Kriti Mehrotra
As a documentary that illuminates the events leading up to the June 18, 2023, implosion of the Titan submersible, Netflix’s ‘Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster’ is simply gripping. It comprises not only extensive archival footage but also exclusive interviews with those close to the matter to underscore precisely what transpired and why. Amongst those to play a significant role in this Mark Monroe-directed original production is Tony Nissen, the Director of Engineering at OceanGate during the period they were building the Titan.
Tony Nissen Built a Diverse Career Before Joining OceanGate
Although not much information regarding Tony Nissen’s background or early years is publicly available as of writing, we do know he kickstarted his career in the US Navy at age 18. He enrolled not long after graduating from high school, after which he attended the Navy’s Advanced Electronics School in 1989 as well as their Deep Sea Diving School in 1990. This was so he could serve his country by doing field work for nuclear submarines and surface vessels as a certified Deep Sea Diver, Diver Medic, and Electronics Technician until April 1998. We specify April 1998 because that’s when Tony was honorably discharged, yet he almost immediately decided to continue honing his skills in this same field, but in the private sector.
According to records, Tony subsequently worked at Hyperbaric Management Systems in Salt Lake City, Utah, as a Diver Medic as well as an Emergency Medical Technician until March 1999. From there, he moved on to do a 10-month stint at the University of Utah Center for Patient Simulation as a Program Manager before interning at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Nuclear Reactor Materials department. It was not long after that he attended UC Berkeley to earn a Bachelor’s in Materials Science Engineering, with an emphasis on Biomaterials, Corrosion, and Composites (2002-2004). He then joined the Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab as a Research Assistant, only to later serve as an Engineer (on multiple levels) at ATK Space Systems.
Tony was a part of ATK Space Systems from December 2004 to August 2010, so it was during this period that he even sat on the Board of Directors at Mestizo Institute for Cultural Arts for two years from May 2009 to April 2010. Little did he know he would soon find himself working as a Senior Engineer at Bard Access Systems until September 2011, leaving to focus on his own small business, Two Creek Coffee House. This endeavor of his sadly shut down in November 2014, but by this point, he had already garnered additional experience as a Lead Test Engineer at B/E Aerospace from June 2012 to June 2014. He later took on the role of a Certification Project Lead at Panasonic Avionics and a Firefighter until 2016.
Tony Nissen Was Employed at OceanGate for Just Over 3 Years
It was in March 2016 when Tony was hired by OceanGate as their Director of Engineering, with his primary role being to help develop a submersible that can reach 4,000 meters below sea level. After all, the goal of this exploratory expedition organization was to offer civilians a chance to experience deep-sea diving and view shipwrecks firsthand, including the infamous Titanic. So, that’s precisely what this former Navy officer, as well as certified sailor, instructor, and submersible pilot, focused on, all the while managing a budget of over $10 million, handling development processes, and recruiting, training, plus mentoring lower-level engineers to get the job done on time.
According to Tony’s own accounts, although he held the title of Director of Engineering, most of the decisions around actual processes involving such science were made by CEO Stockton Rush. As if that’s not enough, per him, when he did try to raise concerns regarding the vessel they were building over its safety, the use of carbon fiber for the hull, or some other aspect, all he received was backlash. Therefore, he stated in the aforementioned documentary that he had to manage all those under him in such a way that Stockton never found out their worries or concerns, even though he still tried to raise them in private. Over time, because of this, things deteriorated between the duo, and once the Titan’s hull cracked in the summer of 2019 before a test dive, the Director was let go – this was June 2019.
Tony Nissen is Now Gradually Moving On and Thriving in the World of Tech
After Tony was fired from OceanGate, he didn’t speak much about his time at the company until he was subpoenaed by the US Coast Guard for their investigation into the Titan’s 2023 implosion. That’s because it reportedly imploded at a depth of around 3,500 meters into the sea, killing all five passengers on board – CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire businessman Hamish Harding, French Titanic expert and underwater explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and Shahzada’s 19-year-old son Sulaiman Dawood. During his testimony in the fall of 2024, this former Director of Engineering’s tone as well as somberness made it clear that he wishes he could have done more to stop this tragedy from ever happening, but it is, unfortunately, now all in hindsight.
Tony testified that Stockton was often difficult to work for because he fought for what he wanted, even if it changed day by day, and pushed for the project to be completed as quickly as possible. He claimed that he tried to keep their clashes behind closed doors, but he eventually backed down because Stockton allegedly made things difficult with thinly veiled threats of firing or ruining lives. When asked if he felt pressured to get the Titan developed and into the water, he responded, “100%” before adding that while the vessel was completed within months, he outrightly refused to get in it because it didn’t feel safe. However, he did state that he didn’t feel any pressure to compromise safety decisions or testing because their budget was so big, yet things were just difficult owing to circumstances.
Since then, from what we can tell, Tony has been doing his best to move on with his life and keep the past in the past, for which he has even relocated from Everett, Washington, to Bend, Oregon. Here, after years of serving as the proud owner-operator of Project Wanderlust (March 2015 to April 2025, wherein he offered consulting, sailing, and piloting services), he is now the Chief Operating Officer at KT Software Technologies. He has been serving in the latter role of COO since September 2024, and he appears to be perfectly content with it as of writing because it enables him to expand his wings further. This now-certified commercial aircraft pilot is a hobbyist runner and fitness enthusiast, so whenever he is not working or spending time with loved ones, he dedicates himself to his physical as well as mental health.
Read More: Tym Catterson: Where is the Ex-OceanGate Contractor Now?
