News & Events

Bright Ascension announces leadership transition as company enters next growth phase

We are announcing a planned leadership transition as Bright Ascension prepares for an exciting growth phase. Our CEO, Sandy Damm, has left the organisation, and in the immediate term, our Chairman, John Baughn, will lead the business alongside the existing leadership team while our Board searches for a permanent CEO. 

Ensuring continuity in leadership

John has been part of Bright Ascension for the past 4 years in various roles and brings over 40 years of experience in the commercial space sector, with expertise across space operations, commercial strategy, and governance. His leadership, together with the executive team, ensures continuity and steady management as we move into this next chapter of growth.  

“Bright Ascension has entered an incredibly exciting period,” said John Baughn, Chairman. “We have ambitious plans for 2026 as we expand our team, scale the company, and bring additional HELIX products to market. My focus, together with the leadership team, is on maintaining momentum, supporting our teams through this growth phase, and ensuring we appoint the right long-term CEO to lead Bright Ascension into its next chapter.” 

Our growth plans for 2026

This leadership change comes at a time of significant expansion. We are growing our team, enhancing our HELIX® product suite, and strengthening our position as a leading provider of software infrastructure to power the next generation of space-based services. Our growth enables us to deliver even more capability, flexibility, and reliability to continue to support our valued customers and partners around the world.