WASHINGTON — RTX chief executive Greg Hayes will step down in May, the company announced Thursday.
The company’s chief operating officer, Chris Calio, will take over the CEO role.
Hayes was previously chief executive of United Technologies Corp. from 2014 until 2020, when Raytheon and UTC merged. Hayes was named CEO of the newly formed company, which is now called RTX.
In a Dec. 14 statement, the company described the leadership change as a “long-planned transition,” noting Calio was appointed chief operating officer in 2022 and tasked with reorganizing RTX from four business units into three: Pratt & Whitney, Collins and Raytheon.
“Today’s announcement reflects the board’s deliberate, disciplined succession planning process,” Hayes said in a statement. “Chris has an understanding of the industry, our customers’ needs and our operations. I have every confidence in his ability to lead RTX and drive the company’s long-term success.”
The leadership transition will occur at the company’s annual shareowners meeting slated for May 2. Hayes will continue to serve as RTX’s executive chairman.
Calio previously was president of Pratt & Whitney.
RTX is the second largest global defense contractor when ranked by defense-focused revenue, according to the 2023 Defense News Top 100 list.
Courtney Albon is C4ISRNET’s space and emerging technology reporter. She has covered the U.S. military since 2012, with a focus on the Air Force and Space Force. She has reported on some of the Defense Department’s most significant acquisition, budget and policy challenges.
