Ellen Ferraro, Ph.D.
VP, Engineering, Land and Air Defense Systems
Raytheon | An RTX Business
december 4, 2025
* JOIN US FOR THE PRE-EVENT HAPPY HOUR on December 3, 2025 FROM 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
7:00 am – 8:00 am MST
Delegate Registration and Networking Breakfast
Sponsored by:
8:00 am – 8:10 am MST
Chair's Welcome and Opening Remarks
Supply Chain & Logistics
Manufacturing & Operations
David Forward
VP, Operations
Woodward
Quality
Mike Kauffman
SVP, Supply Chain
GE Aerospace
AI & Emerging Technology
Kimberly Ricker
Senior Director, Supply Chain Management
L3Harris
8:10 am – 8:40 am MST
Keynote
Peter Lengyel
President and CEO
Safran USA
Advancing Resilience and Innovation through Transatlantic Collaboration
- Exploring how deepened U.S.-European aerospace partnerships are advancing national security priorities, technological innovation, and industrial base resilience
- The evolving role of Safran USA in supporting both military and commercial aerospace advancements across 24 U.S. states – aligning global expertise with domestic needs
- Navigating today’s complex geopolitical and economic environment: strategies for supply chain resilience, workforce development, and accelerating innovation pipelines
- Preparing for the next frontier: How collaboration across borders, domains, and industries will define success in the future aerospace and defense ecosystem
8:40 am – 9:10 am MST
Plenary
Scott Alexander
President, Missile Solutions
L3Harris
Elevating Defense System Performance Through Quality Excellence and Risk-Driven Mission Assurance Strategies
- Emphasizing the role of quality leadership in delivering consistent, high-stakes defense system performance
- Breaking down mission assurance frameworks that anticipate failure points before they impact the field
- Showcasing strategies that embed quality thinking early in design, development, and deployment processes.
- Developing talent pipelines to support a resilient, quality-driven workforce
- Discussing how proactive quality governance improves readiness and customer trust in critical missions
- Highlighting enterprise-wide alignment techniques that sustain quality through operational complexity and change
9:10 am – 9:40 am MST
Plenary
John Tukker
SVP, Regulated Industries
Cognitus
Jorge Malibran
Senior Partner, US Manufacturing Industry Leader
IBM
AI In Action: Transforming End-to-End Government Contracting Efficiency
- Improving bid planning, flowdown, and forecasting with embedded AI
- Automating compliance, billing, and audit readiness across the contract lifecycle
- Maintaining real-time labor and cost integrity through intelligent validation
- Standardizing in SAP S/4HANA with CIS-GovCon and scale securely with IBM cloud and AI
9:45 am – 11:25 am MST
Refreshments, Networking, and Pre-Arranged 1-2-1 Meetings
11:30 am – 12:00 pm MST
Sessions
Supply Chain & Logistics
Kristoffer Hall
VP, Helicopter Programs
Rolls Royce
Embedding Supply Chain Strategy in Program Leadership to Drive Aerospace Supplier Excellence and Quality Standards
- Uniting supply chain and program execution to meet demand for high-performance engine platforms
- Managing constrained components by forecasting intelligently and engaging suppliers earlier in the process
- Establishing clear escalation paths to address bottlenecks without impacting customer delivery timelines
Manufacturing & Operations
Dave Hatch
VP, Space Security and Intelligence
Lockheed Martin
Delivering Fast with High Mission Confidence
- Missionizing high-TRL components to accelerate delivery in response to urgent operational and strategic needs
- Demonstrating technology today to build higher confidence in future capabilities and program success
- Leveraging cross-functional collaboration across teams to streamline development, integration, and deployment processes efficiently
- Incorporating iterative testing and feedback loops to reduce risk while increasing reliability and mission assurance
Quality
Mike Robb
VP, Engineering, Aerospace Electronics
Woodward
Driving Quality Through Aviation Standards and Cybersecurity Integration
- How the FAA, Transport Canada, and EASA are evolving to address cybersecurity as a core aviation safety requirement
- The operational impact of merging airworthiness standards with digital risk mandates
- Building unified compliance frameworks that satisfy both traditional regulators and modern cyber expectations
- How leading A&D organizations are preparing for audits, ensuring resilience, and avoiding costly delays in system certification and fleet readiness
AI & Emerging Technology
Arun Mukherjee
Director, Business Operations and Program Management
Northrop Grumman
Scaling Defense Manufacturing Capacity with Advanced Automation and Digital Transformation Strategies
- Reimagining production lines with robotics, digital twins, and autonomous inspection to accelerate throughput
- Leveraging predictive analytics and AI to optimize scheduling, uptime, and asset utilization across facilities
- Integrating secure digital ecosystems to strengthen traceability, compliance, and mission-readiness at scale
- Modernizing supply chain interoperability with cloud platforms that improve visibility, agility, and resilience
12:05 pm – 12:35 pm MST
Workshops
Room 1
Jon Quick
CEO
Launchpad Build
Fortifying America’s Manufacturing Base: The Reindustrialization Imperative
- Maintaining a centralized manufacturing model with inflexible supply chains poses significant operational and security risks in a world of geopolitical uncertainty
- Taking no action risks China locking the US into a long-term subservient role within the current global ecosystem
- Reindustrializing via AI and automation is imperative, especially in the defense industry whose underlying characteristics make this a critical area for action
Room 2
Collin Harrison
Solution Architect
Dassian Strategic Solutions
Leon Workin
CEO
Dassian Strategic Solutions
David Forward
VP, Operations
Woodward
Operational Visibility Beyond Compliance: The intersection of Project Management, Operations, and Manufacturing
- Using GovCon compliance as an operational driver
- Addressing challenges with requirement visibility
- Staying ahead of schedule and spend and adapting to operational changes with agility
- Making informed decisions at the speed of mission
- Discussing the role of technology to reduce risks and costs
Room 3
Ed Walsh
Chief Revenue Officer
Sigmetrix
The Importance of the Digital Thread and Model Based Definition when Developing New Products in A&D
- How Digital Thread, MBE, MBSE, MBD, and Mechanical Variation Management are interconnected
- Linking system requirements to mechanical specifications and manufacturing operations through a digital thread
- Challenges in implementing Model-Based Definition and strategies for achieving successful adoption
- Industries, regions, and companies leading MBD adoption and the reasons behind their success
- Historical CAD-to-MBD shift lessons, financial impact, and importance for AI-driven product development
Room 4
Nick Kelly
VP, Product
1factory
Building Quality into Your Culture: A Digital Transformation Roadmap
- Balancing compliance and efficiency by implementing strategic, digital quality systems across operations
- Embedding quality as a continuous mindset in decisions, workflows, and daily operations
- Prioritizing real pain points like paper trails, manual data, and revision bottlenecks
- Eliminating manual entry and repetitive work to redirect focus on impactful quality improvements
- Tracking reduced defects, faster inspections, and higher throughput to validate quality’s business impact
12:40 pm – 1:40 pm MST
Lunch & Learn Roundtable Discussions and Open Seating Lunch
Benefit from additional learning by joining a moderated roundtable discussion on pressing issues in the industry. Registration is required, and attendance for moderated roundtables on Day 1 is limited to attendees and speakers. Choose from:
Doug Erwin
CEO
ChainLink SRM
Building Corporate-Level Supply Chain Visibility Across Business Units and Beyond
Matt Delaney
Head, Enterprise Solutions
Covalent
Systematically Building Subject Matter Expertise at Scale
Jack Caccioppo
Managing Director
Seraph
Driving Performance: Using Metrics to Align Supply Chain, Engineering, Operations, and Finance
Joe Loveless
CMO
DACIS
Signals in the Noise: Intel-driven Due Diligence in Partner and Supplier Chains
Phillip Kelterborn
VP, Business Development, Aerospace and Defense
GXO
Navigating the Skies of Growth: How 3PLs Alleviate Pain Points in Aerospace Manufacturing
John Tukker
SVP, Regulated Industries
Cognitus
Digital Twins in Action: Accelerating Mission Readiness in Aerospace & Defense
Kevin Darby
VP, Sales
LTW Intralogistics Inc.
Optimizing Material Handling and Storage Automation Across Large and Small Manufacturing Components
Matt Stanley
Director, Customer Success, and Global Head, Partnerships
1factory
Reimagine Quality Management: Improve Productivity, Increase Yield, Deliver World-Class Quality
Ethan Plotkin
CEO
GDCA
Mastering Obsolescence to Build Supply Chain Resilience: Insights from the U.S. Department of Defense
Dave Blatner
Industry Executive Advisor
SAP
Achieving Total Supply Chain Visibility – Bridging the Gaps Between Data, Transparency, and Trust
Dan Brokaw
VP, Sales
PEKO Precision Products
Unlocking Success in Determinant Assemblies and Complex Part Production for Aerospace and Defense
Alex Plitsas
VP, Transformation
Infor
Preparing Your Team for Compliance in Aerospace & Defense
Ed Walsh
Chief Revenue Officer
Sigmetrix
Current and Future State of the Digital Thread and Model-Based Definition in Organizations
Fred Short
Chief Growth Officer, FDH Hardware
FDH Aero
Optimizing Supplier Relationships to Drive Performance and Collaboration Across Networks
Jason Anderson
Director, Field Engineering
SQA Services
First-Article to Full Flight: Driving Quality Through Early Production Readiness
Huseyin Kose
VP, Channel Partnerships & Commercial Operations
Jamaica Bearings Co.
Spencer Van Meter
Director, DOD Business Development
Jamaica Bearings Co.
HOW CHANNEL PARTNERSHIPS CAN HELP DRIVE OEM EFFICIENCY
Whit Brown
Global Business Development Leader, Aerospace and Defense
Qnity Electronics
Enabling Reliability and Safety with Advanced Materials for Next Generation Aerospace Systems
1:45 pm – 2:15 pm MST
Sessions
Supply Chain & Logistics
Yen Matsutomi, Ph.D.
VP, Global Supply Chain Engineering
Blue Origin
Engineering Precision into the Supply Chain to Power the Next Generation of Spaceflight
- Designing a supply chain to match engine complexity and precision
- Aligning engineering, sourcing, and manufacturing for smooth execution
- Building flexible systems for rapid prototyping without delays
- Using data feedback to improve supply chain in real time
- Managing risks for critical and long-lead components proactively
Manufacturing & Operations
Brenda Ortiz
VP, Short and Medium Range Ground Based Air Defense
Raytheon | An RTX Business
Scaling Advanced Air Defense Systems Through Manufacturing Innovation and Engineering Precision
- Accelerating production readiness for Stinger, Coyote, NASAMS and directed-energy weapon systems
- Integrating new materials and components to support speed, range, and performance requirements
- Addressing ramp-up challenges through workforce development, automation, and process discipline
- Collaborating with international partners to align design transfer, assembly standards and quality control
Quality
Gregg Burgess
VP, Space Systems
General Atomics
Quality-Centric Space Systems Integration for Mission Assurance Success
- Outlining critical steps to guarantee mission success in complex environments
- Highlighting best practices in spacecraft assembly and subsystem interface control
- Discussing risk mitigation techniques for both hardware and software components under operational stress
- Sharing methods for continuous monitoring to uphold performance standards throughout mission life cycles
- Emphasizing cross-functional collaboration that drives defect reduction and robust system reliability
AI & Emerging Technology
Bret Lowell
VP, Digital Technology
Raytheon | An RTX Business
Beyond the Blueprint: Scaling the Next Generation of Digital Engineering
- Leveraging secure cloud and edge platforms for real-time, cross-functional collaboration
- Aligning OEMs, suppliers, and mission stakeholders through shared digital platforms
- Cultivating an agile, innovation-first culture across engineering and manufacturing
- Reducing program risk by enabling early integration, rapid prototyping, and virtual validation
2:20 pm – 2:50 pm MST
Workshops
Room 1
David Petrucci
Managing Director, Global Supply Chain and Operations Practice
Protiviti
Solving Operational Chaos by Rethinking Risk with Digital Twins and Agentic AI
- Uncovering the root causes behind persistent operational disruption across the value chain
- Understanding why this challenge goes far beyond traditional enterprise risk management
- Reimagining decision-making by simulating outcomes through enterprise digital twins
- Monitoring, learning, and adapting in real time using agentic AI and autonomous discovery
- Focusing limited resources on what matters most with intelligent, data-driven prioritization
Room 2
Tom Bishop
Enterprise Account Executive, Aerospace & Defense
interos.ai
Jane Ganina
Senior Director, Global Procurement and Supply Chain Management
TelesatScott Armstrong
Industry Principal, Aerospace and Defense
interos.ai
Shaping the Future of A&D Supply Chains: How to Harness AI to Unlock Visibility and Drive Practice Risk Mitigation
- Uncovering nth-tier supplier risk using AI for real-time threat identification and response
- Mapping global supply chain dependencies to reveal vulnerabilities before disruptions strike
- Monitoring geopolitical, cyber, and financial events to ensure operational continuity
- Modeling alternative sourcing scenarios to proactively reduce exposure and ensure resilience
- Strengthening ESG and regulatory compliance through automated risk scoring and alerts
Room 3
Bill Burton
Senior Director, Client Relations
DACIS
Staying Ahead of the Curve: Driving Strategy with Competitive Intelligence
- Leveraging detailed competitive intelligence for effective business development and strategic planning
- Understanding market dynamics, competitive threats, and new opportunities through advanced data analytics and research
- Demonstrating case study on how leaders successfully navigated complex markets by utilizing timely and accurate intelligence
- Using distinctive competitive intelligence approaches that improve capture management results
Room 4
Tim Romley
Senior Solution Engineer
iBase-t
Bye-bye Bottlenecks: Breaking the Backlog Cycle
- Learning how to burn backlogs and free data from manual systems
- Experiencing an interactive exercise converting wasted time into throughput
- Walking away with proven methods to shift from reactive to proactive operations
- Seeing how paper-based systems continue to be a silent killer
2:55 pm – 4:15 pm MST
Happy Hour, Networking, and Pre-Arranged 1-2-1 Meetings
4:20 pm – 4:50 pm MST
Plenary
Alex Plitsas
VP, Transformation
Infor
Navigating Compliance, Certification, and Market Implications for Aerospace & Defense
- Providing an overview of the current status of the Aerospace and Defense market
- Discussing new regulatory requirements, such as CMMC 2.0
- Reviewing changes to streamlined levels of certification, self-assessments and third-party audits due to CMMC 2.0
- Exploring implications for defense contractors and suppliers — what’s required, what’s at stake, and how to prepare
- Learning how Infor’s GovCloud and Government Solutions support compliance through secure, ITAR-ready environments and tools
4:50 pm – 5:35 pm MST
panel discussion
David Forward
VP, Operations
WoodwardRoy Donelson
Sector VP, Engineering, Defense
Northrop GrummanMike Kauffman
SVP, Supply Chain
GE Aerospace
Amir Deylami
COO
NASA Ames Research Center
Andrea Razzaghi
Former Director, Office of JPL Management and Oversight
NASA
Attracting, Retaining, and Developing Top Talent for the Future
- Navigating the workforce shortage: Understanding its impact on the future of aerospace and defense innovation
- Proven strategies for recruiting top engineering, technical, and leadership talent in a highly competitive market
- Building training and upskilling programs to meet evolving demands in advanced manufacturing, cyber, and defense technologies
- Cultivating mission-driven leadership that inspires teams, drives operational excellence, and builds a strong culture
- Ensuring a resilient, future-ready workforce prepared for rapid technological advancement and global security challenges
- Sharing real-world examples and success metrics from talent initiatives to drive measurable workforce impact
5:35 pm – 5:45 pm MST
Chair's Closing Remarks
Supply Chain & Logistics
Ellen Ferraro, Ph.D.
VP, Engineering, Land and Air Defense Systems
Raytheon | An RTX Business
Manufacturing & Operations
David Forward
VP, Operations
Woodward
Quality
Mike Kauffman
SVP, Supply Chain
GE Aerospace
AI & Emerging Technology
Kimberly Ricker
Senior Director, Supply Chain Management
L3Harris
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm MST
Networking drinks reception
Sponsored by:
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