Manufacturing Is a Dream Come True for Gena Lovett of Boeing

Gena Lovett joined Boeing Co. in August as vice president of operations for Boeing Defense, Space and Security (BDS), a $31 billion business that in 2014 accounted for one-third of the aerospace giant’s total sales.

Lovett brings more than 20 years of manufacturing and operations experience to the position. She oversees manufacturing at 20 plants around the world and is responsible for a number of critical initiatives.

The job is demanding, of course, and high profile. Lovett joins a select group of aerospace executives whose actions are watched and evaluated by a diverse global audience -- competitors, customers and analysts, among them.

Lovett discovered a passion for manufacturing early in her career and leveraged it in progressively demanding and satisfying job moves. Prior to joining Boeing she worked at Alcoa and Ford.

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Lovett studied chemical engineering at Ohio State University, and then, planning for law school, majored in liberal arts. But despite doing well on the LSAT exam, she decided law wasn’t an option. She eventually found a job as a front-line supervisor on an engine line at Ford, where she discovered a “natural aptitude” for the work and manufacturing in general.

Her career story has resonance on Manufacturing Day, Oct. 2, especially for students. In an exclusive interview with Design News, Lovett discussed the challenges and opportunities of manufacturing and the satisfaction that individuals can achieve.

Design News: What does the vice president of operations for Boeing Defense, Space and Security do?

Gena Lovett: I’m a maestro, if you will. I am responsible across the enterprise for standardization and uniformity, tools and products, efficiencies and cost. I assure that our people are always safe, that we have world-class production, differentiating products, and we move through the 21st century as a competitor of choice.

DN: What objectives have you set in this job?

GL: I have a goal to immerse myself and learn all I can while adding value.

DN: Manufacturing is in a period of great change. How do you and your colleagues stay on top of everything?

GL: Even though Boeing is a leading-edge company, there is always something to learn. We’ve had "aha" moments that enable us to improve great processes. I am impressed with the boundless talent at Boeing. There are wickedly smart people here. My boss, Chris Chadwick (president and CEO of BDS), is a teaching manager. It’s not just on-the-job training; there are lots of media for learning. One of the best is walking the floor and speaking with colleagues who build products.

DN: You worked at Ford and Alcoa before BDS. What helped you succeed in each job?

GL: The jobs are similar in that all three companies are iconic -- they have been around for over 100 years. The companies instill pride in workers. Every company has achieved a level of excellence in manufacturing but understands it cannot rest on its laurels. There is passion, a relentless will to win and to surprise and delight customers. The environment at Ford challenged me. My first mentors were there. They stressed learning a craft and honing my skills and challenged me appropriately. I’m a dreamer by nature, and I found my passion. And each company has the best and brightest people in its field. What I liked about all three is the recognition that talent is what sustains companies, not processes and equipment. It’s important to understand that people drive a business and how we treat them is important.

DN: After four years in manufacturing at Alcoa, you were appointed chief diversity officer. How did this happen, and what benefits did it bring to your career?

GL: I had been in manufacturing for 20 years and had always been open to assignments that were not necessarily promotions but horizontal and developmental moves -- jobs that would benefit me as an employee and a person. At Alcoa I was assigned to turn around our first facility, in Cleveland, which was underperforming for years. It was a tough job; we weren’t able to turn things around until I got a diverse team -- by diverse, I mean demographics and experience as much as race and gender. We were united in our desire to make the facility grow. Everyone was tired of being in an underperforming plant. We were successful and won awards. My team and I were on the right path. And I could convincingly help people understand the power of diversity.

My manager and the CEO asked if I would accept an assignment to promote diversity and inclusion. Often, this human resources role doesn’t have credibility with workers in the trenches. But my credibility was there from turning the facility around. The goal in my position was to mitigate attrition and get broader roles for employees. It turned out to be the best move for me. It added business rigor and made me focus on important company goals and I knocked down barriers others might not have been able to.

DN: Is there a manufacturing skills gap among young workers and students?

GL: There definitely is. The manufacturing jobs my parents’ generation had no longer exist. Products are more sophisticated, and the skill set to make them is higher. Many young people do not see manufacturing as a desirable career choice. We’ve got to bring the sexy back to manufacturing. It’s amazing how many don’t know what manufacturing companies offer and how rewarding the roles can be.

I think we have abdicated our responsibility of getting this message to schools in the early grades. Little girls, especially, don’t see credible role models in manufacturing. Boeing is actively partnering in programs to bring manufacturing awareness to schools and is linking with organizations such as the Society of Women Engineers to promote manufacturing as a career.

DN: What would you recommend that students study for a career in manufacturing?

GL: The STEM curricula, of course. But in grade school, teachers should nurture a love of science and mathematics. Most of all, there is a need for well-rounded individuals. I like science and math, but also history, English, and other non-technical subjects.

I also encourage those in manufacturing to continue mentoring students. Send the elevator back, so others jump in and come along. Encourage students to think along the lines of why they can be in manufacturing instead of assuming they cannot. Students should also widen their horizons and think differently. Manufacturing is not a restrictive career -- it’s exciting and multidimensional.

Pat Toensmeier has more than 30 years of experience writing for business-to-business publications. His main areas of coverage have been defense, design, manufacturing, technology and chemicals, especially plastics and composites. He has reported extensively on developments in these areas from the U.S. and Europe, and covered industry events as well in Brazil and Asia. Toensmeier has held various positions at major publishers such as the McGraw-Hill Companies and Hearst Corporation. A graduate of the University of Missouri, he is a contributing editor for several print and online publications. Toensmeier is based in suburban New Haven, Conn.

[top image courtesy of Boeing]