Dr. Adaora Nelson is Vice President of Quality & Mission Assurance at Raytheon, bringing over two decades of leadership across aerospace, defense, and manufacturing. A U.S. Navy veteran and Ph.D. in Engineering and Technology Management, she has held senior roles spanning operations, quality, compliance, and strategic transformation. At Raytheon, she leads enterprise-wide initiatives in product integrity, continuous improvement, and mission assurance, and previously served as Chief of Staff to the President of Raytheon Missiles & Defense. Her earlier career includes executive positions at Safran Electronics & Defense and Parker Aerospace. Passionate about operational excellence and team development, she is also an active speaker on CORE transformation and tech adoption in manufacturing. She is a proud advocate for innovation, accountability, and purpose-driven leadership in critical industries.