Christopher Calio, president and CEO of RTX, has been elected as the aerospace and defense company’s chairman of the board of directors.
The Arlington, Virginia-based contractor said Monday Calio’s appointment will take effect on April 30. He will succeed Gregory Hayes, who will step down from his post as executive chairman but will remain as special adviser to the CEO until Jan. 2, 2026.
Hayes has served as executive chairman of the RTX board of directors since May 2024. He was president and CEO for four years before joining the board. The executive also worked at UTC as chairman and CEO before the merger with Raytheon.
Christopher Calio’s Career at a Glance
Calio, who has been a company board member since 2023, was appointed RTX president and CEO in May 2024. In his current role, the chief executive leads a workforce of over 185,000 personnel.
He previously served as chief operating officer, leading RTX’s business units including Pratt & Whitney, Collins Aerospace and Raytheon. As president and COO, Calio also oversaw the company’s key functions, including technology, engineering and enterprise services, as well as digital, operations, quality, supply chain and environmental, health and safety.
The executive joined Pratt & Whitney, the RTX business involved in designing, manufacturing and servicing aircraft engines and auxiliary power units, in 2005 and served in different leadership positions including president of the company.
Before joining RTX, Calio was with United Technologies Corp. as chairman and CEO. He joined UTC in 2005 as an assistant counsel before serving in various leadership positions, including vice president and general counsel for UTC Aerospace Systems, which became Collins Aerospace after UTC’s merger with Raytheon.
