L3Harris Technologies, Inc. filed an 8-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on August 17, 2026, disclosing the appointment of Sam Mehta as President and Chief Executive Officer effective immediately, alongside the separation of former Chairman and CEO Christopher Kubasik following a Board investigation.

Key Highlights

  • New CEO appointed: Sam Mehta, age 53, was named President and Chief Executive Officer effective immediately and appointed to the Board of Directors.
  • Kubasik separation: Christopher Kubasik's employment ended immediately by mutual agreement after an investigation found conduct "not consistent with the values of the Company as outlined in its Code of Conduct."
  • No severance for Kubasik: The Separation Agreement provides that Kubasik "will not be entitled to any severance payments or benefits or accelerated vesting of any unvested equity incentive awards."
  • Mehta compensation: The Board approved an annual base salary of $1,250,000, a target annual cash bonus of 200% of base salary, and a long-term incentive target of $13,250,000, each prorated for the 2026 fiscal year.
  • Segment scope: Mehta previously oversaw the Space and Mission Systems and Communications and Spectrum Dominance segments, which the filing states "comprise approximately 80% of the Company's total revenue."
  • New Independent Chairman: Lewis Hay III was appointed Independent Chairman of the Board, effective immediately; he has been a board member since 2002.
  • Additional leadership changes: Lauren Barnes was appointed President of Space and Mission Systems, and Christopher Aebli was appointed President of Communications and Spectrum Dominance, both effective immediately.

Leadership Overhaul at L3Harris: Mehta Takes the Helm as Kubasik Exits

According to the filing, Sam Mehta joined L3Harris Technologies in 2023 and brings "more than 25 years of strategic and operational leadership experience across the aerospace and defense industry." Before joining the company, he served as President of Advanced Structures at Collins Aerospace, a business unit of RTX Corporation, from 2018 until 2022. The filing states his appointment "was not pursuant to any arrangement or understanding with any other person" and that there are no family relationships between Mehta and any director or other executive officer.

The departure of Christopher Kubasik followed an investigation conducted by independent Board members with the assistance of independent counsel. The filing states the Board determined Kubasik "engaged in conduct that was not consistent with the values of the Company as outlined in its Code of Conduct," and specifies that "such conduct did not involve, and has no impact on, the Company's financial reporting, controls, customer relationships or operational performance." The Separation Agreement, dated August 16, 2026, permits Kubasik to retain and exercise certain previously vested stock options but provides no severance or accelerated equity vesting. The agreement also includes mutual releases and "customary restrictive covenants, including confidentiality, non-disparagement, non-solicitation, no-hire, customer non-interference and non-competition covenants for specified periods following the Separation Date."

Lewis Hay III, who has served on the L3Harris board and a predecessor board since 2002, was named Independent Chairman. The filing notes he most recently served as Lead Independent Director and previously held executive roles at NextEra Energy, Inc. Lauren Barnes, who joined the company in 2023, was appointed to lead the Space and Mission Systems segment, and Christopher Aebli, a company employee since 1991, was appointed to lead the Communications and Spectrum Dominance segment. L3Harris Technologies common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:LHX.

What Was Disclosed

The 8-K reported the immediate departure of CEO Christopher Kubasik following a Board investigation, the appointment of Sam Mehta as President and CEO with specified compensation terms, and additional Board and segment leadership changes, all effective August 17, 2026.