. "Building on that foundation requires a board that understands what it takes to scale sophisticated technology into a global business. Merline, Derek and Pierre bring an exceptional combination of operational leadership, strategic judgment and public-company experience. We believe their contributions will be invaluable as Peggy and her team expand Digit's commercial footprint and Agility enters the public markets."
Saintil is expected to join Agility’s existing Board of Directors as an independent director immediately subject to applicable approvals. Aberle and Gentin are expected to join the Board upon completion of the proposed business combination with Churchill Capital Corp XI, subject to applicable approvals and closing conditions. Additional board members will be announced at a later date. Following the transaction, the combined company is expected to operate as Agility Robotics and trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AGLT.
