On October 6, 2014, the board of directors of Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc. appointed John D. Longley, Jr., 47, to the position of Chief Operating Officer. Previously, Mr. Longley served as Senior Vice President, Director of Sales and Business Operations, since 2013, and Vice President, Director of Business Development since 2012. He joined Odyssey in 2005 as Director of Business Development.

With over 25 years of marketing and business strategy experience, he has been integral in growing the company's business opportunities including its attractions, the monetization of valuable shipwreck finds and exploring new deep-ocean opportunities that utilize Odyssey's core competencies.