Steve Isakowitz, formerly Virgin Galactic president, will join The Aerospace Corporation as its new president on Aug. 1 and assume the added role of CEO when current CEO Wanda Austin retires in October.
Aerospace said Tuesday the board of trustees and its selection committee, led by former U.S. Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, elected Isakowitz as part of the board’s succession plan.
“Steve Isakowitz has the right set of skills and experience — in government and industry — to lead Aerospace in a rapidly changing environment of constrained customer resources, challenging threats and exciting new space technologies, ” said Barbara Barrett, Aerospace board of trustees chair.
“Steve Isakowitz has demonstrated tremendous integrity and leadership in complex jobs that required both strategic vision and technical competence, ” added Donley.
Isakowitz has worked for Virgin Galactic as its chief technology officer from 2011 to 2013 before his appointment as the company’s president.
He held a number of private corporation and government sector senior roles in engineering, business and management, including in NASA and the Energy Department, prior to joining Virgin Galactic.
