Rob will be honored along with this year’s “20 Under 35” outstanding young professionals at the 14th Annual Future Leaders Dinner on October 8 in Silicon Valley
(September 26, 2019 – New York City) – The Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today announced that it will present its 2019 Mentor of the Year Award to Robert Lyon, Chief Engineer and Executive Director of Flight Assurance at Maxar Technologies. Rob will be honored on October 8 in Silicon Valley at SSPI’s 14th Annual Future Leaders Dinner for the support, inspiration, and guidance he has provided to young professionals throughout his career. During the Dinner, SSPI will also honor the 20 Under 35 space and satellite professionals to watch in the coming years and present three of them with its Promise Award for outstanding achievement.
“People like Rob are the unsung heroes of our industry,” said executive director Robert Bell. “He was selected by our jury from among a remarkable line-up of candidates, all unsung heroes, who are building the foundation of innovative talent the industry needs to continue its advance. We all owe them more than we usually appreciate. October 8 is a chance to show that appreciation in a big way.”
The 2019 Future Leaders Dinner (www.satfuture.com) takes place at The Computer History Museum in Mountain View on Tuesday, October 8 in conjunction with the Satellite Innovation 2019 conference, produced by SatNews publishers. The proceeds of the dinner go to fund SSPI’s educational, professional development and industry growth initiatives.
The SSPI 2019 Mentor of the Year:
Robert Lyon
Chief Engineer and Executive Director of Flight Assurance, Maxar Technologies Space Solutions
Rob began his career as a Nuclear Submarine Officer after graduating from the Naval Academy in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. He served in multiple safety-critical roles over the next twelve years, including qualifying as Chief Engineer for nuclear power plants, qualifying watch officers to operate nuclear power plants and serving as a Navigations and Operations Officer and Department Head. In this last role, he was recognized as the top Nav/Ops Officer in the Pacific Submarine Fleet. Rob completed two Masters degrees at the Naval Postgraduate school during this time, one in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and one in Engineering Physics/Applied Physics.
After his time in the Navy, Rob joined Maxar in 1999 as a Senior Reliability Engineer and was quickly promoted to Lead Systems Electrical Engineer. He led the development of SSL’s highly successful lithium ion power system while in this role and also completed an MBA at Santa Clara University. Rob went on to serve as a Systems Engineering Manager, a role in which he guided an inexperienced team of systems engineers to develop their skills while working on highly complex spacecraft. He was promoted to his current role as Chief Engineer and Executive Director of Flight Assurance in 2013.
Since joining Maxar, Rob has been a highly sought-after mentor in the company’s formal mentoring program for high potential employees. His mentees consistently develop improved business acumen and technical and leadership skills, leading to quicker promotions and greater employee retention. Rob is seen by many at the company as a “go to” mentor for employees, particularly those facing professional challenges that might otherwise lead them to leave the company. For example, he once formed a cohort of four Maxar employees working under him to pursue an RF Engineering Certificate from UC San Diego based on one employee’s interest in the program.
Rob also serves as a mentor for engineering students at the Naval Postgraduate School and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. In this role, he shares Maxar’s facilities and talent pool with interested students, gives guest lectures and serves on project review panels. Rob coordinates yearly on-site visits and tours for students, in which they get to see the company’s spacecraft and test facilities and learn about the processes used to ensure successful missions. Visiting students often do group project presentations while on-site, with company employees serving as their review panel, allowing them to hone their presentation skills and deepen their understanding through feedback. Rob also encourages others at Maxar to become mentors by bringing in experts from throughout the company to speak to students about their careers and experiences.
Outside of work, Rob is the father of four grown children and has been an active volunteer in his local community as a baseball and softball coach and serving on the Pony League Board. He makes a point of organizing teams to play in the Special Needs Children Center Foundation’s annual fundraiser golf tournament. Rob has also participated for several years in the NASA Ames Childcare Center annual golf tournament.
About SSPI
Founded in 1983, Space & Satellite Professionals International (www.sspi.org) is on a mission to make the space and satellite industry one of the world’s best at attracting and engaging the talent that powers innovation. With more than 3,700 members in 40 nations, it is the largest space and satellite industry association in the world. It delivers on its mission through programs that promote space and satellite as the invisible but indispensable infrastructure of the modern world, and that help turn individual promise into careers filled with purpose through research, career education for young people, management education for working professionals and talent recognition that spans the industry.
For More Information
Victoria Krisman
Communications Manager
Space & Satellite Professionals International
vkrisman@sspi.org