GRVTY has appointed Dr. Phil Root as chief technology officer, tasking him with setting and driving the company’s technology vision.
“Phil joins GRVTY at a pivotal moment,” said Katie Selbe, GRVTY CEO “His deep technical expertise and proven leadership will be instrumental as we scale our capabilities, strengthen our partnerships, and deliver mission impact for our customers.”
Root, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and MIT-trained aerospace engineer, brings decades of operational and technical experience. He most recently directed the Strategic Technology Office at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and earlier served as deputy director and acting director of the Defense Sciences Office
“GRVTY is harnessing the best emerging and proven technologies that ultimately deliver more impact for American national security,” Root said. “Alongside our customers and mission partners, we will accelerate innovation, close critical capability gaps, and ensure the United States stays ahead of adversaries in every domain of competition. Our commitment is simple: deliver solutions that strengthen deterrence today and prepare for the challenges of tomorrow.”
Root led programs in AI-enabled autonomy, counter-unmanned aerial systems, tunneling and the lunar economy. His operational background includes deployments in Afghanistan, support to NASA’s Astronaut Office, and an Apache helicopter pilot tour in Germany and South Korea.
He will also continue serving on the GRVTY Advisory Board as managing advisor.