Understanding the Next Generation of Cyber Security

Traditional lines of business within aerospace and defense companies evoke images of spacecraft, aircraft, ships, and tanks. However, today’s world of increasingly complicated security challenges requires much more than the traditional defense applications of decades past. Dr. Ray O. Johnson believes it’s time to dramatically increase the investment in cyber security platforms to address today’s greatest threats.

Dr. Ray O. Johnson is a corporate executive with a proven track record of leading large organizations, developing and executing growth strategies, and achieving operational excellence in diverse business environments.

He served as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of the Lockheed Martin Corporation for 9 years (2006 to 2015), where he oversaw engineering, technology, production operations, global supply chain, program management, and logistics and sustainment. He led more than 70,000 people, working on more than 4,000 programs.

He interacts at the highest levels nationally and internationally with officials in government, industry, and academia, and he is frequently sought as an expert in the media and as a speaker on business, strategy, innovation, and education.

Before joining Lockheed Martin, Dr. Johnson was the Chief Operating Officer for Modern Technology Solutions, Inc. of Alexandria, VA, and he held executive positions with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), including Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Advanced Concepts Business Unit.

Dr. Johnson is a member of the Board of Directors of QxBranch, an early stage data analytics and quantum computing company, Terrestrial Energy, a next-generation nuclear energy company, and United Sciences, which specializes in 3-D scanning technologies. Dr. Johnson is a member of the Argonne National Laboratory Board of Governors, and he serves on the USAF Air University Board of Visitors. He has served on the National Math Science Initiative Board of Directors since 2010, and he was a member of the Sandia Corporation Board of Directors from 2007- 2015. Other national and international affiliations include: the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum; the International Astronautical Federation and the International Academy of Astronautics; and the American Associates of the STS Forum. He was a member of the USAF Scientific Advisory Board from 2001-2005.

In the educational field, Dr. Johnson is a Professor of the Practice at the University of Maryland, where he is also a member of the Board of Visitors with the School of Computing, Mathematics, and Natural Sciences. Previous academic Board positions include the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, Rice University Professional Science Master’s Program, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Energy Initiative.

He is a full Academician of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and a fellow of the International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE), the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Dr. Johnson is a member of Eta Kappa Nu, Tau Beta Pi, and Phi Kappa Phi. He holds Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology and a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Oklahoma State University.