At aerospace giant RTX, Robin Diamonte has overseen the investments of its $107 billion pension fund as CIO since 2004. Under her leadership, RTX’s defined contribution plan grew to $58 billion from $12 billion, and its defined benefit plan to $47 billion from $15 billion. During this period, the funded status of RTX’s defined benefit plan increased to a surplus 105% from 84%.

Diamonte was honored in the Corporate Plans category at CIO’s 2025 Industry Innovation Awards, highlighting her work to implement innovation in RTX’s retirement plans and her commitment to ensuring the financial well-being of RTX’s beneficiaries. She is set to retire in March 2026.

Under Diamonte, RTX has pioneered a strategy that provides guaranteed payouts for 401(k) beneficiaries, aligning lifetime income with individual financial needs through a highly customized solution.

Since 2024, the in-plan annuity lifetime income option has been RTX’s qualified default investment alternative. It is accessible for all RTX employees, including new hires.

RTX’s lifetime income strategy was previously recognized as a transformative model for retirement planning by Harvard Business School.

Diamonte’s commitment to financial wellness extends beyond retirement income. RTX recently introduced an emergency savings program to help employees build financial resilience. The initiative aims to ensure employees can handle unexpected expenses while keeping their retirement plans intact.

The company also partnered with financial planning company Boldin to provide financial literacy and wellness to the companies’ beneficiaries, providing webinars and other resources that help foster financial well-being.

RTX also partnered with Morningstar to provide employees with portfolio optimization tools that allow them to tailor their investments to specific retirement goals.

Retirement innovation can strengthen talent retention, Diamonte notes, in addition to pointing to the power of long-term vision and emphasizing the importance of holistic financial wellness.

—Matt Toledo