Tom McDermott

Tom is a leader, educator, and innovator in multiple technology fields. He currently serves as Deputy Director of the Systems Engineering Research Center at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ, as well as a consultant specializing in strategic planning for uncertain environments. He studies systems engineering, systems thinking, organizational dynamics, and the nature of complex human socio-technical systems. He teaches system architecture concepts, systems thinking and decision making, and the composite skills required at the intersection of leadership and engineering. He has over 30 years of background and experience in technical and management disciplines, including over 15 years at the Georgia Institute of Technology and 18 years with Lockheed Martin.

Tom is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, with degrees in Physics and Electrical Engineering. He developed his skills and interests in the defense electronics industry, culminating in a leadership position with Lockheed Martin as Chief Engineer and Program Manager for the F-22 Raptor Avionics Team. Under his 6-year leadership the impact of GTRI significantly expanded, research awards doubled to over $300M, faculty research positions increased by 60%, and the organization has been recognized as one of Atlanta’s best places to work as well as one of the nation’s leaders in employee development. Tom is one of the creators of Georgia Tech’s Professional Masters degree in Applied Systems Engineering and lead instructor of the “Leading Systems Engineering Teams” course.