The COO of Jeff Bezos’ Space Company Blue Origin is Leaving For This Reason

Many know Jeff Bezos as the CEO of e-commerce giant Amazon, but he is also the owner of space venture Blue Origin.

This week Wall Street learned that the COO of Bezos’ company is leaving to pursue other opportunities.

According to a confirmation by CNBC, COO Terry Benedict is leaving. Blue Origin told CNBC in a statement, “We can confirm that Terry Benedict has decided to pursue opportunities outside of Blue Origin and we wish him well in his future endeavors.”

The company added, “Terry Benedict has decided to pursue opportunities outside of Blue Origin and we wish him well in his future endeavors.”

Blue Origin CEO Bob Smith told the company that Benedict’s last day will be today, Friday, Dec. 3, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to CNBC.

The people did not elaborate on why beyond saying the COO will pursue other opportunities.
Benedict had been appointed as COO in July 2018, after spending nearly four decades with the U.S. Navy.

Prior to Blue Origin, he most recently served from May 2010 to May 2018 as the director of the Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs. The programs focus on sea-based deterrent systems such as missiles.

It was recently announced that Blue Origin is establishing a board of advisors, whose members include a former Air Force secretary and former NASA center directors.

The board of advisors will guide the company on its long-term vision of space development.
Earlier this week the company said it was establishing the seven-person board of advisors that will provide “strategic counsel on the company’s mission to radically reduce the cost of access to space and the utilization of in-space resources.”

“This board will help us drive our mission forward, provide us guidance on our key initiatives and serve as strategic advisors to our leadership team,” CEO Bob Smith said in the statement.

Most of the members of the board are also former government officials and include Heather Wilson, former secretary of the Air Force; Kari A. Bingen, former deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence and security; and retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Sue Mashiko, former deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office. Charles Elachi, the former director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Todd May, former director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.

Disclaimer: We have no position in any of the companies mentioned and have not been compensated for this article.