Space rocket company Orbex hires scale-up expert as CEO

This post is also available in: Danish

Orbex is a leading space rocket manufacturer based in Hvidovre, Denmark, and has appointed Phillip Chambers, an experienced scale-upA scale-up is a strategic phase of business growth with heightened focus on expanding operations, revenue, and market presence rapidly. More expert, as CEO. The company operates with both design and production facilities in Denmark and the UK, and is backed by prominent investors such as the Danish Export and Investment Fund (EIFO) and Heartcore Capital.

Phillip Chambers, brings more than two decades of experience in building innovative companies to Orbex. Among other things, he is known for being the CEO and co-founder of Peakon, which in 2021 was sold to the American listed company Workday for DKK 4.3 billion. His experience also includes scaling technology platforms at some of Europe’s most successful startups, including Gumtree, Podio and Qype, which has been acquired by Yelp.

“It’s an incredibly exciting time to join Orbex and the global space industry as we enter a key growth period. Our activities in Denmark are particularly crucial as we strive to develop the world’s most sustainable space rockets,” says Phillip Chambers.

European frontrunner

Orbex’s headquarters in Hvidovre, Denmark, houses Europe’s largest 3D printer used to print rocket engines for Prime, an environmentally friendly rocket designed to launch small satellites into orbit. Chambers emphasizes that the goal is to contribute to the European space industry and make the UK a hub for European rocket launches.

The appointment of Chambers comes at a critical time for Europe as it prepares for the first satellite launches. With six confirmed launch contracts and the development of an environmentally friendly rocket technology, Orbex has positioned itself as a leader in European launches.

Phillip Chambers plans to split his time between Copenhagen, London and Scotland, overseeing Orbex’s next phase of growth, including the completion of the world’s first carbon-neutral spaceport in Scotland.

The appointment of Phillip Chambers as the new CEO comes at the same time as the announcement that Miguel Belló Mora will become the new Chairman of the Board of Orbex. Belló Mora has a long career in the space industry, most recently as Director General of the Spanish Space Agency and Commissioner of PERTE (Aerospace Strategic Project for Economic Recovery and Transformation), where he oversaw a 33 billion project for the Spanish space sector. He has previously held prominent leadership roles, including as founder and CEO of DEIMOS space group and CEO of Atlantic International Research Centre.

Orbex has a very promising and exciting future ahead of it, and is helping to set the sails for the direction in which the wind is blowing for Europe’s place in the space race.