Patricia Swope
Nominated for: 30 Over 30 Award
Title: Exec. Director, Health, Safety, Medical, & Analytics
Company: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
Years in Profession: 27
Nominator: Shane Theriault, VP Marketing, Wolters Kluwer Enablon, client of Patricia.
Tell us why this person deserves recognition for making a difference in the practice of EHS & Sustainability management. (500 words max.)*
Patricia strongly deserves this recognition because she led the implementation of the Enablon EHS software platform at UTC/Raytheon (now RTX), which replaced a homegrown platform that was no longer responding to their needs. Patricia and her team developed the Enablon EHS platform into a comprehensive solution to track all EHS data. In doing so, they are moving towards predictive analytics and using the data to help get ahead of their EHS and Sustainability goals and clearly communicate their goals across the corporation.
In addition, Patricia stepped up to lead the digitization of their entire ESG report and streamline data gathering for all of their ESG data points, not just EHS. The end result will be an integration of Enablon and other platforms into a hub that will establish continuous visibility over ESG data throughout the year in one place for senior leadership, as opposed to the alternative of having a very manual data-gathering exercise and seeing the data only once a year. Currently there are 60 unique data points for EHS that go into the ESG report, as well as an additional 50 metrics from across other functional areas. The project will leverage an existing cloud platform to aggregate disparate enterprise sources into a single ESG data hub and replace the manual data collection processes.
Describe a situation or initiative where the nominee was directly responsible for a significant achievement and/or advancement in the practice of EHS & Sustainability management. Include metrics and KPIs if available. (500 words max.)*
One of Patricia’s significant achievements consists of the implementation of the Enablon EHS platform. It started as an effort to move from a homegrown platform and spin Otis & Carrier back in 2019 and set UTC up for success. Once spun, it then became an integration effort between UTC and Raytheon. This has been a colossal effort steering four very independent business units toward one common platform. Patricia and her team are continuing to evolve the project with their most recent “4 to 3” effort (Collins, Pratt, & Raytheon). The initial project involved getting agreement from four unique businesses to be in favor of a common instance of Enablon and then split and finalize the build of three separate instances.
Challenges to the project included a 6-month window to implement the platform and go live. In addition, the project was scheduled to go live on January 2020 with a hard spin date for the business set for April 1, 2020 – right when the pandemic hit. Not only was everyone affected by a global pandemic, but all of the company’s EHS resources were shifted to managing the pandemic.
In your opinion, what are the predominant skills and attributes that directly contribute to the nominee’s effectiveness and success? (500 words max.)*
Skills and attributes that directly contribute to the nominee’s effectiveness and success include:
- Optimism: Early on in the project, Patricia told her team that failure was not an option. The team found common ground and launched the Enablon EHS platform on time
- Commitment to learning: When Patricia moved into her role at corporate EHS and took on responsibility for EHS analytics, she was not familiar with the workings of RTX’s homegrown platform or IT analytics in general. In order to support her team, Patricia enrolled in a master’s program through the company’s employee scholar program in the Fall of 2018 and completed a Master’s in IT Analytics from Stevens Institute of Technology in December 2020. Earlier in her career, Patricia followed a similar path by obtaining an MBA in Finance & Marketing to become a well-rounded engineer, and then a Master’s in Occupational Health & Safety when she moved into EHS
- Desire to improve: RTX had a good homegrown system. However, it could not keep up with the changing landscape and cyber threats. With the company being open to moving to a cloud environment, it was a great time to look at commercial, off-the-shelf solutions
- Creativity: Patricia’s team had to be creative in finding ways to compromise between the businesses. Funding had previously been a roadblock to moving away from their homegrown system. But Patricia was able to be creative and leverage the IT risk and the spin project to secure the funding and ROI needed to gain approval for the project
- Empathy and Emotional Intelligence: One of Patricia’s greatest strengths is people skills and being able to position the win-win, and connect with people and the greater objective. In a work setting, Patricia can separate emotions from business considerations, while still being empathetic
- Teamwork: Patricia has shown over and over again an ability to maintain together an incredible team that likes to work for her and for the good of the company. She believes that she could not have done any of this work without her team
Share the ways this nominee has positively influenced you, both personally and professionally. You may also include reflections and quotes from others including executives, direct reports, colleagues, suppliers, and clients. (500 words max.)*
Craig Laskowski, Senior Vice President Digital EHS & ESG Solutions at WSP: “Patti’s exemplary leadership and problem-solving skills have made a significant impact on me over the past three years. Working alongside her has been an inspiring experience, as I have witnessed firsthand how she effectively mentors her staff and imparts her wealth of experience onto others. Through observing her approach, I have been able to enhance my own leadership abilities. Patti consistently demonstrates clarity and precision in her message delivery. She knows how to effectively articulate her ideas, ensuring that everyone understands the goals, objectives, and expectations. These skills have helped create a cohesive and productive work environment. She attentively listens to her team members, valuing their input and making them feel heard and valued. This fosters open communication and encourages team members to contribute their ideas and perspectives. Patti's emphasis on health and safety highlights her organization’s commitment to the wellbeing and welfare of employees. Overall, Patti’s leadership and problem-solving skills have been a source of inspiration and learning for me. By observing her effective communication techniques, active listening skills, and mentoring approach, I have been able to enhance my own leadership abilities. Working alongside Patti has not only contributed to my personal growth but has also fostered a more productive and collaborative work environment for our entire team.”
Kavya Reganti, Senior Manager EH&S DT and Analytics at RTX: “Patti has great leadership skills. I started my professional career with UTC and I have always looked up to my colleagues and managers for learning and building my confidence. Patti inspires me a lot and I have learned a great deal from her. She keeps things moving in the right direction and quickly to reach deadlines. One of the examples is getting the EMERGE system (COVID cases and Vaccine tracking system) up and running quickly, which was a very ad hoc and a time critical requirement. In general, Patti is very appreciative of hard work by the team and always provides feedback for further improvements that help achieve upcoming requirements.” Meghan Mann, Senior Solutions Engineer, Wolters Kluwer Enablon: “As a woman in this industry, it is not often that you see other women holding such powerful and influential roles such as Patti at RTX. From the moment I met Patti during the sales process, I was awed and inspired by her capability, strength, and ability to redirect the room to make decisions and generally run the show. She is an inspiration to me along with a handful of other women in the EHS industry who display the same qualities. I have become more empowered and inspired to continue a path in this industry because of Patti and a few others like her!”
Provide one or more examples of nominee’s commitment to environmental stewardship within their organization and/or the community. (500 words max.)*
Regarding the nominee’s commitment to environmental stewardship, it’s worth pointing out that Patricia took on the ESG digitization project that goes well beyond EHS analytics. She voluntarily stepped up to lead the effort to automate the company’s ESG data collection and connect data across the organization through a common data hub which will then feed into the firm’s last mile ESG reporting platform. From an EHS perspective in particular, part of Patricia’s role is to assess the gap between performance and targets and look for ways to improve. She is also responsible for developing 2030 H&S goals.
Within the community, Patricia and her colleagues are active in local beach cleanup efforts and maintaining local hiking trails. Her team at RTX engages in community service activities a few times a year as part of department meetings. Activities are selected based on community needs. In addition, Patricia is starting a kitchen garden and compost area as a way to help reduce food waste.