Last Thursday Benjamin Akande, dean of the School of Business and Technology at Webster University, hosted James Albaugh, president and CEO of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, at the University Center as part of Webster’s 2008 Success to Significance speakers series. Before the speech, Akande asked Albaugh about diversity and defense.
Akande: St. Louis prides itself on the diversity of its citizens. What does Boeing do to insure minority inclusion here and throughout the U.S.? What more could be done in the defense industry?
Albaugh: Diversity creates a competitive advantage that sets apart the great companies from the merely good ones. At Boeing we have tremendous diversity of race, ethnicity, gender, even of thought and culture. As we work together, and understand each other, we can capitalize on this vast and rich resource of knowledge and experience and be a truly great company.
The Boeing Company is fully committed to supporting equal employment opportunity and affirmative action. These are key elements in creating an environment where all employees are treated with respect, dignity and trust and are empowered to make important contributions to the success of the company.
The aerospace and defense industry is faced with a great challenge for the future. Where will we find the next generation of young engineers and scientists who will contribute the next great innovations in aviation and aerospace? As we address this challenge by supporting math and science education and inspiring young people to enter aerospace careers, we need to ensure that it is done in a way that welcomes even greater numbers of minorities and women into our ranks of visionaries and technologists.
Akande: What trends in your business and the industry do you see coming around the corner?
Albaugh: In the aerospace industry we can anticipate flattening U.S. defense budgets for the development of new military platforms and systems. At the same time, shifting priorities to address the continuing global war on terror make it essential that we find ways to build our industry for the future and make it relevant to meet the evolving needs of our customers.
In defense, military planners must shift away from total reliance on a traditional portfolio of capabilities designed to address the conflicts of the 20th century … to the full spectrum of agile, responsive capabilities necessary to defend against a broad range of threats, including terrorist attacks, secular conflicts, and cyber warfare. In building adequate defensive capability, it is no longer just about who has the most ships, planes and tanks. It’s also about who has information superiority. It’s about who has the ability to use the power of the network and to rapidly adapt and utilize emerging disruptive technologies.
Akande: At Boeing, how do you measure success?
Albaugh: Certainly, success at Boeing is measured in the traditional way: sales, revenues, operating margins and backlog. But our industry is unique in that success is also measured in what we deliver for our end users and the quality of our products.
When airmen, soldiers, sailors and Marines are depending on our products to help them carry out dangerous missions and return safely home, we need to ensure flawless execution and quality in everything we do. When astronauts depend on us to go into space, remain on orbit and return to their families, there is no room for quality slips.
Even in commercial aviation, when millions of passengers rely on the safety of our aircraft we need to get it right every time. Only by delivering on our commitments to our customers and ensuring their satisfaction in carrying out their missions can we say that we have truly succeeded as a company.
Akande: What makes Boeing significant to your customers, your employees and the communities you serve around the world?
I believe that no industry had a greater impact on the 20th Century than aerospace. Aerospace companies and the people who work for them forever changed the way we defend freedom, communicate, travel, experience the world and understand our universe. For 92 years of the first century of flight, Boeing has been a pioneer, a leader, an innovator and a visionary force and we will continue to help shape the 21st Century.
Our customers appreciate us for all we do to meet their requirements. Each of our employees get to play a role in shaping the world through aerospace. Communities like St. Louis and others throughout the world benefit from our creation of highly-skilled, well-paid jobs and the development of centers of technology and innovation.
Akande: What do you see in Boeing’s future?
Albaugh: As the world’s largest aerospace company, I see Boeing continuing to succeed in a challenging international and domestic marketplace because of our balanced, diverse portfolio of commercial and government programs. We will also be able to leverage the excellence of our employees and the global power of Boeing to build the business in both traditional commercial and defense markets as well as adjacent areas.
For information on future speakers, visit www.Webster.edu/speakers or call 968-5986.