LEADERSHIP TEAM
Dan Jablonsky
Chief Executive Officer
Dan Jablonsky is the Chief Executive Officer at Ursa Major. He has held senior leadership roles in the aerospace and defense industry for more than a decade. Most recently, Dan served as President and CEO of Maxar Technologies, where he led the NYSE-listed company through a comprehensive turnaround, reorganization, and growth strategy, culminating in a $6.4 billion take-private acquisition by Advent International. Prior to that, he was President of DigitalGlobe, overseeing business operations, sales, and government affairs. Dan began his career as a surface warfare officer and nuclear engineer in the U.S. Navy before transitioning to law, serving at the SEC, in corporate law firms, and in-house counsel roles. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy, graduated from the Navy Nuclear Power School, and earned a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law.
Bill Nash
Chief Financial Officer
Bill Nash is the Chief Financial Officer at Ursa Major. He joined Ursa in January of 2024. Prior to joining Ursa Major, Bill was the Chief Financial Officer of Cruise, an autonomous rideshare company. He has over 30 years of experience leading diverse in a variety of industries. Bill began his career as a submarine officer in the U.S. Navy. He holds a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering from the United States Naval Academy, a master’s in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech, and master’s in business administration for the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
Brad Appel
Chief Technology Officer
Brad Appel is Chief Technology Officer at Ursa Major and has been with the company since 2018. As a world-leading expert on propulsion systems, Brad was previously a Lead Propulsion Engineer at SpaceX, where he led development and qualification on various engine programs, including Merlin and Falcon. Prior to that, he held positions with Northrop Grumman and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Brad Appel earned a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering and a Master’s in Nuclear Engineering from Texas A&M University.
Chris Spagnoletti
President, Liquid Systems
Chris Spagnoletti is the President of Liquid Systems at Ursa Major, having joined the company in 2022. Prior to Ursa Major, he was President of U.S. Cargo Systems, a TransDigm aerospace business. Chris has over 30 years of experience in developing critical systems for military and commercial aircraft. Throughout his career, he has held executive leadership positions in Engineering, Business development, and Operations. Chris is also an advisory board member for aerospace startup companies and teaches at the University of Colorado Boulder. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Vermont.
Ben Nicholson
Chief Business Officer
Ben Nicholson serves as Ursa Major’s Chief Business Officer, where he leads the company’s external-facing functions, including business development, customer and strategic relations, government affairs, and marketing and communications. He brings nearly 30 years of professional experience and has worked in Washington, D.C. since 2000, amassing deep expertise in U.S. government operations, programs, and contracting. Ben specializes in the federal appropriations process for national defense, aerospace, security, and intelligence programs. Over the course of his career, he has served a total of 22 years in both the Executive and Legislative Branches of the U.S. Government. Ben holds a B.S. in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and dual M.S. degrees in Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering and Resource Policy & Behavior from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He also serves on the board of the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University
Rear Admiral, USN (ret) Chris Engdahl
Chief Safety and Risk Officer
Chris Engdahl is Chief Safety and Risk Officer for Ursa Major. Prior to joining the company, Chris served as 58th Commander of Naval Safety Command. Chris’ tours at sea ranged from duties as nuclear quality assurance officer and reactor training assistant to Commander, Destroyer Squadron Nine and then Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 7. Ashore he served as a strategic planner for the War on Terrorism Directorate on the Joint Staff (J5) and chief of staff to Commander, Naval Surface Forces Pacific and president, Board of Inspection and Survey among other roles.
Sarah Ramuta
Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel
Sarah Ramuta is the General Counsel at Ursa Major and oversees all legal matters and strategy at the company. Prior to joining Ursa Major in 2019, Sarah worked at various national law firms as a litigator, specializing in commercial and product liability matters in the technology, manufacturing, and transportation business sectors. She holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Iowa College of Law.
Nick Doucette
Vice President, Operations
Nick Doucette is the Vice President of Operations for the Liquid Systems business at Ursa Major. He joined the company in 2016 to help build the next generation of American-made rocket engines to get customers to space quickly, reliably, and affordably. Prior to joining Ursa Major, Nick worked for SpaceX where he led the manufacturing teams responsible for the Dragon capsule propulsion systems, production for the Merlin and Raptor engines, and additive manufacturing processes. He holds a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Boston University and a master’s in business administration from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business.
Bill Murray
Vice President, Product & Engineering
Bill Murray is the Vice President of Product & Engineering for the Solid Missile Systems business at Ursa Major. Bill developed and managed multiple products and teams, from the Design & Analysis team, Manufacturing, Engineering, Program Management, Mission Management, and Test, deploying multiple engine products and getting the Hadley engine through multiple qualification campaigns and flight. He now manages the Solid Rocket Motor division at Ursa. Prior to Ursa Major, Bill spent time at Blue Origin and SpaceX, and has an M.S. in Aerospace from Purdue University and B.S. in Aerospace from the University of Southern California.