Applied Aerospace & Defense names Rogers president and chief strategy officer

Fresh on the heels of its initial public offering, Applied Aerospace & Defense has named Chris Rogers to the newly created position of president and chief strategy officer. 

Applied provides advanced manufacturing for mission-critical space and defense applications.

In a news release, the company said it is evolving its executive leadership structure to support accelerated growth and the scaling of its advanced manufacturing infrastructure. The appointment comes in advance of the company’s financial earnings call Wednesday. The IPO was in June.

In his expanded capacity as president, Rogers will have broad strategic and operational oversight across the enterprise, driving connectivity across the organization while continuing to lead the company’s core growth-related functions, including corporate strategy, business development, mergers and acquisitions, government relations, communications, and investor relations, the news release said.

“Chris’s deep understanding of the aerospace and defense landscape has been a vital asset to Applied as we continue to broaden our foundation of highly differentiated capabilities in support of the U.S. industrial base,” said CEO Trip Ferguson. “As president and chief strategy officer, Chris will have expanded influence over our strategic and industrial direction. 

“He is a proven leader whose focus on execution will help us to meet the demanding requirements of our growing customer base while further strengthening the unique culture that makes Applied a great place to work for our team members.”

Rogers, a former Marine officer, spent more than 20 years at Harris Williams, where he served as managing director and head of the Aerospace, Defense & Government Services Group. He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s from the U.S. Naval Academy.