WASHINGTON — Former Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work has joined the board of Raytheon, the company announced Monday.
The appointment, which is immediate, comes less than a month after Work retired from the deputy job. Work served in that role from 2014 through July 19 of this year, when his successor, Patrick Shanahan, took office.
Work was expected to retire at the end of the Obama administration but was asked to stay on by Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis to smooth the transition. During his time in office, Work focused on the so-called Third Offset technology development strategy.
“Bob is well-known in both the public and private sectors for his significant expertise in global security matters, most especially in the areas of defense strategy, advanced technologies, international studies and acquisition reform,” Tom Kennedy, Raytheon Company Chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “In an era of rapid technological and geo-political change, Bob’s vision and expertise will serve us well as we continue to shape our company for future success.”
In December, Work expressed appreciation for Raytheon’s missile production capabilities, saying the company was made up of ”the best missileers in the world.”
“They have great ideas, and it was really good to see they are all in on the Third Offset [Strategy] and that type of thinking is starting to inform the way they are thinking about improvements to their missiles. So that was really impressive,” Work said of a Raytheon plant he had recently toured.
This is the second appointment for Work announced in the past week, with data analytics firm Govini announcing last week that the former Marine had joined its own advisory board.
Aaron Mehta was deputy editor and senior Pentagon correspondent for Defense News, covering policy, strategy and acquisition at the highest levels of the Defense Department and its international partners.
