Helping their people to develop and succeed
Raytheon Australia’s Leadership Continuum champions professional development, encouraging ongoing learning, growth and career advancement
Raytheon Australia is a strategy led, values-based organisation whose people make its success possible. The values of trust, respect, collaboration, innovation, accountability, and a belief in the importance of health, safety and wellbeing shape the organisation, with these values ingrained in meetings, company communications and hallway conversations
These values predicate Raytheon Australia’s Leadership Continuum, a bespoke career development program committed to growing a pipeline of talented leaders. Since its inception in 2009, the program has empowered new and emerging leaders on their leadership journey, providing a tailored, industry-leading education that’s focused on supporting people. Unlike other organisations, Raytheon Australia supports leaders through the program from beginning to end – allowing budding or established leaders to enhance their careers.
The program includes four courses:
- Essentials of Leadership Program (ELP) is about teaching self-leadership, team leadership and group influence. This program targets emerging leaders who are critical to customer relationships and business success.
- Senior Management Program (SMP) focuses on educating senior managers and future leaders of people, programs and resources to develop their leadership skills.
- Strategic Leadership Program (SLP) is for developing senior leaders, accelerating their development of organisational and strategic leadership.
- Capstone Leadership Program (CLP) targets established leaders, focusing on strategy implementation and organisational access.
Currently, in its 14th year, the continuum has seen a total of 892 graduates. Of these graduates, many now hold leadership roles within the organisation.
Long-standing employees, Amanda Selway and Lee Rigano have developed their careers throughout their time with Raytheon Australia, both advancing through the Leadership Continuum.
Amanda Selway: Developing lifelong professional relationships
Amanda Selway, director Joint Battlespace Systems (third from right) participates in a meeting at the Centre for Joint Integration in Mawson Lakes, South Australia.
Selway, director of the Joint Battlespace Systems, has undertaken three elements of the Continuum curriculum over her time with Raytheon Australia and is now responsible for leading more than 300 people.
Selway and her team ensure mission success across the spectrum of the battlespace, on land, at sea, in the air, space and cyberspace, and are engaged at all stages of capability development.
“The CLP focused on strategy development and implementation and I use these learnings in my current role in partnering with several key stakeholders, across Defence and Industry, to determine better outcomes for end users and for Raytheon Australia,” Selway said.
“The Leadership Continuum has allowed me to develop relationships with people I wouldn’t normally meet across Raytheon Australia. I am close with people I met in my very first leadership program – we still check in and see how we are going with our goals,” Selway said.
Lee Rigano: Demonstrating leadership across programs
Lee Rigano, LAND 555 Phase 6 program manager, collaborates with a US colleague from RTX during a visit at the Centre for Joint Integration in Mawson Lakes, South Australia.
The four programs are carefully designed to challenge, enrich and guide leaders within Raytheon Australia. Many employees who undertake the ELP say it changes the way they think about leadership – teaching them that healthy relationships and united teams are essential in achieving success.
“The Leadership Continuum is a big part of Raytheon Australia’s DNA. It is supported at all levels of the organisation and is championed by our managing director, Michael Ward,” said Rigano, LAND 555 Phase 6 program manager.
The LAND 555 Phase 6 program will provide the Australian Army with an enhanced Land Domain Force Level Electronic Warfare capability. Once complete, Rigano and his team will have delivered upgrades to the existing Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles, equipping the vehicles with new Electronic Warfare systems.
“In my first leadership course, the ELP, I was able to understand my own leadership style, which allowed me to better understand those around me. Now, I can leverage my style – which is upbeat, enthusiastic and energetic – to enhance other people around me and the programs I work on.”
“In my current role, I’ve had to be agile across the business to navigate both internal and external program challenges. The learning and networks I have gained through the RALC has helped significantly with this,” Rigano said.
Empowering our people
Francesca Hamilton, Internal Program Management Office (IPMO) Manager, engaged in the 2023 Senior Management Program as participants were getting briefed on a team challenge.
The Leadership Continuum, at all levels, sees employees undertake residential programs with peers, completing a mixture of theoretical learning and hands-on training.
Employees don't have to wait for someone to recommend them; as of 2023, they can nominate themselves – and they have been.
“Since adding the self-nomination benefit, we’ve seen a tremendous uptake of employees looking to participate in the ELP and SMP programs. So far, we’ve had 50 employees self-nominate for the ELP program. It’s fantastic to see our people are eager to develop themselves and expand their professional networks,” said Chief of People & Culture, Des McNicholas.
To make professional development easily accessible – no matter the employee’s location – courses are offered all over Australia. Participants get to learn and build relationships with people outside of their immediate team, allowing them to see how different individuals manage challenges and opportunities.
The next generation
Chris Rohde, engineering lead, delivers a presentation on his career journey and role within the organisation to GradX graduates
The leadership program ties in with another Raytheon Australia initiative, GradX, where undergraduates join the company in their final year of study and receive a guaranteed full-time position upon receiving their degree. All GradX graduates have a guaranteed place in the leadership program in their second year of employment. They are assigned a senior Raytheon Australia mentor.
Engineering lead, Chris Rohde has completed many elements of the Leadership Continuum and is now mentoring a GradX graduate from the 2021 intake.
“Having completed the former SMP it’s something I tell our grads to be excited about and immerse themselves in. As a grad, you’re eager to learn and the leadership continuum is the best thing for that,” Rohde said.
Raytheon Australia’s innovative and unique GradX program sees more than 10 undergraduates from varying disciplines join the organisation each year. Students join the workforce in their final year of study, with the opportunity to accept a full-time position upon completion of their degree. Like the Leadership Continuum, GradX is designed to advance graduates’ professional, technical and leadership skills.
Rigano has participated in three of the Continuum’s courses and encourages his team to take every possible opportunity to learn and develop, both personally and professionally.
“Participating in the Continuum is a huge honour and it’s an incredible benefit that Raytheon Australia provides. If given the chance to participate I would grab it with both hands, build your network and learn from the diverse workforce we have at our disposal,” Rigano said.
“You learn so much by trying new things and stepping outside of your comfort zone. I encourage all our people to take a risk and put yourself out there,” Selway said.
Right now we are experiencing exciting growth right across the country and we are looking for smart and energised people to join us.
