Dr. Rick Hefner is the Executive Director of the Caltech Center for Technology and Management Education (CTME), where he leads professional programs that help organizations navigate digital transformation. With over four decades of experience in systems engineering and project leadership, Dr. Hefner has worked with leading companies to implement strategic approaches for adopting digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, automation, and data-driven decision-making.

He advises executives and project teams on how to align digital initiatives with organizational goals, enhance project delivery through AI tools, and build future-ready technical capabilities. A seasoned educator and consultant, Dr. Hefner has developed and delivered training for over 50 Fortune 500 companies across multiple industries. He holds a Ph.D. from UCLA in dynamic systems control and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.