Spire Global, Inc. (NYSE: SPIR) has appointed Eric "Mell" Mellinger as Chief Commercial Officer, effective August 3, 2026, according to a company statement.

Mellinger joins Spire from Mantech International Corporation, where he served as Vice President for Business Development and Growth Leader for the Defense and Space Sector. In that role, he led a team that built an annual business pipeline exceeding $4 billion across U.S. defense markets, contributing to more than $2.5 billion in contract awards. He also worked on partnerships with companies including Anduril, AWS, Google, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, Palantir, and SpaceX.

In his new role, Mellinger will oversee Spire's go-to-market strategy, business development, sales, strategic partnerships, and customer growth initiatives across government and commercial markets. He will be based at the company's Vienna, Virginia headquarters.

Before Mantech, Mellinger served as the House Armed Services Committee's Defense Acquisition Reform Staff Lead. Prior to that, he spent 30 years in the United States Marine Corps, retiring as a Colonel. His military career included a role as Senior Military Assistant in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and concluded with a posting as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Marines in the Western Pacific, based in Okinawa, Japan.

Mellinger holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Factors Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy, a Master of Military Studies from Marine Corps University, and a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National Defense University.

"Mell has an exceptional track record of turning strategy into execution, building strong customer relationships, entering new markets, and leading organizations that consistently deliver growth," said Theresa Condor, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Global.