L3Harris Technologies names Sam Mehta president and CEO

L3Harris Technologies has appointed Sam Mehta as president and chief executive officer and to its board of directors, while naming Lewis Hay III as independent chairman. Christopher Kubasik has stepped down as chairman and CEO and from the board. The changes are effective immediately.

Mehta, who joined the company in 2023, most recently led L3Harris’ Space & Mission Systems (SMS) and Communications & Spectrum Dominance (CSD) segments, overseeing business strategy, financial performance, execution and growth across space, air, land, sea and cyber domains. Those two segments account for more than 80% of the company’s total revenue.

Hay said, “Sam is a proven executive who brings deep knowledge of our business, priorities and culture, making him ideally suited to become President and CEO of L3Harris at this important time in our company’s and our nation’s history. Sam’s readiness to lead L3Harris reflects the Board’s robust succession planning and our focus on cultivating talent.”

Mehta said, “I am honored by the opportunity to serve as President and CEO of L3Harris. I look forward to working even more closely with my fellow senior leaders and my talented colleagues across the Company to support the needs of our country and our allies. Today, L3Harris has a portfolio purpose-built for the future of warfare, and we are well-positioned to continue executing our focused growth strategy as The Trusted Disruptor.”

Hay said, “I am pleased to assume the role of Independent Chairman of the Board of L3Harris. Working side by side with my fellow directors, Sam and the rest of L3Harris leadership, we are focused on delivering on our key priorities for the benefit of our customers, partners and shareholders.”

In tandem with Mehta’s appointment, Lauren Barnes has been named president of SMS, and Christopher Aebli has been named president of CSD, both effective immediately. Under the leadership of Kenneth Bedingfield, president of Missile Solutions, the company remains committed to a previously announced $3 billion capital buildout to increase solid rocket motor production and strengthen its supply chain.

Hay added, “Chris has overseen significant transformation during his tenure at L3Harris, and he has built a strong team to carry the business forward. However, our values guide the actions we take each day as The Trusted Disruptor and are at the center of everything we do. The Board and Chris have agreed that implementing our succession plan today is the right thing to do. We thank him for his service.” The company became aware of certain conduct by Kubasik that was not consistent with its values as outlined in its Code of Conduct. The conduct was unrelated to financial reporting, controls, customer relationships or operational performance. After an investigation assisted by independent counsel, the board determined it would be in the company’s best interests to enter into a separation agreement with Kubasik.

L3Harris reaffirmed its 2026 outlook for consolidated revenue, organic growth, segment operating margin, GAAP earnings per share and free cash flow.

Mehta joined L3Harris in January 2023 as president of the Communication Systems segment and became president of the SMS and CSD segments in March 2026. He previously served as president, Advanced Structures, for Collins Aerospace, a business unit of RTX Corporation, and spent more than 17 years at Sikorsky Aircraft in leadership roles across general management, business development and operations.

Hay has served on the L3Harris and predecessor boards since 2002, most recently as lead independent director and a member of the Nominating and Governance Committee. He was an operating advisor for Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, LLC from 2012 to 2026. His prior roles at NextEra Energy, Inc. included executive chairman, chief executive officer, chairman and president, and he also served as CEO of Florida Power & Light Company. Hay is a director of Elevance Health, Inc. and previously served on the board of Capital One Financial Corporation.

Barnes joined L3Harris in 2023 and most recently led Spectrum Superiority. Before that, she was president of the former Broadband Communications Systems and vice president of program management. Her earlier career at The Boeing Company included roles such as St. Louis 777X program manager, T-7 deputy program manager, defense logistics services program manager, chief of staff for Government Operations in Washington, D.C., and Global Strike strategy manager.

Aebli joined L3Harris in 1991 and has held leadership roles across engineering, program management, sales and international business, most recently as president of Mission Critical Communications. His prior positions include vice president of DoD sales, vice president of the U.S. DoD business, vice president of the international business, and president of the legacy Global Communication Systems and Tactical Communications sectors. He serves on the boards of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes.