GB - Hero BOD

Board of Directors

Dr. Kamal Ghaffarian
Dr. Kamal Ghaffarian
Chairman of the Board

Dr. Ghaffarian, our co-founder, has served as the Chairman of our Board since February 2023. Throughout his 36-plus year career, Dr. Ghaffarian has created multiple successful companies and has extensive experience working at the intersection of government contracting and technological innovation.

Dr. Ghaffarian started his entrepreneurial career in 1994 by founding Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies, Inc., a government services company focusing on IT, engineering, and science applications. Dr. Ghaffarian has also held numerous technical and management positions at Lockheed Martin, Ford Aerospace and Loral. Dr. Ghaffarian has obtained two Bachelor of Science degrees, including a B.S. in Computer Science in Engineering and a B.S. in Electronics Engineering, an M.S. in Science in Information Management, a Ph.D. in Management Information System and a Ph.D. in Technology.

Dr. Ghaffarian, is the co-founder and chairman of a number of companies including IBX, Axiom Space, X Energy, Quantum Space and PTX. Dr. Ghaffarian is well qualified to serve on our Board due to his extensive experience in the field and deep understanding of company leadership from serving as Chairman.

Chairman of the Board
Stephen Altemus
Stephen Altemus
Co-founder, President, Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Altemus has served as our Chief Executive Officer and President and a member of our Board since February 2023 and has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Intuitive Machines, LLC since 2012. Mr. Altemus is also one of our co-founders. Prior to founding Intuitive Machines, in December 2012, Mr. Altemus was appointed to serve as the Deputy Director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center (“JSC”), a position he held until June 2013. Formerly Director of Engineering from July 2006 to December 2012, Mr. Altemus served as the leader and steward of JSC’s engineering capabilities in support of NASA’s human spaceflight programs, projects, and technology activities.

Mr. Altemus received a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University where he now serves as a member on the Engineering Advisory Board, and an M.S. in Engineering Management from the University of Central Florida. He joined NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and the Space Shuttle Program in 1989 where he held progressively more responsible positions working in Space Shuttle operations, launch, and landing activities. He served as the Columbia Reconstruction Director after the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia on February 1, 2003. In January 2005, he joined JSC serving as the Deputy Director of Engineering and was subsequently selected as Director in July 2006. Mr. Altemus is well qualified to serve on our Board due to his role as our Chief Executive Officer, his depth of knowledge of us and our operations, his acute business judgment and extensive familiarity with the business in which we compete. 

Michael Blitzer
Michael Blitzer
Director

Mr. Blitzer has served as a member of our Board since February 2023. Mr. Blitzer  is also Chairman of the Board of USA Rare Earth (Nasdaq: USAR) since its 2025 public listing. He is also lead independent director of Merlin Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: MRLN). He is also currently the Chairman and CEO of Inflection Point III and Inflection Point V which have announced transactions with Air Water and GoWell, respectively, in the water and energy fields. Mr. Blitzer is the Chairman and CEO of Inflection Point Asset Management, the financial sponsor of strategically important assets in the critical infrastructure and national security industries, since 2024. He was the founder and CEO of Kingston Capital Management, which he founded in 2004 and grew to a multi-billion asset manager with some of the world's largest endowments and foundations until 2021. Mr. Blitzer began his Wall Street career at J.P. Morgan Securities in 1999 advising companies globally in private debt and capital raises followed by work at the investment fund Gotham Asset Management, which was founded by the author and investor Joel Greenblatt. Mr. Blitzer taught courses in investing at Columbia Business School for five years in the 2010s. He holds an M.B.A from Columbia Business School and a B.S. from Cornell University. Mr. Blitzer is well qualified to serve on our Board due to his experience with public companies and his financial expertise. 

Lieutenant General (Ret.) William J. Liquori
Lieutenant General (Ret.) William J. Liquori
Director

Lieutenant General Liquori has served as a member of our Board since February 2023. Lieutenant General Liquori retired as a Lieutenant General from the United States Space Force in 2022, after over thirty years of distinguished service in both the U.S. Air Force and Space Force. Lieutenant General Liquori served as the Space Force’s first Chief Strategy and Resourcing Officer. Lieutenant General Liquori also led the development of the Space Force international engagement strategy; served as the lead policy interface to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, National Security Council and the National Space Council. Lieutenant General Liquori currently serves on the Board of True Anomaly, Inc., a spacecraft and software company focused on space superiority and the Space Force Association, a non-profit advocating for US Space Force interests and national space power. He also serves on the Military Advisory Board of First Command Financial Services, a financial planning company coaching military members and their families in pursuit of financial security.

Lieutenant General Liquori entered the Air Force as a distinguished graduate of the Air Force ROTC program at Boston University. His career included numerous positions in Air Force Space Command, the National Reconnaissance Office, the Air Force Secretariat, U.S. European Command, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the White House as Director for Space Policy on the National Security Council staff. During his time at the White House, Liquori served two Presidents of the United States, was the lead author for the 2018 National Space Strategy, served as the primary NSC interface to the National Space Council, co-led the 2018 U.S.-Japan Comprehensive Dialogue on Space, and supported the early policy work leading to the establishment of the United States Space Force. He has commanded a space operations squadron and the 50th Space Wing.

Lieutenant General Liquori graduated from Boston University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science. In 1996, Lieutenant General Liquori earned a Master's degree from Webster University in Computer Resources and Information Management. From 2004-2005, Lieutenant General Liquori proceeded to Air University where he received Master’s Degrees in Airpower Art & Science and Air & Space Power Strategy. Then, in 2009, Lieutenant General Liquori attended the Marine Corps University where he received a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies. Lieutenant General Liquori is well qualified to serve on our Board due to his profound knowledge of the field and extensive leadership expertise.

Robert L. Masson
Robert L. Masson
Director

Mr. Masson has served as a member of our Board since February 2023. Mr. Masson was the Chief Financial Officer of Noble Supply and Logistics, LLC (“Noble”) from 2023 through February 2025.

Mr. Masson is a skilled finance executive with over 20 years of experience in the aerospace, defense, and industrial sectors. Before joining Noble, Mr. Masson served as Chief Financial Officer of Latham Group, Inc. where he was responsible for planning, implementing, managing, and controlling all financial-related activities for the company. Mr. Masson served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Hypertherm, Inc., where he oversaw the company’s global financial, information technology, and legal operations. From 2016-2018, Mr. Masson was Vice President of Finance at Flowserve, where he led the company’s operational finance, operational accounting, and corporate financial planning and analysis teams. From 2003-2016, he served in various finance leadership roles at Raytheon Technologies, including Chief Financial Officer roles for several of the company’s business units.

Mr. Masson began his career as a Lieutenant and Naval Aviator for the United States Navy, where he worked from 1992-2001. Mr. Masson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the United States Naval Academy and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. Mr. Masson currently serves as a director for Tech-Etch, Inc. where he is Chair of the Audit Committee. Mr. Masson is well qualified to serve on our Board because of his numerous years of experience in finance and the aerospace industry and his knowledge as a director.

Nicole Seligman
Nicole Seligman
Director

Ms. Seligman has served as a member of our Board since June 2023. Ms. Seligman was the President of Sony Entertainment, Inc., a multinational entertainment company, from 2014 to 2016 and of Sony Corporation of America from 2012 to 2016. From 2005 through 2014, she served as the Executive Vice President and global General Counsel of Sony Corporation. She joined Sony in 2001 as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Sony Corporation of America. Prior to joining Sony, she was a partner in the litigation practice at Williams & Connolly LLP where she worked on a broad range of complex civil and criminal matters and counseled a broad range of clients, including President William Jefferson Clinton and Hillary Clinton. Ms. Seligman served as law clerk to Justice Thurgood Marshall on the Supreme Court of the United States from 1984 to 1985 and as law clerk to Judge Harry T. Edwards at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1983 to 1984. Ms. Seligman currently also serves on the public company board of Meira GTx Holdings plc.I and Praetorian Acquisition Corp. Ms. Seligman also serves on the board of OpenAI. She previously served on the boards of directors of Paramount Global (formerly known as ViacomCBS, Inc.), WPP plc, Far Point Acquisition Corporation and Far Peak Acquisition Corporation. Ms. Seligman received her B.A., magna cum laude, from Harvard College (Radcliffe) and her J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School, where she was a winner of the Sears Prize. Ms. Seligman serves as Co-Chair of the Schwartzman Animal Medical Center in New Your City and as the Chair of the Doe Fund, a New York non-profit offering transactional services for the homeless and formerly incarcerated. Ms. Seligman is well qualified to serve on our Board because of her senior leadership roles in global public companies, extensive business and corporate governance experience accompanied by exceptional achievements in the legal profession.