Ursa Major has announced that founder Joe Laurienti is stepping back from his role as CEO, with Dan Jablonsky being appointed in his place.
As he assumes the role of CEO on August 5th, Jablonsky will be tasked with scaling the company. Jablonsky had originally been sounded out as a potential advisor, but Laurienti is said to have realised that he is the 'right person to scale the company and lead it to through its next stages of success.'
Jablonsky has held several senior leadership roles in the aerospace and defence industries, serving most recently serving as the President and CEO of Maxar Technologies where he led the company through its successful take-private acquisition by Advent International. He has also served as President of satellite imagery firm DigitalGlobe, and worked as an attorney for corporate law firms, the SEC and in in-house roles. He started his career as a surface warfare officer and nuclear engineer in the US Navy.
"I have followed Ursa Major's many successes over the past nine years and am confident in the impact that its advanced technology and manufacturing approaches will have on the space and defense communities for years to come," said Jablonsky. "I am honoured by Joe and the Board's trust and endorsement, and look forward to working with the team to enhance America's national security and expand the United States' critical space and defence infrastructure capabilities."
He succeeds Laurienti, who has led the company for the past nine years. In that time, he has overseen the development and commercialisation of several rocket engine products, including the Hadley rocket which was successfully launched in March. The company also recently announced the creation of a new R&D site in Youngstown, Ohio, that will help expand and accelerate Ursa Major's new material development, cited by Laurienti earlier this year as one of the company's core competencies on the Additive Insight podcast.
Laurienti's departure and the appointment of Jablonsky has been approved by the Ursa Major Board of Directors. The company's co-founders and leaders remain in their current positions and will work to ensure a seamless transition, per an Ursa Major press release.
"It has been the adventure of a lifetime to found and lead Ursa Major," said Laurienti. "I can't express how excited I am for the next phase of the company. In what feels like a very short period of time, we have built a world-class team and foundation focused on solving the hardest problem in aerospace and defence: propulsion. To continue advancing Ursa Major's work in space, hypersonics, and solid rocket motors, now is the right time for the company to bring in a new leader with the expertise and track record to successfully guide the company into further reaches of scale and impact. I cannot think of a more accomplished or seasoned leader for this mission than Dan."
"Dan is the perfect executive to lead Ursa Major as it fulfils its mission to meet the strategic needs of the United States for leading edge propulsion," added Gilman Louie, co-founder of Alsop Louie Partners and a member of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board. "I worked with Dan on the board of Maxar and saw him in action building the vision and value of that company."
