Dr. Ray O. Johnson is an accomplished international business executive with extensive experience spanning academia, industry, government, military, and venture capital. As an Operating Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, he drives strategic investments in transformative technologies and helps craft enduring business strategies. Previously, as CEO of the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) and ASPIRE, Dr. Johnson spearheaded TII’s growth into a globally recognized applied research and development organization, delivering pioneering advanced technology breakthroughs in less than three years. Earlier, he served as Corporate Senior Vice President and CTO of the Lockheed Martin Corporation, where he directed a workforce of 72,000 people across more than 4,000 programs, leading engineering, technology, production operations, global supply chain, program management, and logistics and sustainment. Additionally, Dr. Johnson had a 21-year career in the US Air Force. A recognized authority on innovation and business transformation, Dr. Johnson is frequently invited to share his insights at prominent conferences and forums. He holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from Oklahoma State University and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Air Force Institute of Technology, where he received the Distinguished Alumni award. Dr. Johnson is a Full Academician of the International Academy of Astronautics, a member of Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu, and Phi Kappa Phi, and a Fellow of SPIE, AIAA, and IEEE.