L3Harris Appoints Sam Mehta CEO Following Chris Kubasik’s Immediate Departure

L3Harris Technologies’ board of directors announced Monday the promotion of Sam Mehta to chief executive officer, elevating him from his role as president of space and mission systems in a sudden leadership transition.

Chris Kubasik, who had served as CEO since June 2021, stepped down from that position and relinquished his roles as chairman and board member effective immediately.

The company stated the board reached a separation agreement with Kubasik following an investigation that uncovered conduct inconsistent with L3Harris’ code of conduct and values. L3Harris emphasized that the matter did not involve financial reporting, internal controls, customer relationships, or operational performance.

Mehta joined L3Harris in 2023 as president of the communications segment and assumed leadership of the space and mission systems segment at the beginning of this year.

The leadership change arrives during a pivotal year for the defense contractor, which plans to spin off its missile solutions segment via an initial public offering after securing a $1 billion investment from the Department of Defense.

While L3Harris initially targeted the second half of this year for the IPO, Kubasik informed investors in July that the offering would be postponed until at least mid-2027, citing market conditions that fail to reflect the full value of the Mission Solutions business.

Kubasik’s tenure as CEO began with the completion of the post-merger integration of L3 Technologies and Harris Corp. following their 2019 combination and included the $4.7 billion acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne in 2023.

Beyond the planned Missile Solutions IPO, L3Harris recently finalized the sale of a 60% stake in its space propulsion and power systems business to AE Industrial Partners, retaining a 40% interest.

Accompanying Mehta’s promotion, Lauren Barnes was elevated to president of the space and mission systems segment from her previous role as president of spectrum superiority. Christopher Aebli, formerly president of mission critical communications, was named president of communications and spectrum dominance.

Lewis Hay III, a board member since 2002 with service on predecessor company boards, was elected chairman after previously serving as lead independent director.

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