LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Relativity Space, the world’s first autonomous rocket factory and launch services leader for satellites, today announced the appointment of Muhammad Shahzad as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) effective June 15, 2020.
As CFO, Mr. Shahzad will be a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, responsible for financial planning and analysis, capital allocation and fundraising, treasury, tax, accounting, and driving the growth of a successful and rapidly scaling business.
Mr. Shahzad brings more than 15 years of finance and capital markets experience, an extensive background in financial planning, operations, management, and strategy, as well as a deep knowledge of the technology industry. He most recently served as CFO of The Honest Company, where he partnered with the CEO and founder on strategy and day-to-day operations, led nearly $500mm of financing rounds across a broad spectrum of investors, and scaled the business profitably.
“Mo's deep experience in financial operations and investment banking, along with his background in growth-stage startups and strategy consulting, make him a unique fit for Relativity as we drive to enter commercial launch service next year,” said Tim Ellis, Chief Executive Officer and Cofounder of Relativity Space. “I was impressed with his incredibly high EQ and IQ and sheer speed of learning about our business. Mo brings a rigorous yet uniquely fresh approach to the CFO role that will add to the diverse leadership team we are building at Relativity.”
Prior to The Honest Company, Mr. Shahzad was a Vice President in the Technology, Media & Telecom Investment Banking Division at Goldman, Sachs & Co. where he covered a broad array of clients, advised on over $30 billion in financing and M&A transactions, and served as West Coast business unit manager, including responsibility for West Coast investment banking recruiting. Previously, Mr. Shahzad founded his own startup and started his career at Accenture and Deutsche Bank. Mr. Shahzad is involved in various nonprofit boards, including on the National Board of Trustees at March of Dimes and as Chair of the Board at Developments in Literacy, among others. He holds an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management and a BSc in Economics cum laude from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated at age eighteen.
“For quite some time now I have admired Relativity and its mission to accelerate the future of humanity in space, and I’m thrilled and humbled to be joining such a talented team,” said Mr. Shahzad. “Relativity is developing the first and only aerospace factory to integrate machine learning, software, and robotics with metal 3D printing technology to build and launch rockets in days instead of years. I’m excited to help the company build on all the recent momentum with leading global satellite operators, other commercial customers, and various government branches.”
About Relativity Space
Relativity is the first autonomous rocket factory and launch services leader for satellite payloads. The company’s vision is to expand the possibilities for human experience by building the future of humanity in space, faster -- starting with rockets. Disrupting 60 years of aerospace, Relativity’s factory vertically integrates intelligent robotics and 3D autonomous manufacturing technology to build the world’s first entirely 3D printed rocket, Terran 1. Relativity is the first application-layer 3D printing company; Terran 1 is the first application. Terran 1 has 100x lower part count than traditional rockets, a radically simple supply chain, and will be built from raw material to flight in less than 60 days with unparalleled iteration speed. As a next-generation space company, Relativity deploys and resupplies satellite payloads with industry-defining lead time, flexibility, and cost to better connect and secure our planet.
Relativity is backed by leading investors including Bond, Tribe Capital, Playground Global, Y Combinator, Social Capital, and Mark Cuban. For more information, please visit https://www.relativityspace.com/ and connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
