Chris Calio

Chris Calio
Born	Christopher Calio
Nationality	American
Occupation	Corporate executive
Title	Chairman and CEO, RTX Corporation
Employer	RTX Corporation
Known for	President and CEO of RTX Corporation

Christopher "Chris" Calio is an American corporate executive who serves as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of RTX Corporation (NYSE: RTX), one of the largest aerospace and defense companies in the world. RTX, formerly known as Raytheon Technologies, was formed through the 2020 merger of Raytheon Company and United Technologies Corporation and operates across commercial aerospace, defense systems, and advanced technology sectors. Calio rose through the ranks of the company over the course of a career spanning multiple decades in the aerospace and defense industry, ultimately assuming the top leadership role at a critical juncture for the firm. Under his leadership, RTX has navigated complex challenges including supply chain pressures, geopolitical tensions, and scrutiny from political leaders over defense industry performance, while simultaneously posting significant revenue growth driven by strong aftermarket demand and original equipment sales. Calio has represented RTX at major industry conferences and high-profile public forums, including events focused on national defense investment alongside prominent figures from the financial sector.

Career

Rise Within the Organization

Chris Calio built his career within the aerospace and defense sector, advancing through a series of leadership positions that provided him with broad operational experience across the enterprise. His trajectory through the organization encompassed roles in both the commercial aerospace and defense segments, giving him a comprehensive understanding of the business lines that would eventually be consolidated under the RTX umbrella. By the time he was appointed to the top executive role, Calio had developed deep expertise in manufacturing, supply chain management, technology development, and strategic planning — competencies that would prove essential in leading a company of RTX's scale and complexity.

Appointment as President and CEO

Calio was named President and Chief Executive Officer of RTX Corporation, succeeding in the role at a time when the company was managing the integration challenges that followed the 2020 merger of Raytheon Company and United Technologies Corporation. He subsequently also assumed the title of Chairman, consolidating the company's top leadership under a single executive. As Chairman and CEO, Calio has been responsible for overseeing a diversified portfolio that includes Pratt & Whitney (aircraft engines), Collins Aerospace (avionics and aerospace systems), and Raytheon (missiles, defense electronics, and cybersecurity solutions).

Strategic Direction and Operational Focus

Under Calio's leadership, RTX has pursued a strategy centered on accelerating production output, improving supply chain resilience, and meeting growing demand from both commercial aerospace customers and defense clients. Speaking during a January 2026 earnings call, Calio articulated the company's operational philosophy, stating that RTX feels "the responsibility and urgency to deliver more and to deliver it faster." This emphasis on delivery speed and volume has been a recurring theme under his tenure, reflecting the broader pressures facing the aerospace and defense industry in the mid-2020s, including backlogs in commercial aircraft production and rising global demand for defense systems amid heightened geopolitical tensions.

Calio has also emphasized RTX's commitment to technological innovation and investment in next-generation capabilities. The company's participation in major defense programs, alongside its commercial aerospace engine and avionics businesses, has positioned RTX at the intersection of several critical growth areas in the global aerospace market.

Financial Performance

RTX experienced significant financial growth during Calio's tenure as CEO. In the second quarter of 2025, the company reported $21.6 billion in sales, representing a nine percent year-over-year increase. This growth trajectory continued into the third quarter of 2025, when RTX posted double-digit sales growth, driven by robust demand for both aftermarket services and commercial original equipment (OE) products. The aftermarket business, which includes maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services as well as spare parts for installed engine and avionics fleets, has been a particularly strong contributor to RTX's revenue under Calio's leadership.

At the Morgan Stanley 13th Annual Laguna Conference in September 2025, RTX presented a comprehensive overview of its strategic growth plans and the challenges facing the company, offering investors and analysts insight into Calio's vision for the firm's future trajectory. The presentation addressed topics including the company's approach to managing supply chain disruptions, capital allocation priorities, and long-term growth opportunities in both commercial and defense markets.

Calio also presented at the 2025 Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference in his capacity as RTX's Chairman and CEO, further demonstrating his active role in investor relations and strategic communications.

Political Scrutiny and Dividend Commitment

In early 2026, RTX and other major defense contractors faced public criticism from President Donald Trump, who attacked weapons manufacturers over what he characterized as sluggish weapons output and excessive shareholder payouts. The criticism placed Calio and RTX in a prominent position within the broader national debate over defense spending, industrial capacity, and the balance between shareholder returns and reinvestment in production capabilities.

In response, Calio affirmed RTX's commitment to continuing dividend payments to investors. During the company's fourth-quarter 2025 earnings announcement in January 2026, Calio and RTX leadership told investors that the company remained "committed" to paying dividends, seeking to reassure shareholders even as political pressure mounted on the defense sector. RTX and Northrop Grumman were the first major defense companies to report fourth-quarter 2025 earnings that week, and their approach to dividends was closely watched by industry analysts and investors as a bellwether for the broader sector's response to the political environment.

Bloomberg reported that Calio backed the company's dividend policy even in the wake of Trump's attacks, underscoring RTX's position that returning capital to shareholders and investing in production capacity were not mutually exclusive goals. The episode highlighted Calio's role not only as an operational leader but also as the public face of RTX in navigating complex relationships between the defense industry, the federal government, and the investment community.

Simultaneously, Calio reiterated the company's commitment to ramping up production and improving delivery timelines, directly addressing the criticism about weapons output by emphasizing RTX's sense of "responsibility and urgency" in meeting defense needs. This dual messaging — maintaining shareholder returns while accelerating production — became a defining feature of Calio's public communications in early 2026.

National Defense and Public Engagement

In December 2025, Calio participated in a high-profile discussion alongside JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon at an event hosted by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. The event, titled "Investing & Building for National Defense," addressed the intersection of finance, industry, and national security, reflecting the growing public discourse around defense readiness and the role of the private sector in supporting national defense objectives. Calio's appearance at the event alongside one of the most prominent figures in American banking underscored his stature as a leading voice in the aerospace and defense industry and his engagement with broader questions about the relationship between economic policy and national security.

The Reagan Foundation event was one of several high-profile public appearances by Calio during 2025 and early 2026, reflecting his active approach to industry advocacy and public engagement on matters relating to defense industrial base capacity, technology investment, and the strategic challenges facing the United States and its allies.

RTX Corporation

RTX Corporation, the company Calio leads, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, and is one of the world's largest aerospace and defense companies by revenue. The company was formed on April 3, 2020, through the merger of Raytheon Company and the aerospace divisions of United Technologies Corporation. RTX operates through three primary business segments:

• Pratt & Whitney — a manufacturer of aircraft engines for commercial and military applications, including the F135 engine that powers the F-35 Lightning II and the GTF (Geared Turbofan) family of commercial engines.
• Collins Aerospace — a provider of avionics, aerostructures, mechanical systems, and mission systems for commercial and military platforms.
• Raytheon — a defense-focused segment producing missiles, integrated defense systems, radar, cybersecurity solutions, and other advanced technologies.

Under Calio's leadership, RTX has continued to manage the integration of these diverse business units while pursuing growth across all three segments. The company's strong aftermarket performance, particularly in Pratt & Whitney's engine services and Collins Aerospace's avionics support, has been a notable feature of its financial results during Calio's tenure.

The company's defense segment has also remained a focus of strategic importance, with growing international demand for missile defense systems and advanced radar technologies contributing to the segment's revenue base. RTX's position as a prime contractor on numerous U.S. Department of Defense programs places it at the center of national defense policy and industrial strategy.

Recognition

Calio's leadership of RTX has drawn attention from both the business and defense communities. His participation in major industry conferences, including the Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference and Morgan Stanley's Laguna Conference, reflects his standing among peers in the aerospace and defense sector. His joint appearance with Jamie Dimon at the Reagan Foundation event in December 2025 further demonstrated his recognition as a prominent figure at the intersection of defense industry leadership and national security policy.

The financial performance of RTX under Calio's leadership — including nine percent year-over-year revenue growth in Q2 2025 and double-digit sales growth in Q3 2025 — has been noted by analysts and investors as evidence of effective execution against the company's strategic plan.

Legacy

As of early 2026, Chris Calio's legacy continues to take shape as he leads RTX through a period of significant growth and geopolitical complexity. His tenure has been defined by several key themes: a focus on accelerating production and delivery in response to growing demand from both commercial and defense customers; maintaining financial discipline and shareholder returns even under political pressure; and engaging publicly on questions of national defense investment and industrial base capacity.

The challenges Calio has faced — including supply chain disruptions, political scrutiny of the defense industry, and the ongoing integration of RTX's diverse business units — reflect the broader tensions confronting the American defense industrial base in the 2020s. His response to these challenges, emphasizing both urgency in production and commitment to long-term strategic investment, has positioned RTX as a central player in the evolving landscape of aerospace and defense.

Calio's willingness to engage in public forums alongside leaders from other sectors, as demonstrated by his Reagan Foundation appearance with Jamie Dimon, suggests an approach to industry leadership that extends beyond traditional corporate management to encompass broader advocacy for the defense industrial base and its role in national security. As global defense spending continues to rise and commercial aviation demand remains strong, Calio's stewardship of RTX will continue to be closely watched by investors, policymakers, and industry observers.