Physics Colloquium: Lessons Learned from a Career in the Defense Industry

Physics Colloquium
Lessons Learned from a Career in the Defense Industry

Dr. Denis Donohue
President, Surveillance and Network Systems
Raytheon Technologies (retired)

Event Details:
Dr. Denis Donohue, recently retired after a 24-year career in the defense industry, following a 9-year period in academic settings. Denis developed a unique perspective on the defense industry from serving primarily in leadership roles with significant financial responsibility, but also possessing a deep technical background. The purpose of today’s talk will be for Denis to share some of his insights on a career in defense and hopefully to convey some of the excitement of this career path. In the speaker’s opinion, a career in defense is a very viable option for those with Physics and Applied Physics backgrounds. Denis Donohue received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics from Stanford University and spent the first 9 years of his career in academia, publishing research and teaching at the Graduate level. Denis then made the difficult decision to transition from academia to join the defense industry, beginning a 24 year career experiment that will be the primary subject of today’s talk.

Denis joined Raytheon Company, a worldwide leader in the development of high-power and phased array radars. Over the course of 24 years he served in many different roles with the Company, with steadily increasing responsibility for business leadership. In his final position with Raytheon (known today as RTX Corporation) Denis was responsible for the performance of a multi-billion dollar business with approximately 8,000 employees worldwide. Over the course of his long journey Denis was exposed to many different aspects of the industry, from both the technical and business sides. He will share some insights on the potential for a career in the defense industry for those with scientific and technical backgrounds.