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December 14, 2023

RTX names former Pratt & Whitney president its next CEO

Contributed Christopher T. Calio was named RTX CEO in May last year.

Aerospace and defense contractor RTX Corp. announced late Thursday that it has named a successor to CEO Gregory J. Hayes.

President and Chief Operating Officer Christopher T. Calio will take over as CEO at the Arlington, Virginia-based company’s annual shareholder's meeting set for May 2, 2024, according to the announcement.

Calio, the former president of East Hartford jet-engine maker Pratt & Whitney, was appointed to the board of directors effective Thursday. Hayes, 63, will continue as executive chairman of RTX. 

RTX said the leadership change was planned.

"Today's announcement reflects the board's deliberate, disciplined succession planning process," Hayes said. "Chris has a deep 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." 

Greg Hayes

Calio said the leadership team is “focused on driving operational excellence and accelerating technological innovation as we deliver on the record backlog of customer demand and meet shareowner expectations.”

Calio, 50, joined the company in 2005 and led Pratt & Whitney for about two years through early 2022.

As president and chief operating officer of RTX, Calio oversaw the company’s 2023 restructuring of its four business segments into three: Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney and Raytheon.

Raytheon Technologies Corp. formed in 2020 following the $135 billion merger of Farmington-based United Technologies Corp. and defense contractor Raytheon Co., which was based in Massachusetts at the time.

The new company initially formed its headquarters in Waltham, Mass., but it announced plans last year to relocate its corporate address to Arlington, Virginia.

This July, Raytheon rebranded itself as RTX. 

Hayes was elected chairman of the board in 2021 and had a nearly 21-year career at United Technologies, according to the announcement. He was appointed chief executive officer in 2014 and chairman in 2016. 

The board’s lead director, Fredric G. Reynolds, credited Hayes with reshaping the company from “a conglomerate to a top global aerospace and defense company.”

RTX has 180,000 employees and $67 billion in annual sales, making it the largest aerospace company in the world.

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