ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (Sept. 5, 2019) — Raytheon Emirates and the Emirates Digital Association for Women, or EDAW, co-hosted a panel discussion on Sept. 5, titled “Women in Technology: Personal journeys in different cultures and STEM occupations.”

The event supported the Emirati Women’s Day theme “Women, Icons of Tolerance,” which celebrates the achievements of women in the United Arab Emirates and around the world.

“The UAE has taken serious steps, such as creating policies, building legislation and endorsing communities like EDAW, to eliminate gaps in its diverse workforce,” said Dr. Hoda Al Khzaimi, director of the Center of Cyber Security at New York University Abu Dhabi and president of EDAW.

The panel was moderated by Alan Davis, chief executive of Raytheon Emirates, and featured guest speaker Dr. Al Khzaimi. Panel members were:

• Barbara Borgonovi, vice president of Raytheon Integrated Communications Systems, who also serves on the Raytheon Emirates board of directors and as global president of Raytheon Women’s Network employee resource group.
• Kim Ernzen, vice president of Raytheon Air Warfare Systems and a Tucson Values Teachers board member.
• Fatma Bazargan, director of Raytheon Emirates cyber business.

The dialog at the #WomenInTech event underscored Borgonovi’s advocacy for women to pursue careers in technology and science. “With today’s accelerated pace of innovation, there are more opportunities for women to be on the leading edge of technological advancements and make significant contributions to society,” she said.

The women also discussed how their professional choices are contributing to the security and economic growth of global communities.

“Women in the UAE today are playing a stronger role in business, military and government, and their contributions are critical to achieving the country’s economic diversification goals,” Bazargan said. “Valuing diversity of thought and inclusion has always been a competitive advantage for Raytheon, and similarly, it is a catalyst for growth in the UAE.”

Raytheon Emirates, a wholly owned subsidiary of Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), was launched under the Tawazun Economic Program in 2017 to develop Emirati professional talent and foster local industrial capabilities that will help diversify the UAE economy through partnerships and indigenous technology development.

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2018 sales of $27 billion and 67,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 97 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5I ^® products and services, sensing, effects and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Follow us on Twitter.

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