717 Biography
Rita Camarillo
Rita Camarillo came to Boeing as part of its 1997 merger with McDonnell Douglas. She transferred from Long Beach, Calif., to the Everett, Wash., facility in 2001 and now serves as manager of the Customer Introductions team. Camarillo and her team are charged with leading the technical integration and execution of the customer-specific features through the design and production phases of the program.
Previously, as a senior manager on the 717 program, Camarillo led the Lean Enterprise group for the 717 program. This team created a lean enterprise production system on the 717 program, including the implementation of the first moving assembly line in final assembly of the commercial jetliner. During her tenure, the team redesigned more than 600,000 square feet of factory floor space into a straight-line flow of the product--consolidating inventory and fabrication and co-locating support teams close to the product. This effort remains a career highlight for Camarillo.
After 25 years with the company, Camarillo continues to be impressed with the ability of the team to find a way even when conventional wisdom would say something can't be done. "At Boeing, we find a way."