10 Rocket Lab operations leaders
Chief Operations Officer, Vice President - New Zealand Operations, Director of Operations, Space Structures Complex and Head of Spacecraft Operations are among the roles held by these ten Rocket Lab operations leaders. A reader can learn how operations leaders work at Rocket Lab from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
Alek Derejian
LinkedInExperience: Vice President - New Zealand Operations · Rocket Lab
Alek Derejian has been Vice President - New Zealand Operations at Rocket Lab in Auckland since October 2022. Alek Derejian was Director - Propulsion Test Complex at Rocket Lab from 2020 to 2022, Head of Overhaul at Airwork Holdings Ltd from 2019 to 2020 and International Business Operations Manager at Rolls-Royce from 2016 to 2018.
Alex Zajac
LinkedInExperience: Director of Operations, Separation Systems · Rocket Lab
Alex Zajac has been Senior Director, Separation Systems at Rocket Lab since January 2025 and was Director of Operations, Separation Systems there from 2021 to 2025. Alex Zajac was Engineering Program Manager - Mac Product Design at Apple from 2018 to 2021, and Senior Engineer & Program Manager (2014–2018) and Lead Mechanical Engineer (2008–2014) at Planetary Systems Corp.
Arturo Esquer
LinkedInExperience: Senior Director of Operations · Rocket Lab
Arturo Esquer was Senior Director of Operations at Rocket Lab from May 2024 to January 2025, a role described as responsible for all operations at the headquarters, and was Director of Production at Rocket Lab from 2020 to 2024. Arturo Esquer has been Head of Production at Anduril Industries since 2025 and was Director Manufacturing, Supply Chain & Quality at Kitty Hawk from 2019 to 2020.
Cedric Jacob
LinkedInExperience: Director of Operations, Space Structures Complex · Rocket Lab
Cedric Jacob has been Director of Operations, Space Structures Complex at Rocket Lab in Middle River, Maryland since April 2024, and describes the job as building the team that will build the largest carbon fiber rocket ever built. Cedric Jacob was Manufacturing Engineering Manager at Albany International Corp. from 2021 to 2024 and Manager, Composites Design and Development at Parker Meggitt from 2019 to 2021.
Francois Toussaint
LinkedInExperience: Head of Spacecraft Operations · Rocket Lab
Francois Toussaint has been Head of Spacecraft Operations at Rocket Lab in Auckland since March 2026, heading the global spacecraft operations department. At Rocket Lab Francois Toussaint was Team Lead - Principal Spacecraft Operations Engineer from 2025 to 2026 and Spacecraft Operations Lead Engineer from 2024 to 2025, and was Specialist Spacecraft & Flight Dynamics Operations Engineer at Centre National d'Études Spatiales from 2018 to 2023.
Frank Klein
LinkedInExperience: Chief Operations Officer · Rocket Lab
Frank Klein has been Chief Operations Officer at Rocket Lab in Long Beach, California since September 2024. Frank Klein was Chief Operations Officer at Rivian from 2022 to 2024, President Magna Steyr at Magna International from 2020 to 2022 and President Complete Vehicles Engineering and Manufacturing at Magna International from 2019 to 2020, and has sat on the Path Robotics board as a non-executive member since 2025.
Joseph Carpico
LinkedInExperience: Test & Launch Operations Director · Rocket Lab
Joseph Carpico has been Test & Launch Operations Director at Rocket Lab in Auckland since September 2019. Joseph Carpico was Professor Lecturer in Aerospace Engineering at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo from 2017 to 2019, Antares Operations Manager at Orbital Sciences Corporation from 2013 to 2016 and Manager, Range and Communication Services on the Sea Launch Program at Energia Logistics, Ltd from 2010 to 2012.
Julia Wembacher
LinkedInExperience: Director Test and Launch Operations, Launch Director · Rocket Lab
Julia Wembacher has been Director Test and Launch Operations, Launch Director at Rocket Lab in Auckland since February 2026 and was Acting Director - Test and Launch Operations there from September 2025 to February 2026. At Rocket Lab Julia Wembacher was also Team Lead - Integrated Operations - Test & Launch from 2022 to 2025, Senior Engineer - Integrated Operations from 2020 to 2022 and Propulsion Test Engineer from 2019 to 2020.
Shaun O'Donnell
LinkedInExperience: Executive Vice President Of Operations · Rocket Lab
Shaun O'Donnell was Executive Vice President Of Operations at Rocket Lab from 2019 to 2022, Vice President Of Global Operations there from 2017 to 2019 and Vice President Of NZ Operations there from 2016 to 2017. Shaun O'Donnell has been Chief Engineer - Special Projects at Rocket Lab in Auckland since October 2022 and was GNC, Software, Avionics Team Leader at Rocket Lab from 2013 to 2016.
Skip Williams
LinkedInExperience: Vice President & General Manager · Rocket Lab Optical Systems
Skip Williams has been Vice President & General Manager at Rocket Lab Optical Systems in Tucson, Arizona since August 2025. At Rocket Lab Optical Systems Skip Williams was Chief Operating Officer (Acting) from November 2024 to August 2025 and Chief Technology Officer from 2023 to 2025, and was Director Business Development Fellow at L3Harris Technologies from 2020 to 2023.
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's operations area, whether company-wide operations, a site such as New Zealand or Tucson, production, spacecraft operations or test and launch operations, to the decision you face. Check each role's dates to see whether it is current.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01What did you focus on first when you took on your current operations role?
- 02How do you keep production and launch schedules on track when a site falls behind?
- 03What have you learned about running operations across Rocket Lab sites in several countries?
Reaching Rocket Lab operations leaders
How can I contact one of these Rocket Lab operations leaders?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 2 companies: Rocket Lab and Rocket Lab Optical Systems, based on profile data retrieved on October 19, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach Rocket Lab operations leaders?
You choose the offer, starting at $5 per person. The offer is what the person receives, and Instant Expert's fee is added on top, so a $100 offer costs you $125. The fee is 20% of what you pay. You're charged only when the person books the call or sends the answer.
What if they don't reply?
You pay nothing. Instant Expert sends follow-up reminders, and if the person hasn't booked or answered within 7 days, the request expires and any hold on your card is released. You can invite several of the 10 people on this list at once and cap your total spend, so you pay only for the ones who accept.
Can an AI agent ask one of these Rocket Lab operations leaders a question?
Yes. An agent with a USDC wallet on Base can ask one question without an Instant Expert account. It names the person, for example by the LinkedIn URL on this page, and pays per ask over x402 (HTTP 402). The person answers in writing or by voice note, and if nobody answers within 7 days, the payment goes back to the wallet automatically. Claude and ChatGPT can do the same through the Instant Expert connector: setup is at /docs/mcp for Claude and /docs/chatgpt for ChatGPT. x402 docs
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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