Robert Marshall is the president and CEO of Earth Networks, which operates the largest and most comprehensive weather observation, lightning detection, and greenhouse gas monitoring networks in the world. Earth Networks is also launching a boundary layer network to capture atmospheric observations that are influenced by the Earth’s surface. These global networks, combined with innovative technology and solutions, provide advanced intelligence, alerting and decision-support and enable societies to better manage, adapt to, and mitigate climate change.
In 1992, Marshall co-founded AWS Convergence Technologies, the company that would become Earth Networks, by pioneering the networking of weather sensors and cameras using the Internet. Since then, the company has fostered partnerships with NWS, NOAA, NIST, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and many other government entities. Earth Networks provides its proprietary solutions to governments at the local, state and federal levels, and to enterprises across industries that include agriculture, energy, transportation, sports and recreation, education and others. The company also owns and operates the WeatherBug brand that informs and alerts millions of consumers to changing and severe weather.
Prior to founding AWS and launching Earth Networks, Marshall served as a program manager and lead engineer at BBN, where he oversaw the development of several advanced military sensor, signal processing and networking programs.
Marshall sits on the board of directors of the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education, a coalition of more than 100 leading employers that have made a long-term commitment to support education reform and improve student achievement in Maryland.
Marshall is a cum laude graduate of the University of Maryland College of Engineering. In 2007, Marshall received the distinction of Outstanding Alumnus in Engineering and Information Technology for his contributions to the University and his professional and personal accomplishments.
In May 2011, Washingtonian magazine named Marshall one of the region's 100 top Tech Titans who are making the D.C. area grow. In June 2011, DC Tech Source honored Marshall with their inaugural Technology Visionary award that recognizes a person who has a long track record of identifying issues and creating solutions.