10 SpaceX Starlink engineering leaders
SVP, Starlink, Senior Director, Starlink Constellation Engineering and Director, Starlink Engineering are among the current titles of these SpaceX Starlink engineering leaders, who also include directors of Starlink software and Starlink IT engineering. A reader can learn how Starlink engineering leaders work at SpaceX from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
Areg Balayan
LinkedInExperience: Director, Starlink Engineering · SpaceX
Areg Balayan has been Director, Starlink Engineering at SpaceX since May 2022, based in the Los Angeles area. At SpaceX, Areg Balayan was also Sr. Manager, Materials Engineering from 2021 to 2022, Manager, Materials Engineering from 2019 to 2021 and Manager, Vehicle Engineering from 2018 to 2019.
Grant Rinehart
LinkedInExperience: Director, Starlink Engineering · SpaceX
Grant Rinehart has been Director, Starlink Engineering at SpaceX since June 2026, based in the Austin, Texas area. At SpaceX, Grant Rinehart was also Sr. Manager, Starlink Engineering from 2025 to 2026, Manager, Automation & Controls (Starlink User Terminals) from 2021 to 2025 and Lead Mechanical Engineer (Starlink User Terminals) from 2020 to 2021.
John Federspiel
LinkedInExperience: Sr. Director, Starlink Product Engineering · SpaceX
John Federspiel has been Sr. Director, Starlink Product Engineering at SpaceX since December 2022 and also lists Sr. Director, Terafab at SpaceX since March 2026. At SpaceX, John Federspiel was also Director, Starlink Product Engineering from 2020 to 2022, Manager, Dragon Engineering from 2018 to 2020 and Lead Mechanical Design Engineer from 2014 to 2018.
John Isely
LinkedInExperience: Director, Starlink Engineering · SpaceX
John Isely has been Director, Starlink Engineering at SpaceX since 2023, based in the United States, and the profile headline describes John Isely as Director of Starlink Production at SpaceX. The profile also describes John Isely as a leader with a history in the aerospace industry.
Jon Herman
LinkedInExperience: Senior Director, Starlink Constellation Engineering · SpaceX
Jon Herman has been Senior Director, Starlink Constellation Engineering at SpaceX since June 2026 and also lists Director, Starlink Constellation Engineering since November 2025, based in Redmond, Washington. At SpaceX, Jon Herman was also Sr. Manager, Fleet GNC from 2023 to 2025, Manager, Fleet GNC from 2022 to 2023 and Lead GNC Engineer, Fleet Management in 2022.
Matt Monson
LinkedInExperience: Director of Starlink Software · SpaceX
Matt Monson has been Director of Starlink Software at SpaceX since August 2019, based in Bellevue, Washington, and was Manager of Dragon Software at SpaceX from 2012 to 2019. Matt Monson was also Founder and CTO of BinaryThumb in 2012 and a Software Developer at Microsoft from 2007 to 2012.
Michael Nicolls
LinkedInExperience: SVP, Starlink · SpaceX
Michael Nicolls has been SVP, Starlink at SpaceX since January 2026, based in Menlo Park, California. At SpaceX, Michael Nicolls was VP, Starlink Engineering from 2023 to 2026, Senior Director, Starlink Engineering from 2022 to 2023, Director, Starlink Network from 2021 to 2022 and Principal Engineer from 2020 to 2021.
Ramakrishna Akella
LinkedInExperience: Former Director, Modem Engineering. Co-lead for Starlink Direct-to-cell network · SpaceX
Ramakrishna Akella is a former Director, Modem Engineering. Co-lead for Starlink Direct-to-cell network at SpaceX, holding the role from October 2017 to November 2022. Ramakrishna Akella was Director, Systems and SOC, Project Kuiper at Amazon from 2023 to 2024 and has been VP of Engineering at Logos Space since August 2024.
Randy First
LinkedInExperience: Director SpaceX, Starlink IT Engineering · SpaceX
Randy First has been Director SpaceX, Starlink IT Engineering at SpaceX since May 2024, based in the United States. Randy First was Director, APAC Data Center Server & Logistics Operations at Google from 2014 to 2023 and Sr. Director IT Engineering at Logitech from 2007 to 2014.
Robert Wiggenhorn
LinkedInExperience: Former Director, Starlink Enterprise Engineering · SpaceX
Robert Wiggenhorn is a former Director, Starlink Enterprise Engineering at SpaceX, holding the role from August 2024 to December 2024. Robert Wiggenhorn was Vice President, Space Station Engineering at Vast from 2024 to 2025 and has been Co-Founder of Skyband Systems since January 2026, based in Long Beach, California.
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's part of Starlink, such as constellation, product, software or IT engineering, to the question you are bringing. People who have left SpaceX can speak to the role with more distance, while current leaders know how it works today.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01What took up most of your time as a Starlink engineering leader, and how did that change as your group grew?
- 02How do you balance speed and reliability when your engineers have to deliver on a tight schedule?
- 03What experience from your earlier roles turned out to matter most in leading Starlink engineering, and what surprised you?
Reaching SpaceX Starlink engineering leaders
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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.