Terra Industries appoints former SpaceX executive Ben MacWilliams as VP of Strategy

Terra Industries has appointed former SpaceX executive Ben MacWilliams as Vice President of Strategy. The move is intended to accelerate the company’s expansion of autonomous defense systems into government markets across Africa and the wider Global South.

MacWilliams previously served as Director of Starlink Market Access at SpaceX, where he managed regulatory and market expansion across all 54 African countries and secured operating licenses in the Middle East and Central Eurasia. At Terra, he will oversee market entry, licensing strategy, and government partnerships.

The appointment follows a $52 million seed financing round for Terra. The company, which develops integrated air, land, and maritime security systems powered by its ArtemisOS software, has opened an international office in London and plans to launch a new manufacturing facility, Pax-2, in Ghana by the fourth quarter of 2026.