Raquel Rivera ’92

Raquel Rivera ’92 is senior vice president, Operations and Supply Chain at Pratt & Whitney. She is responsible for the safety, quality, delivery, and cost for Pratt & Whitney’s original equipment manufacturing products.   
 
Rivera is responsible for 32 global manufacturing and assembly sites and $7.3B total supply chain spend. She leads a team of 19,000+ operations professionals across manufacturing, supply chain, materials, and operational excellence disciplines, including all operations activities in Canada, Poland, China, and Israel.    
 
Under Rivera’s leadership, Pratt & Whitney is modernizing and transforming their Operations business with Industry 4.0 technologies in pursuit of unbeatable manufacturing excellence. With 90% of machines connected and over 60% of shop hours automated, Pratt & Whitney Operations is creating a fully integrated manufacturing environment with robust process control and proactive risk management to deliver dependable engines.     
 
Rivera has more than 25 years of experience with Pratt & Whitney and RTX, including leadership positions in Manufacturing, Quality and Commercial Engines. In her most recent role, she was Chief Supply Chain Officer with overall responsibility for leading and executing all supply chain strategy and processes across the global enterprise.    
 
In addition to her BS in mechanical engineering from UMass Amherst, Rivera holds a master’s degree in manufacturing engineering from Boston University. She also holds certificates from the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration and Thayer leadership training at West Point.     
 
Rivera is passionate about mentoring the next generation of Pratt & Whitney leaders. She currently sits on the Industry Advisory Board for the UMass Amherst Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. She is a 2021 recipient of the Great Minds in STEM Executive Excellence Award for her capabilities and achievements at Pratt & Whitney and within the Hispanic community. She is also the executive sponsor of the RTX Hispanic Organization for Leadership and Achievement (HOLA) at Pratt & Whitney and an active leader in building an inclusive culture that promotes empowerment, diversity, and innovation.