Rick Hefner

Rick Hefner, PhD, specializes in systems development and maintenance; project management; Lean Six Sigma; process improvement, technology transfer; and risk management. His experience spans over 35 years.

Dr. Hefner recently served as director of process management at Northrop Grumman Corporation, where he managed corporate process initiatives related to Lean Six Sigma and program management. Previous positions at Northrop Grumman (formerly TRW) included managing technology process initiatives and helping to establish the corporate engineering and program management processes. Previously, at Aerospace Corporation, Dr. Hefner was the director of their software development department. He served as an engineer, technical specialist, project manager, and section manager.

Dr. Hefner has also worked with companies in the communications, electronics, and health sciences industries, including Applied Physics Laboratory, Ares Management, Boeing, DRS Technologies, Herbalife, Honeywell, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, John Deere, L-3 WESCAM, Maytag, Motorola, Pacific Bell, Raytheon, Schlumberger, Southern California Edison, St. Jude Medical, Toshiba, U.S. Navy, and Xerox.

Dr. Hefner is credited with over 200 publications and presentations. He earned his PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles, in applied dynamic systems control. He received his MS and BS from Purdue University in interdisciplinary engineering.