Future 5 Spotlight: Samantha Schattin
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Each year, AOC recognizes five young professionals as the year’s Future 5 – individuals who actively innovate and strive for excellence as they support their respective organizations and build their EMSO careers. In each issue of the Show Daily, we will spotlight one of this year's Future 5. All Future 5 will be honored on the Main Stage during the Keynote Session today.
Today, we recognize Samantha Schattin of L3Harris Technologies.
"The defense industry is evolving rapidly to meet the challenges of a faster, more dynamic threat landscape. My goal is to equip the warfighter with cutting-edge solutions that maximize mission success and enhance safety. Emerging technologies such as drones, AI, and machine learning are transforming the modern battlefield, introducing new dimensions and complexities. Rather than reacting to changes in the environment, I strive to anticipate them, integrating innovative capabilities early in development to ensure we maintain a strategic advantage. I want to lead efforts that use these evolving technologies proactively and creatively to solve tomorrow’s problems today. While I may not be an expert in AI or ML, I work with incredibly talented people who are. My strength lies in uniting cross-functional teams, providing clear strategic direction, and translating high-level goals into actionable objectives. I believe the best results come from leveraging diverse skill sets and empowering team members to own their contributions. I strive to create clarity, offer resources, and maintain momentum toward shared outcomes. Leadership also means investing in those who come next. I make it a priority to mentor new engineers, encouraging questions, explaining context, and helping them grow into confident problem solvers. My goal is to model curiosity, accountability, and perseverance, so they not only contribute to current efforts but are also prepared to lead future ones. Developing technical talent while fostering a collaborative and supportive culture is key to sustaining innovation in national defense."
