WILSONVILLE, Ore., December 7, 2017— FLIR Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLIR) today announced that David Ray has been named President of the Government & Defense Business Unit, effective January 8th, 2018. Reporting to FLIR President and CEO, Jim Cannon, Mr. Ray will be responsible for leading all aspects of the Government & Defense business unit, including strategy, R&D, operations, business development, and marketing.
Mr. Ray worked at Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) since 2002, a $24 billion technology company specializing in defense, civil government, and cybersecurity solutions. Since 2015, he held the position of Vice President, Global Business Development and Strategy for the company’s Intelligence, Information and Services segment, serving Intelligence, Department of Defense, Federal/Civil, and international customer markets. In this role, Mr. Ray’s responsibilities included global new business, sales operations, marketing, government relations, and M&A strategy. He previously served in numerous leadership positions in business development, general management, and government relations during his tenure at Raytheon. He began his private-sector career as a Senior Management Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton.
Mr. Ray received a Bachelor of Science degree in business management from the United States Air Force Academy and served five years in the United States Air Force at Andrews Air Force Base and the Pentagon where he led teams responsible for communications-related projects designed to support senior members of the government and military. He also earned a Master of Science in systems management and strategy from Central Michigan University.
“I’m pleased to welcome David as FLIR’s new President for the Government & Defense Business Unit,” said James Cannon, President and CEO of FLIR. “David brings a wealth of experience in both managing and growing large technology businesses that serve government customers around the world. We’re proud to add David, a veteran of the United States Air Force, to the FLIR senior leadership team and look forward to his contributions at FLIR.”
Mr. Ray will be based primarily out of FLIR’s Washington, D.C. area office in Arlington, Virginia.