William H. Swanson is Chairman and CEO of Raytheon
Company (NYSE: RTN). Raytheon Company, with 2012
sales of $24 billion and 68,000 employees worldwide, is a
technology and innovation leader specializing in defense,
security and civil markets throughout the world. Raytheon’s
global headquarters is in Waltham, Mass.
Before adding the responsibilities of chairman to his position
in January 2004, Swanson was CEO and president of the
company. Prior to that, he was president of the company,
responsible for Raytheon’s government and defense
operations.
Swanson joined Raytheon in 1972 and has held a wide
range of leadership positions, including manufacturing
manager of the company’s largest operation, senior vice
president and general manager of the Missile Systems
Division, general manager of Raytheon Electronic Systems,
president of Electronic Systems, and chairman and chief
executive officer of Raytheon Systems Company.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Swanson is
a member of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation
board, the NextEra Energy, Inc. board of directors and is
vice chairperson of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation
board of directors. He is active in the field of education
as vice chairman of the California Polytechnic State
University Foundation board of directors, and as a member
of the Cal Poly President’s Cabinet and the University of
Massachusetts President’s Advisory Council. Swanson
also serves as the honorary chair of MATHCOUNTS®,
is chairman emeritus of the Business-Higher Education
Forum and a member of its executive committee.
He is a member of the board of governors’ executive
committee of the Aerospace Industries Association and
is a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics

He serves as a member of the National Defense Industrial
Association (NDIA), the Air Force Association, the
Association of the United States Army and the Navy League.
He is a member of the CIA Officers Memorial Foundation
board of advisors and of the President’s National Security
Telecommunications Advisory Committee.
A native of California, Swanson graduated magna cum
laude from California Polytechnic State University with a
bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering. His graduate
work was performed in business administration at Golden
Gate University. He has been awarded an honorary Doctor
of Laws degree from Pepperdine University and an honorary
Doctor of Science degree from California Polytechnic State
University.
He was selected as the Outstanding Industrial Engineering
Graduate in 1972, and in 1991 was recognized as the
Honored Alumnus from California Polytechnic State
University School of Engineering. Swanson received the
Outstanding Alumni Award from the American Association
of Community Colleges in 2013. Additionally, he has
received the Semper Fidelis Award from the Marine Corps
Scholarship Foundation and the Aviation Week & Space
Technology Laurel Award for “significant contributions” to
the field of aeronautics/propulsion. He was also named the
“California Manufacturer of the Year” by the California
Manufacturing & Technology Association and a fellow
of the Royal Aeronautical Society (United Kingdom).
He has received the Navy League Fleet Admiral Chester
W. Nimitz Award, the NDIA James Forrestal Industry
Leadership Award, the John W. Dixon Award from the
Association of the United States Army, a Diversity Best
Practices CEO Diversity Leadership Award, the Institute of
Industrial Engineers’ Captains of Industry Award, the Six Sigma
Premier Leader Award from the International Society of Six
Sigma Professionals, a Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate
Citizenship, and the Kennedy Greenway Vision Award.