New Mantis Innovation leader Whitley: 'I am humbled and excited to join a team that has navigated significant change over the past few years'

New Mantis Innovation President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Darrell Whitley described himself as “humbled and excited” to join the Houston-based managed facility services provider, a company-issued press release said. Whitley was appointed to his new position late last month.

“I am humbled and excited to join a team that has navigated significant change over the past few years,” he said in the release. “The future holds tremendous opportunities for us, and I look forward to leading this talented team as we embark on a new chapter of growth and development.”

According to Mantis Innovation, Whitley took over for Chirag Shah, who led the company on an interim basis. Shah said in the release that Mantis Innovation has a brighter future with Whitley at the helm, expressing the “utmost confidence” in the latter’s capabilities and vision. Before coming to the company, the release said, Whitley held the same offices at Resource Environmental Solutions (RES), an ecological restoration provider headquartered in Bellaire.

According to Whitley’s LinkedIn profile, he holds a bachelor’s degree from Rice University. Described as a “player-coach,” Whitley is an industry veteran whose career has mostly been spent in the Houston area, except for three years in the early 1990s as a management consultant in Phoenix, per LinkedIn.

Mantis Innovation said Whitley’s history of working with private equity portfolio companies will benefit him as its leader. The company, which was established in 2001, said his key responsibilities include overseeing overall operations, as well as laying out its strategic direction.

“His visionary approach will be instrumental in propelling Mantis Innovation into a new era of excellence, ensuring the company's ongoing success in delivering sustainable solutions that optimize facility performance,” the release said.

According to the release, Mantis Innovation has an office footprint that spreads across the country from Massachusetts to Washington State.