PRESS RELEASE2 MIN READ
- Appointments follow Chris Wright’s departure from Oklo’s Board after his confirmation as U.S. Secretary of Energy.
- Oklo welcomes Daniel Poneman and Michael Thompson as new Board Directors.
- New board members bring decades of experience in the nuclear, hard tech, and financial sectors.
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Oklo Inc. (NYSE: OKLO), an advanced nuclear technology company, has appointed Daniel Poneman and Michael Thompson to its Board of Directors. Their addition strengthens the company’s leadership team with deep expertise in nuclear technology and technology financing.
“We welcome Daniel and Michael to our Board of Directors,” said Oklo Co-founder and CEO Jacob DeWitte. “Their extensive experience and passion for our mission will be helpful as we work to advance the large-scale deployment of Oklo Aurora powerhouses, nuclear fuel recycling, and the development of our radioisotope production facilities.”
“Nuclear energy needs to play a major role in meeting the world's growing energy needs,” said Caroline Cochran, Co-Founder and COO of Oklo. “We are developing advanced fission technologies to deliver on its potential, and the expertise of Daniel and Michael will help us achieve our goals.”
About the New Board Members
Daniel B. Poneman has decades of experience in the U.S. nuclear industry across both public and private sectors. He served as Deputy Secretary of Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy from 2009 to 2014. Mr. Poneman later became President and CEO of Centrus Energy Corp. from 2015 to 2023, where he played a key role in launching the first U.S.-technology enabled domestic uranium enrichment production since 1954.
Michael Thompson has over 25 years of experience investing in and advising technology companies. Since 2017, he has served as CEO and Managing Partner of Reinvent Capital, a private investment fund focused on technology. Prior to that, he was the Founder and Managing Director of BHR-Capital, a New York-based hedge fund.
Mr. Poneman will serve on the Nominating & Governance Committee, and Mr. Thompson will serve on the Audit Committee of Oklo’s Board.
About Oklo Inc. : Oklo Inc. is developing fast fission power plants to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable energy at scale, establishing a domestic supply chain for critical radioisotopes, and advancing nuclear fuel recycling to convert nuclear waste into clean energy. Oklo was the first to receive a site use permit from the U.S. Department of Energy for a commercial advanced fission plant, was awarded fuel from Idaho National Laboratory, and submitted the first custom combined license application for an advanced reactor to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Oklo is also developing advanced fuel recycling technologies in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. National Laboratories.