Thomas Chance

Thomas Chance founded C & C Technologies in 1992. C & C became the world’s largest privately held offshore oilfield surveying and mapping company with more than 600 employees in ten offices across the globe. C & C was the first company in the world to offer autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) survey services to the oil industry and it became the world leader in that arena. In 2015, Mr. Chance sold C & C Technologies to Oceaneering International.

Complementing the autonomous underwater vehicle business, Mr. Chance formed ASV Global LLC in 2010. ASV became the largest unmanned boat company in the world with 170 employees, offices in the US and Europe, and delivering more than 100 state-of-the-art autonomous surface vehicles (unmanned boats) for the defense and commercial sectors. Mr. Chance sold ASV Global in 2018 to a major defense contractor, L3 Technologies, where he remained in his leadership position until his retirement in June 2019.

Mr. Chance has received numerous awards including the 1996 Entrepreneur of the Year for the Gulf Coast Region, the 2006 LCG International Achievement Award, the 2008 Marine Technology Reporter Seamaster of the Year Award, the 2015 Junior Achievement Business Person of the Year Award, and in 2018, was named a Louisiana Legend by Louisiana Public Broadcasting.

Mr. Chance has served on several boards including the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s Ocean Studies Board, the Miles Perret Cancer Services Board, the UL Lafayette Foundation Board, and the UL Lafayette Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council. Mr. Chance is former chairman of the National Ocean Industries Association Technology Policy Committee.

Mr. Chance has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from LSU, a Master of Science in Engineering from Purdue University, and a Master of Science in Industrial Administration also from Purdue. Mr. Chance and his wife Lisa have been married for 43 years and are lifelong residents of Lafayette, Louisiana. They have five children and thirteen grandchildren.