Date posted: 10/28/2008*

Raytheon’s Vice President and Chief Information Officer Rebecca Rhoads is the 2008 recipient of the Mass Technology Leadership Council CIO of the Year award. The company’s chief information security officer, Jeff Brown, was also a finalist in the “CXO” category, making Raytheon the only company to have two finalists in awards contention.

The Technology Leadership Awards honor Massachusetts companies and individuals who best exemplify leadership and excellence in business and technology. Winners were selected from a field of more than 160 nominations by the Councils’ Board of Trustees, media and other industry leaders.

“The winners represent not only their leadership and innovative work,” said Tom Hopcroft, executive director of the Mass Technology Leadership Council. “It’s also about recognizing current and future leaders who have a significant impact on the state’s technology sector.”

Rhoads was selected for her demonstrated leadership in information technology; her commitment to her team; and for helping to drive innovation across the company. She oversees an IT operation that has to provide secure enterprise connectivity around the clock and around the globe for 72,000 employees in 51 countries. “Every day I get to work with the most amazing, expert team of IT professionals,” said Rhoads. “This award is shared with all of them. It also recognizes Raytheon’s unwavering commitment to IT excellence and innovation in a complex and rapidly changing world.”

Rhoads has more than 29 years of experience within the defense industry. She’s an accomplished electrical engineer who transitioned to information technology because she understood its growing importance to the organization. Today, her top priorities are information security and risk management. She also chairs the company’s investment committee and is a member of the corporate leadership team, led by Chairman and CEO William H. Swanson, charged with developing and driving strategy throughout the company. Despite having a demanding job in a high stakes industry, Rhoads finds time to champion, support and mentor a number of people at varying stages of their careers, from new hires to seasoned managers.

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