WASHINGTON, July 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has appointed Dr. Mark T. Esper to the position of vice president, Government Relations. Esper will report to Thomas M. Culligan, the company's executive vice president of Business Development and CEO of Raytheon International, Inc.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100716/NE35918 )

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100716/NE35918 )

"Mark joins Raytheon following a distinguished career on Capitol Hill, at the Pentagon, with a number of prominent industry associations and think tanks, and with the U.S. Army," Culligan said. "He brings a strong background in government and industry to his new role, which will benefit both our company and our customers."

Prior to Raytheon, Esper was the executive vice president of the Global Intellectual Property Center and vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Previously, he was a senior scholar at the National Institute for Public Policy. He served as well as the executive vice president of the Aerospace Industries Association and was the chief of staff at the Heritage Foundation, the Washington think tank.

Until February 2008, Esper was the national policy director for the Fred Thompson 2008 Presidential Campaign. He also served for a number of years on Capitol Hill. His last assignment was director of National Security Affairs for Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. Earlier in his career, he was policy director for the House Armed Services Committee and a senior professional staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senate Government Affairs Committee. In each of those assignments, he was responsible for the national security portfolios. He also served as the legislative director and senior policy advisor for Sen. Chuck Hagel.  

From 2002 to 2004, Esper was the deputy assistant secretary of defense for Negotiations Policy, responsible for all arms control, nonproliferation, international agreements and matters with the United Nations. For his service, he was awarded the Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Medal.  

Esper is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and infantry officer and a distinguished graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. He served for more than a decade on active duty, including a combat tour in Iraq during the 1990-91 Gulf War.  He earned a master's of public administration degree from the JFK School of Government at Harvard University and a doctorate from The George Washington University.

Raytheon Company, with 2009 sales of $25 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 88 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 75,000 people worldwide.

SOURCE Raytheon Company