Ray Johnson

CEO

Technology Innovation Institute and ASPIRE, United Arab Emirates

Dr. Ray O. Johnson is the Chief Executive Officer of the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research pillar of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), as well as of ASPIRE, the business development and program management arm of ATRC. Under his leadership, TII has grown to become one of the world’s leading research institutes pushing the frontiers of knowledge, attracting the best global talent, and pioneering R&D breakthroughs across new technologies. Dr. Johnson brings to his role decades of experience in global technology leadership, making strategic investments in disruptive technologies, and developing business strategies that resulted in several new billion-dollar lines of business. Before joining TII, he was an Operating Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, a top-tier American venture capital company. Prior to this, he was Corporate Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of the Lockheed Martin Corporation, in Maryland, USA, where he was responsible for the corporation’s operational performance and the associated board-reportable metrics.  Dr. Ray O. Johnson holds Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology in Ohio, USA. He is a Full Academician of the International Academy of Astronautics, and a Fellow of the International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).