DENVER, CO, August 1, 2024 -- Ursa Major, America’s leading privately funded company focused solely on propulsion, today announced that industry veteran Dan Jablonsky has been appointed Chief Executive Officer effective August 5, 2024. He will succeed Ursa Major founder Joe Laurienti, who has led the company for the past nine years. Ursa Major’s co-founders and leaders remain in their current positions and are working to ensure a seamless transition.
“It has been the adventure of a lifetime to found and lead Ursa Major,” said Mr. 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 defense: 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.”
Mr. Jablonsky is highly experienced in leading and scaling companies and has held senior leadership roles in the aerospace and defense industry for more than a decade. Most recently, he served as President and CEO of space technology company Maxar Technologies and led that company through its successful take-private acquisition by Advent International. Previously, he held a variety of senior positions, including as President, at satellite imagery company DigitalGlobe. He started his career as a surface warfare officer and nuclear engineer in the US Navy before working as an attorney at corporate law firms, for the SEC, and in in-house roles.
Mr. Jablonsky holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy, graduated from the Navy Nuclear Power School, and earned a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law.
“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 Mr. Jablonsky. “I am honored 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 defense infrastructure capabilities.”
Mr. Laurienti originally planned to bring Mr. Jablonsky into Ursa Major as an advisor, but quickly realized he was, instead, the right person to scale the company and lead it to through its next stages of success. After conducting a review, Ursa Major’s Board unequivocally supported his appointment as CEO.
Ursa Major is well-positioned for growth. It successfully launched the Hadley rocket engine in March in a first flight that broke new ground, recently won a significant number of new contracts, and just announced the creation of a new R&D site in Youngstown, Ohio, that will help expand and accelerate Ursa Major’s new material development.
“Dan is the perfect executive to lead Ursa Major as it fulfills its mission to meet the strategic needs of the United States for leading edge propulsion,” says Gilman Louie, cofounder of Alsop Louie Partners. “I worked with Dan on the board of Maxar and saw him in action building the vision and value of that company.”
About Ursa Major
Ursa Major is America's leading privately funded company focusing solely on rocket and missile propulsion, bringing high-performance, staged combustion engines to market for space launch, hypersonic applications, and solid rocket motors for missiles. Ursa Major customers, ranging from "New Space" startups to enterprise-level aerospace leaders and the U.S. government, get to flight faster, more reliably, and cost-effectively. The company employs the most sought-after engineers from top space programs and universities. Headquartered in Berthoud, Colorado, Ursa Major was named one of the best places to work by Built in Colorado three years in a row. For more information, visit www.ursamajor.com. For downloadable images and videos, click here.
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