Kodiak AI has named Chet Gryczan as Vice President and Managing Director of Defense. The appointment signals a deeper push into military autonomous vehicle programs. Gryczan brings more than 20 years of experience leading defense and automotive technology organizations.
Highlights
- Gryczan previously scaled Detroit Defense from a pre-profit startup to $157 million in annual revenue with over 230 employees across 30 sites.
- He played a key role in securing a $500 million Congressional modernization program by aligning industry capabilities with Army priorities.
- Kodiak holds active U.S. Army and Marine Corps contracts for autonomous military vehicles, including the Robotic Combat Vehicle and ROGUE-Fires programs.
- The Kodiak Driver currently operates driverless trucks commercially for Atlas Energy Solutions in the Permian Basin of West Texas and eastern New Mexico.
Gryczan’s Background in Defense Scaling
Most recently, Gryczan served as President of Detroit Defense. The engineering and systems integration firm serves the U.S. Military and major American defense contractors. Under his leadership, the company — formerly known as Ricardo Defense — grew into a $157 million annual revenue enterprise.
During his tenure, he conceived and directed defense programs valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Notably, he forged partnerships with OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, and government leaders. Those efforts helped secure a multi-year $500 million Congressional modernization program aligned with Army priorities.
New Role and Strategic Focus
In his new position, Gryczan will oversee strategy, customer engagement, and program execution across Kodiak’s defense portfolio. His primary focus will center on integrating the Kodiak Driver — the company’s AI-powered autonomous driving system — into a wide range of military vehicles.
“Chet understands how to build a durable defense business, combining operational credibility and deep customer trust with financial discipline,” said Don Burnette, Founder and CEO of Kodiak. He added that Gryczan’s experience bringing advanced technology to military programs at scale strengthens the company’s ability to execute and expand its defense portfolio.
Kodiak’s Growing Defense Footprint
Kodiak has leveraged its commercial autonomous trucking expertise to position itself as a dual-use autonomy partner for the U.S. military. In 2022, the U.S. Army selected Kodiak for a contract to deliver an end-to-end autonomous solution for the Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) program. That contract was valued at approximately $30 million.
More recently, the U.S. Marine Corps awarded Kodiak a contract to integrate its autonomous driving technology into the Remotely Operated Ground Unit for Expeditionary Fires (ROGUE-Fires) carrier ground vehicle. Together, these contracts demonstrate the Kodiak Driver’s adaptability across both commercial and defense applications.
Gryczan’s Vision for the Role
“Kodiak has already demonstrated that its autonomous system can operate in demanding military environments and deliver measurable capability,” Gryczan said. He noted that the role brings together his career focus on adapting commercial technologies for defense use with Kodiak’s proven autonomous platform and growing defense presence.
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