RTX announced Wednesday, July 17 that Troy Brunk has been appointed president of Collins Aerospace, succeeding Stephen Timm, who is retiring.
The transition is effective immediately, according to an RTX spokesperson.
Mr. Brunk, a 30-year aerospace and defense veteran, is based in Cedar Rapids. He will report to RTX president and chief executive officer Christopher Calio, according to a release.
“Having led three of the six strategic business units at Collins Aerospace, Troy has a deep understanding of the portfolio and its customers,” Mr. Callo said. “Troy’s decades of industry experience and leadership make him the right person to lead Collins into its next phase of growth.”
Mr. Brunk has served in a variety of Collins Aerospace leadership positions, including president of the Avionics, Interiors and Mission Systems strategic business units. Brunk earned his bachelor of science degree in industrial engineering and Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Iowa.
Mr. Timm, who has served as Collins Aerospace president since February 2020, will remain with the company through March 2025 as special advisor, focused on business transformation at Collins Aerospace, continuing to report to Calio. His career with Collins spans 28 years, and company officials said he played a critical role in managing Collins through the global pandemic and commercial aerospace recovery.
“Steve’s leadership has been the driving force for the full integration of the Collins business,” said Calio. “The blueprint he has developed sets Collins Aerospace on strong footing for future success.”
United Technologies (UTC) completed a $30 billion acquisition of Rockwell Collins in late 2018. Then in April 2020, UTC and Raytheon merged, forming one of the world’s largest aerospace and defense companies in a $135 billion deal. As a result of that deal, Raytheon became the parent company of Collins Aerospace, including its operations in Cedar Rapids.
The parent company, now known as RTX, encompasses three operating subsidiaries – Collins Aerospace, Raytheon and Pratt & Whitney.
As part of the planned Collins Aerospace leadership transition, Heather Robertson becomes president of Collins’ Mission Systems strategic business unit.
Ms. Robertson is a 24-year company veteran with leadership expertise spanning both defense and commercial segments. Most recently, she has served as the chief operating officer for Mission Systems.
Prior to that role, Ms. Robertson was vice president and general manager of the company’s Commercial Air Transport Systems business, and before that, she spent more than a decade in leadership roles supporting the Mission Systems portfolio.
RTX, with 2023 sales of $69 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. The company has more than 185,000 global employees, including nearly 9,000 employees in Cedar Rapids and a number of other Iowa locations.
