NovAtel Inc., of Calgary, Alberta, named Michael Ritter as president and CEO. He replaces Jon Ladd, who is assuming a new role with NovAtel’s parent company, Hexagon AB, of Sweden.

A trained engineer, Ritter has more than 20 years of experience in the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) industry. He most recently served as a senior executive with Trimble Navigation Ltd. Prior to Trimble, he held senior positions with Schlumberger and other companies.

Ritter is expected to start his new role at NovAtel Feb. 2.

NovAtel is a manufacturer of precision GNSS components and subsystems, including receivers, antennas, enclosures and firmware. Its reference receivers are deployed in aviation ground networks in the United States, Japan, Europe, China and India.

“We are extremely pleased to be able to once again attract someone with such world-class industry experience,” said Ola Rollen, Hexagon president and CEO. “We anticipate a very smooth transition of leadership and look forward to supporting Mr. Ritter in his new growth initiatives for the company.”