Karman Space & Defense has appointed Chris Boynton as chief financial officer, effective Sept. 14, following a succession planning process initiated after the company’s February 2025 initial public offering.
Boynton succeeds Mike Willis, who will depart by year-end after a transition period. Willis served as CFO for four years, overseeing financial integration of multiple acquisitions and leading the finance team through the IPO and the subsequent 18 months as a publicly traded company.
The appointment follows a structured leadership transition at Karman, a company specializing in systems for the U.S. Department of Defense, allied nations and space sectors. Its portfolio includes payload and protection systems, hydrodynamic and aerodynamic interstage systems, and propulsion and launch systems for prime contractors supporting defense and space programs.
Boynton brings more than two decades of financial leadership experience, most recently serving as executive vice president and CFO of Battelle since 2023. Prior to that, he spent over 20 years at RTX, where he held senior roles including CFO of Raytheon Missiles & Defense and vice president and CFO of RTX Enterprise Services.
Karman, headquartered in Huntington Beach, California, operates facilities across the United States and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker KRMN.
