After nearly 12 years leading United Launch Alliance, Tory Bruno has resigned as president and chief executive officer.

On Monday, ULA board leaders said Bruno resigned “to pursue another opportunity.” 

“We are grateful for Tory’s service to ULA and the country, and we thank him for his leadership,” according to a written statement from Robert Lightfoot, ULA Lockheed Martin board chair, and Kay Sears, ULA Boeing board chair. 

ULA formed in 2006 as a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, putting Atlas and Delta families of rockets under one firm.

“Thank you for the opportunity to lead this amazing team. They have put ULA in a great position to do important things for our customers and Nation,” Bruno said on social media. 

He often provided mini aerospace lessons on social media, sharing his enthusiasm for the launch business along with providing a peek into life back on Earth, including his love for horses.

Under Bruno’s leadership, ULA has developed the Vulcan rocket family featuring American-made engines amid the retirement of Atlas and Delta programs.

His departure came before Vulcan makes its West Coast debut, once planned for late 2025 and now targeting 2026.

Since the West Coast’s final Atlas V rocket launch in 2022, ULA has worked to modify Space Launch Complex-3 to accommodate the Vulcan rocket. 

“It has been a great privilege to lead ULA through its transformation and to bring Vulcan into service. My work here is now complete, and I will be cheering ULA on,” Bruno said on social media.

He spoke earlier this year during the REACH Ideas + Action Summit at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Santa Barbara, sharing about the industry and later updating Noozhawk about the progress to debut the firm’s newest launch vehicle on the West Coast. 

Bruno has ties to the Central Coast since he graduated from Cal Poly in 1985 with a degree in mechanical engineering, dubbing himself “a proud @calpoly alum” on social media. 

Before taking the helm of ULA, he served as a vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Strategic and Missile Defense Systems. 

He worked on various programs during his career on the Navy’s Trident II D5 Fleet Ballistic Missile, the Air Force’s Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Reentry Systems and the Missile Defense Agency’s Terminal High Area Altitude Defense. 

Bruno also worked in engineering positions involving design and analysis for control systems of rockets and hypersonic re-entry vehicles and holds several patents.

Effective immediately, John Elbon has been named as ULA’s interim CEO, according to the board’s statement.

“We have the greatest confidence in John to continue strengthening ULA’s momentum while the board proceeds with finding the next leader of ULA,” according to the board’s statement.

“Together with Mark Peller, the new COO, John’s career in aerospace and his launch expertise is an asset for ULA and its customers, especially for achieving key upcoming Vulcan milestones.”