Centennial, Colo., Aug. 12, 2014 – United Launch Alliance (ULA) today named veteran aerospace industry executive Tory Bruno as its next president and chief executive officer, succeeding Michael Gass, who has served as president and CEO since ULA’s founding in 2006. Bruno’s appointment is effective immediately; he and Gass will work collaboratively to ensure a smooth leadership transition and continued commitment to mission success.

Bruno joins ULA from Lockheed Martin, where he was most recently vice president and general manager of Strategic and Missile Defense Systems. In that position he oversaw 4,500 employees and managed a diverse portfolio for U.S. and international customers. Over the course of his 30-year career, Bruno has held executive leadership positions in a number of space and missile programs, including the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Ballistic Missile program and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense Missile.

“Mike’s track record speaks for itself: 86 successful launches in a row, including many of our nation’s most complex and critical space missions,” said Rick Ambrose, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Space Systems and a ULA board member. “Tory is an ideal leader to take the reins at ULA. He’ll bring the same unwavering commitment to mission success that has been ULA’s hallmark, and will apply his proven track record of driving customer focus, innovation and affordability to shape ULA’s future.”

“We’re grateful for Mike’s leadership and contribution to ULA’s customers and employees, as well as the space industry as a whole,” said Craig Cooning, president of Boeing Network and Space Systems and a ULA board member. “Tory understands the launch business as well as anyone and is well-qualified to ensure ULA keeps pace with changing customer needs and launch industry dynamics.”

Gass retires after eight years as ULA’s president and CEO, during which he oversaw the establishment of the new joint venture and successfully led the integration of a portfolio of launch vehicles that is unmatched in reliability and performance. He previously led Atlas rocket programs at Lockheed Martin and, earlier in his career, held a variety of management positions at General Dynamics’ Space Systems division.

With more than a century of combined heritage, United Launch Alliance is the nation’s most experienced and reliable launch service provider. ULA has successfully delivered 86 satellites to orbit that provide critical capabilities for troops in the field, aid meteorologists in tracking severe weather, enable personal device-based GPS navigation and unlock the mysteries of our solar system. ULA – Bringing rocket science down to Earth.

For more information on ULA, visit the ULA website at www.ulalaunch.com, or call the ULA Launch Hotline at 1-877-ULA-4321 (852-4321). Join the conversation at www.facebook.com/ulalaunch and twitter.com/ulalaunch.