Mercury Systems Names Bill Ballhaus as President and CEO

Release from Mercury Systems 

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ANDOVER, Mass., Aug. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mercury Systems, Inc. (the “Company” or “Mercury”) (NASDAQ: MRCY, www.mrcy.com), a technology company that delivers processing power for the most demanding aerospace and defense missions, today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Bill Ballhaus as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Ballhaus had been serving as Mercury’s interim President and Chief Executive Officer since June 24, 2023. 

“Bill took on the role of Mercury’s Interim President and CEO with a mandate from the Board to take immediate action to address the Company’s operational and financial challenges and help drive enhanced shareholder value,” said William K. O’Brien, Chairman of the Board. “During the past 45 days, under Bill’s leadership, the management team has performed a deep dive of the Mercury business and charted a clear and compelling path forward. After conducting a review of potential candidates with the assistance of an executive search firm, and given Bill’s previous successes in leading operational transformations and achieving strong results, the Board is confident that he has the right skills and experience to accelerate the execution of Mercury’s strategic plan and solidify the Company’s position in the rapidly modernizing aerospace and defense industry.” 

“I am honored and excited to take on the President and CEO roles on a permanent basis,” said Bill Ballhaus. “Working closely with our leadership team, we are moving aggressively to enhance execution to drive predictability of performance, rearchitect our organic growth engine, improve profitability, and drive greater cash generation. With a unique position at the intersection of tech and defense, and a core business that is well-positioned to benefit from industry tailwinds, we are confident we have the right team, strategy, and assets in place to capitalize on the opportunity in front of us.” 

As previously announced, Mr. Ballhaus will also assume the role of Chairman of the Board, effective immediately prior to the 2023 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Barry R. Nearhos, who has served on the Board since 2018, has been appointed by the Board to serve as Lead Independent Director following the previously announced retirement of Mr. O’Brien immediately prior to the Annual Meeting. 

About Bill Ballhaus 

Mr. Ballhaus has significant experience in the aerospace, defense and technology industries, including multiple CEO roles. He previously served as Chairman and CEO of Blackboard, Inc., a leading EdTech company, from 2016 until its merger with Anthology in 2021. Prior to that, he served as CEO and President of SRA International, Inc., a provider of information technology services, from 2011 until the creation of CSRA Inc. from SRA and CSC’s U.S. public sector business. Before that, he served as CEO and President of government contractor DynCorp International from 2008 to 2010. Mr. Ballhaus has also held senior leadership positions at BAE Systems, Boeing and Hughes, where he led global government and commercial technology businesses particularly focused on software and IT. 

Mr. Ballhaus holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Davis and Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University. He also earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA.