Former SpaceX director joins Terra Industries as VP of Strategy

Ben MacWilliams, a former SpaceX executive who led Starlink’s market access across more than 20 African countries, has joined Nigerian defence technology company Terra Industries as Vice President of Strategy.

Terra said MacWilliams will lead its global expansion, managing regulatory approvals, licensing, and government partnerships as it deploys sovereign autonomous defence systems to states across the Global South.

The appointment follows the close of Terra’s seed round at approximately $52 million, including an $18 million final tranche announced on Monday.

MacWilliams previously served as Starlink’s director of market access, covering all 54 African markets. He worked directly with presidents, regulators, and telecommunications ministers to bring the satellite internet service into markets including Botswana, Burundi, and Liberia.

Before leading Starlink’s Africa expansion, he ran market access for the Middle East and Central Eurasia, where he secured the first low Earth orbit broadband operating licenses in both regions.

Terra was founded in 2024 by Nathan Nwachuku and Maxwell Maduka. It positions itself as a vertically integrated defence player rather than a single-product drone vendor. It says its systems already protect assets worth about $11 billion and that it is on track to record more than $100 million in contract bookings by year-end.

The hire comes alongside other growth milestones. Terra has opened its first international office in London and is preparing Pax-2, a production facility in Ghana set to open in the fourth quarter of 2026.