The fourth Raytheon Mission Assurance Forum was held June 11-13 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, outside Washington, D.C.
Organized around the theme, "It Takes a Team," the forum brought together more than 500 Raytheon employees, leaders, customers and industry partners to focus on supporting and encouraging the attributes of good teams to deliver NoDoubt™ Mission Assurance. Over the course of three days, the attendees increased their knowledge and understanding of Mission Assurance through panel discussions, breakout sessions, exhibits and networking opportunities. The program also featured a diverse range of voices — customers, warfighters, Raytheon leadership and coworkers.
The forum was one of the largest ever, as for the first time the Raytheon Six Sigma™ Awards were integrated into the program. They joined the Excellence in Operations and Quality Awards as evening events to recognize achievements in productivity, process excellence and Mission Assurance.
Keynotes From the Customer Community
Attendees heard about the importance of Mission Assurance directly from leading customer voices during keynote addresses from:
Lt. Gen. Henry A. "Trey" Obering III, director of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA)
Lt. Michael E. Thornton (ret.), U.S. Navy, Medal of Honor Recipient
Lt. Mark G. Stainbrook, Los Angeles Police Department
Randolph R. Stone, director of Safety, Quality and Mission Assurance for the MDA
Panel Discussions
Panel discussions led by Raytheon leaders and warfighters allowed attendees to gain a better understanding of Mission Assurance and what it means to the work we do everyday.
Members of the Raytheon leadership panel included Raytheon Vice President and CIO Rebecca Rhoads, Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems President Mike Keebaugh, and Raytheon Technical Services Company President Rick Yuse. The leaders shared their personal perspectives on Mission Assurance, the important aspects of a team, and how to manage risk, as well as and their thoughts on organizational health.
Additionally, a warfighter panel that four officers comprised fielded questions from the audience and told personal stories about the role that Mission Assurance plays when they are in the field.
Hearing From Day-to-Day Mission Assurance Practitioners
Detailed track sessions gave participants firsthand experience and actionable information about the role that Mission Assurance plays in Raytheon businesses for the benefit of customers. The 25 track sessions represented an enterprisewide dedication and commitment to educating Raytheon employees on their role in process excellence.
Recognizing and Rewarding Accomplishment Raytheon Chairman and CEO Bill Swanson, along with Raytheon Missile Systems President (and former Vice President of Raytheon Engineering Technology and Mission Assurance) Taylor W. Lawrence, acknowledged 18 Raytheon Six Sigma projects on June 11 with the prestigious Raytheon Six Sigma President's Award for top projects within a business that achieved overall project excellence — each business's and corporate's "Best in Business." Swanson and Lawrence also unveiled the four CEO Award Winners; these were chosen from the 18 President's Award winners as "Best in Class" in four focus areas: Customer-Focused Company, Mission Assurance, Mission Systems Integration and CEO's Choice.
On June 12, Lawrence acknowledged 21 teams and one individual with the Excellence in Operations and Quality award. Each recipient contributed to Raytheon's growth by helping ensure our customers' mission success. The award recognizes those who demonstrate a constant pursuit of excellence, dedicated leadership and a commitment to customers by providing the best solutions.
