Robert Sweet is the Manager of the Strategic Operations Security group within the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s System Operations Security directorate. He and the rest of his specialized office lead the FAA’s operations-focused national defense, homeland security, law enforcement, and disaster response efforts. Rob is immediately responsible for a diverse portfolio, including: planning and procedures; crisis management; specialized programs such as public health threats, and GPS and IFF activities; sensitive data protection; automation; international engagements; and budget, as well as other business services.

Rob joined the FAA in 1996 after leaving Arthur D. Little, an international management consultancy. He has played an increasingly pivotal role in the agency for the last two decades, helping to lead major organizational changes and initiatives. Starting 1997, Rob was instrumental in reinventing how the operations arm of the FAA worked with global partners. His international work ranged from crafting the agency’s Safe Skies for Africa assistance program to building the initial Afghanistan and Iraq reconstruction programs. In 2005, Rob transformed the FAA’s security and emergency operations efforts by helping to design and realize a new directorate charged with the unique responsibility of balancing security related demands with the safety and efficiency needs of the country’s aviation system. He has served as a key leader in virtually every security incident and natural disaster touching the FAA’s operations for the last twenty years.