Maria E. Ruess joined the GMiS board in 2006. She is the CEO and founder of LSCW, LLC a business consulting firm, specializing in business development, strategic planning, program management, engineering and finance.

Previously she served as Vice President of International Business Development for Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. In this position, she was responsible for all aspects of business development and strategy for all international markets. She engaged in building customer relationships, disciplined management of the business capture process, leveraging an understanding of market dynamics and competition while bringing a complete LM portfolio solution to secure existing and new business.

Previously, she served as the Vice President of International Business Development & Strategy for Lockheed Martin Mission Systems & Sensors (MS2) where she focused on customer relationship activities, conducted country/regional assessments, and defined market dynamic and areas of growth, such as NASRI in Indonesia, Aegis world-wide, PTDS internationally, Border Security for Brazil, etc. . Prior to that role, she served as the Vice President of Business Development for Ship and Aviation Systems (SAS) where she was responsible for all aspects of business development for Integrated Defense Technologies (IDT) and for SAS Sustainment. Her focus areas included Littoral Ships Systems, Coast Guard and Surveillance Systems, and Defense Systems, as well as sustainment across all businesses. Maria served as the director of Business Development for Undersea Systems, leading the organization in capturing new business and growing existing business in international submarine Command and Control (C2), coastal systems, rail systems, maritime security, and infrastructure protection systems. Before her positions in Business Development, Maria served as the Director of Strategic Planning for Lockheed Martin Corporation where she was responsible for analyzing market environments, developing strategic direction, and supporting business ventures. Maria has held various positions of increasing responsibility in business development, program management, engineering, and finance with Lockheed Martin Global Telecom (LMGT), Comstat International, Global One/Sprint International, and MCI. Maria taught Physics and Spanish at St. Bernard High School in Los Angeles, California.

Maria is a Board of Directors member for Great Minds in STEM (GMiS), a Board of Trustees member of the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs, the former Chair and a current member of Lockheed Martin’s Hispanic Leadership Council, and a member of Lockheed Martin’s Women’s Leadership Forum. Maria received the 2009 Pioneer Award from Hispanic Engineer National Achievements Awards Corporation (HENAAC) and in June 2011 she was named one of the “2011 Most Influential Hispanics in Technology.” In May 2011, President Obama nominated her to the Board of Trustees of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation and was confirmed by Congress in September of that same year. Maria continuously volunteers in mentoring and round table events with young professionals, with the Hispanic College Fund scholarship recipients, LM Joint Regional Conferences, and the Hispanic Congressional Caucus fellows.

Maria received a BS in Industrial Engineering from the Pontifica Universidad Javeriana and an MBA from George Washington University. She has completed executive education courses at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, the Darden School at the University of Virginia, and the Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University.