Maintaining a focus on the end customer and their motivations is a winning business model across all industries , but few have the criticality of aerospace , which I find quite inspiring . A pointed example of that came when I joined Pratt & Whitney ’ s Military Engines group .
A majority of my career was spent in P & W ’ s military and commercial businesses , where I started as an engineer for the F-22 ’ s F119 exhaust nozzle . A perk of providing the world ’ s most advanced military engines , was getting a lot of great speakers for staff events ! Hearing firsthand F-16 , F-15 and F-22 pilot ’ s appreciation for the capability of our propulsion systems and a safe flight home after a challenging engagement kept a clear focus on how every individual in the company was critical to that individual ’ s wellbeing .
In a stroke of good fortune and tenacity I became part of the F-35 ’ s early international campaign in Norther Europe , traveling with our joint P & W and Lockheed team to meet with senior Air Force officials and key functionaries in government . These interactions rapidly brought to light the complex interwoven fabric of governments , military and industry , and the complex process of aligning interest for the greater good . At the same time , however , it demonstrated the significant weight a new fighter selection was for small air forces — such as the Royal Norwegian Air Force — who were also keeping their existing fleet of F-16s mission ready . " Readiness " became my next career phase , where I expanded my scope to in-service F100 powered F-16s throughout Europe and fulfilled my childhood interest in experiencing a larger slice of the world .
In an unexpected turn I was asked to drop the international fighter business in 2010 and move to the Pacific Northwest to lead P & W ’ s Boeing office as we ramped up for several upcoming engine campaigns . I could never have expected how that move would reshape the back half of my career . Being imbedded in Boeing ’ s product development , product strategy and propulsion management organizations provided a crash course into the commercial airplane business , and the complex weighing of configurations , performance and business models for new and derivative aircraft . A common thread across all was the vast span of talent in the Boeing Company , and their pride in providing world-class products to connect people across the globe .
After many years and many campaign pursuits , a time came when my wife and I would return to our roles at P & W or continue growing roots in the Pacific Northwest . It was difficult to leave P & W , but easy to make Seattle our new home for the long run . My wife was quickly scooped up by our counterpart engineering team at Boeing .
Her decades of experience in both military and commercial engine integration made her an ideal fit in Boeing ’ s propulsion organization where she continues to work . I chose to take a different path to broaden my experience beyond propulsion , first making a stop in aircraft interiors , then on to my current company Crane Aerospace & Electronics .
Crane is a leading supplier of mission critical components for the commercial , defense and space markets . Since joining Crane I ’ ve enjoyed the ability to operate in a medium sized company with a good balance of financial capability and autonomy to make positive change . During my tenure I ’ ve lead mergers and acquisitions , market and communication , enterprise strategy and more recently business development in government R & D programs . The latter has been an exciting area of opportunity for personal growth that links together much of my previous experience and applies it to emerging technologies such as vehicle electrification and non-traditional fuels . This work is complemented by my board chair role with the Aerospace Futures Alliance which helps serve the interest of regional aerospace and promotes our exceptional regional capabilities across the nation .
I ’ m truly fortunate to have the opportunities I ’ ve been provided over the years and remain focused on the basics that have anchored my success .
Photo credits : Frans Berkelaar and brewbooks on VisualHunt . com
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