United Launch Alliance announced its president and chief executive officer, Tory Bruno, resigned from the company, effective Monday, Dec. 22.
The news came in a statement from Robert Lightfoot, Lockheed Martin’s Vice President of Strategy and Business Development, who serves as the Lockheed Martin Board Chair for ULA. The company is a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing.
“After nearly 12 years leading United Launch Alliance (ULA), current ULA President and CEO Tory Bruno has resigned to pursue another opportunity,” Lightfoot said. “We are grateful for Tory’s service to ULA and the country, and we thank him for his leadership.”
Lightfoot announced that John Elbon, who previously served as ULA’s Chief Operating Officer, was elevated to the Interim CEO position, while the board seeks a permanent replacement.
“It has been a great privilege to lead ULA through its transformation and to bring Vulcan into service,” Bruno said in a social media post. “My work here is now complete and I will be cheering ULA on.”
Bruno joined ULA from Lockheed Martin in August 2014, succeeding Michael Gass. His previous career included roles in the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Ballistic Missile program.
During Bruno’s tenure at ULA, the company performed 83 orbital launches. Those included the final flight of a Delta 4 Heavy rocket in April 2024 and the inaugural flight of a Vulcan rocket in January 2024.
This is the second major shift in ULA’s leadership this month. On Dec. 8, ULA announced Elbon would retire in early 2026 and that Mark Peller, who was previously the Senior Vice President of Vulcan Development and Advanced Programs, would assume the COO role on Jan. 1, 2026. Peller now assumes that role a couple weeks early.
