MUHAMMAD “MO” SHAHZAD
Chief Financial Officer and President
Relativity Space
As chief financial officer and president of Relativity Space, Muhammad “Mo” Shahzad is responsible for corporate strategy and growth and for leading all commercial, financial, people, and legal and risk efforts at the company. His responsibilities include but are not limited to sales and business development, brand and communications, financial planning and strategy, fundraising, capital allocation, accounting, treasury and tax, human resources, talent acquisition, legal, government affairs, safety, and security. Under Shahzad’s leadership, Relativity Space has raised over $1.3 billion and grown more than 10 times in head count.
Shahzad implemented innovative cash flow management strategies that balance scope, schedule, and risk to drive Relatively Space’s Terran R program, which is a multi-billion dollar, multi-year program. He also implemented a capital allocation program that allowed the company to hit technical milestones on time and on target while spending smartly.
Among his other accomplishments, Shahzad introduced financial modeling improve-ments that enhanced forecasting accuracy, leading to more effective budget allocation and reduced overall risk. He increased contract value backlog to over $1.8 billion, including several multi-hundred million dollar arrangements with large customers. He also enhanced the company’s enterprise risk management framework, safeguarding its people and physical assets, including a total overhaul of the insurance philosophy, approach, and partnerships. Shahzad has established a culture of risk awareness that empowered department heads to make informed decisions aligned with the company’s risk appetite. He has also streamlined financial processes through the adoption of newer business intelligence and forecasting tools, improving efficiency and transparency in financial reporting within the organization dramatically.