L3 Harris, one of Brevard County’s largest private employers, announced Aug. 17 that Christopher Kubasik has stepped down as chairman and CEO and as a member of the board amid allegations of misconduct.
These changes are effective immediately.
In a press release, the company, headquartered in Melbourne, declined to say what the alleged misconduct was, but said it was unrelated to the company’s financial reporting, controls, customer relationships or operational performance.
L3 Harris became aware of certain conduct by Kubasik that was not consistent with the values of the company as outlined in its code of conduct, the company said. Following its investigation with the assistance of independent counsel, the board determined that it would be in the best interests of the company to enter into a separation agreement with Kubasik.
FLORIDA TODAY could not immediately reach Kubasik for comment.
The company employs some 50,000 people worldwide include more that 7,000 on the Space Coast.
The L3Harris board appointed Sam Mehta as president and chief executive officer and a member of the board. In addition, Lewis Hay III, L3Harris’ lead independent director, has been named independent chairman of the board. These changes are effective immediately.
Mehta joined L3Harris in 2023 and has more than 25 years of strategic and operational leadership in the aerospace and defense industry. In his most recent role as president of the Space & Mission Systems and Communications & Spectrum Dominance segments, he was responsible for business strategy, financial performance, successful execution and growth of the company’s largest segments. Those two segments comprise more than 80% of L3Harris’ total revenue.
Hay said in the news release: “Sam is a proven executive who brings deep knowledge of our business, priorities and culture, making him ideally suited to become President and CEO of L3Harris at this important time in our company’s and our nation’s history. Sam’s readiness to lead L3Harris reflects the Board’s robust succession planning and our focus on cultivating talent.”
Hay added, “Chris has overseen significant transformation during his tenure at L3Harris, and he has built a strong team to carry the business forward. However, our values guide the actions we take each day as The Trusted Disruptor and are at the center of everything we do. The Board and Chris have agreed that implementing our succession plan today is the right thing to do. We thank him for his service.”
Mehta said, “I am honored by the opportunity to serve as President and CEO of L3Harris. I look forward to working even more closely with my fellow senior leaders and my talented colleagues across the company to support the needs of our country and our allies. Today, L3Harris has a portfolio purpose-built for the future of warfare, and we are well-positioned to continue executing our focused growth strategy as The Trusted Disruptor.”
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: L3 Harris CEO steps down amid allegations of misconduct
Reporting by John McCarthy, Florida Today / Florida Today
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By John McCarthy, Florida Today | USA TODAY Network
