WEBVTT - Phebe Novakovic

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<v Speaker 1>Phoebe nova Kovac has been the CEO of General Dynamics

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<v Speaker 1>since two thousand thirteen. Since she took over, General Dynamic

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<v Speaker 1>shares have climbed over. On this episode, appear to Pere.

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<v Speaker 1>I meet with Phoebe nova Kovac at a General Dynamics

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<v Speaker 1>research facility in Sterling Heights, Michigan. There we spoke about

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<v Speaker 1>the future of the aerospace and defense industry and I

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<v Speaker 1>got to see there Abram's main battle tank up close.

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<v Speaker 1>When you became the CEO of General Dynamics in two

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<v Speaker 1>thousand and thirteen, there weren't that many women who were

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<v Speaker 1>aerospace defense executives. Did you ever think when you were

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<v Speaker 1>joining this company in two thousand one that you could

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<v Speaker 1>rise up to be the CEO? I never thought I'd

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<v Speaker 1>be the CEO. I think that would be highly aspirational

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<v Speaker 1>um and I I've always been a big believer in

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<v Speaker 1>you do well in life by doing the job in

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<v Speaker 1>front of you very very well, being part of a

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<v Speaker 1>team and servey that team. But I never could have

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<v Speaker 1>believed that this would happen. So you get tired when

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<v Speaker 1>people like me ask you what it's like to be

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<v Speaker 1>a woman and being CEO of an aerospace defense company

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<v Speaker 1>or you get asked that a lot. Um, I think some,

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<v Speaker 1>I think UM, I and you and I've talked about

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<v Speaker 1>this before. I approached this job primarily as a person,

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<v Speaker 1>largely one form by being a woman, um, but not exclusively.

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<v Speaker 1>So I think about myself as a person, and in

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<v Speaker 1>this position, not so much a woman. Your stock is

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<v Speaker 1>up a eight percent since you became a CEO. Do

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<v Speaker 1>you think under President Biden defense spending may level off

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<v Speaker 1>and therefore may be harder for aerospace defense companies to

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<v Speaker 1>do as well? So I think defense spending historically has

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<v Speaker 1>been driven by the threat or the perception of threat um,

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<v Speaker 1>and it is not a particularly safe world at the moment.

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<v Speaker 1>That's number one. Number two. President Biden has been a

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<v Speaker 1>lifelong supporter of national security. So this budget that he

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<v Speaker 1>submitted to Capitol Hill was a nominal increase um. Importantly,

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<v Speaker 1>all of our programs were fully supported because of their

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<v Speaker 1>criticality to the war flight. Most of the large aerospace

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<v Speaker 1>defense companies have moved to Washington. Do you see the

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<v Speaker 1>Pentagon leaders from time to time? Do you go see

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<v Speaker 1>the secretaries of Army or air Force, or Defense or

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<v Speaker 1>Navy or what do you do in terms of interacting

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<v Speaker 1>with them. So I think it's important that we know

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<v Speaker 1>our customer UM, both on the uniform military side, and

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<v Speaker 1>we tend to try to know them as well. UM.

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<v Speaker 1>And then with each change of administration, we try to

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<v Speaker 1>get to know the primary decision makers so we can

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<v Speaker 1>get inside their decision space help them think about again

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<v Speaker 1>what we can provide. So I spent some time with

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<v Speaker 1>all of them. In our major customers, so that would

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<v Speaker 1>be primarily the Army and the Navy. The American people

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<v Speaker 1>obviously have a high regard for our military, but they

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<v Speaker 1>don't tend to think of the defense contractors as highly

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<v Speaker 1>as they do with the military. So do you think

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<v Speaker 1>there's any reason for that? So I don't know that

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<v Speaker 1>they're particularly not the love but this is the way

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<v Speaker 1>I think about it. UM. If the US cannot avoid

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<v Speaker 1>war through diplomacy or deterrence, UM, it goes to war,

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<v Speaker 1>and it goes to war. With the US defense industrial base,

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<v Speaker 1>we cannot go to war as a nation without US.

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<v Speaker 1>We make all the products and services that provide our

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<v Speaker 1>service people with the weapons, systems and protective devices they

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<v Speaker 1>need to survive and win. Because of consolidation in recent years,

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<v Speaker 1>we now have essentially five major defense companies, and you

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<v Speaker 1>think that's enough. Should we have more competition, or you

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<v Speaker 1>think that's okay. So competition is driven in the defense

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<v Speaker 1>industry by two things. One the number of new weapons

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<v Speaker 1>systems coming out, and they're relatively constrained, to say it,

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<v Speaker 1>compared to um the eighties when you had a lot

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<v Speaker 1>more defense companies, and to the complexity of each of

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<v Speaker 1>the weapon systems. So the capitalization requirements for defense companies,

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<v Speaker 1>the large defense primes, and we are one of them,

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<v Speaker 1>are significant. So given those capitalization requirements and given that

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<v Speaker 1>the intimacy that we need to have with our customer,

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<v Speaker 1>I think we're pretty well balanced at the moment. And

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<v Speaker 1>by the way, when you think about competition, we have

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<v Speaker 1>a monopsity buyer with enormous purchasing power. So while we

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<v Speaker 1>may be in duopolies or some people in monopolies, we

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<v Speaker 1>are up against a very powerful customer. So there's a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of shaping that happens um in our contractual discussions

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<v Speaker 1>with our customer. Sometimes people say that the defense budget

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<v Speaker 1>is very high because the cost overruns of new weapons

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<v Speaker 1>systems or so forth. Is that a fair criticism that

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<v Speaker 1>sometimes they are cost overruns that are very very high.

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<v Speaker 1>So if you think about the complexity of modern weapons systems,

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<v Speaker 1>it is not unusual for some of them to have

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<v Speaker 1>early on in the production of the development some cost overruns.

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<v Speaker 1>But it's incoming upon us as a defense industry is

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<v Speaker 1>that once we understand the technology and then how to

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<v Speaker 1>build it and how to build it effectively, continued to

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<v Speaker 1>take costs out as we go down our learning curves

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<v Speaker 1>and that's an important part of the value equation we

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<v Speaker 1>have with our customer's taking driving costs out of systems.

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<v Speaker 1>So today one of the biggest challenges for General Dynamics

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<v Speaker 1>and one of the biggest opportunities. So I think in

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<v Speaker 1>in any business, UM, the challenges are solving complex problems

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<v Speaker 1>that come to you. You know, the problems that come

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<v Speaker 1>to me and my senior leadership team for for resolving

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<v Speaker 1>tend to be highly complex and middlesome. UM. So your

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<v Speaker 1>ability to solve those complex problems are an important element.

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<v Speaker 1>I think of the value that we add UM to

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<v Speaker 1>the company, and then I think opportunities. You always want

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<v Speaker 1>to make sure that you've got a creative enough mind

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<v Speaker 1>and open enough mind to be able to see around

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<v Speaker 1>square corners. What am I missing? You know? The why

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<v Speaker 1>questions are really powerful. Why are we not doing this?

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<v Speaker 1>Or why are we doing this? I ask those questions

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<v Speaker 1>a lot, and in the answers you can sometimes tease

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<v Speaker 1>out some real opportunities, some hidden things. But thinking creatively

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<v Speaker 1>about opportunities and problems, it's really important. And what about

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<v Speaker 1>the industry generally think they have big challenges now as

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<v Speaker 1>the defense budget probably comes down a bit, So I

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<v Speaker 1>think that, um, we are all responsible and and we

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<v Speaker 1>have an obligation UH to find the latest and best

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<v Speaker 1>technologies that we can for our customers and deliver them

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<v Speaker 1>in the most cost effective manner we can. And I

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<v Speaker 1>think that that's a challenge in an opportunity for all

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<v Speaker 1>of the big defense companies. Let's go through the major divisions.

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<v Speaker 1>You have a General Dynamics, So UM one is the

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<v Speaker 1>Marine Systems. Now you before you became CEO, you were

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<v Speaker 1>the head of Marine Systems? Is not correct? I think

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<v Speaker 1>I've got it right. There were sixty eight submarines now

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<v Speaker 1>in the entire U. S. Navy fleet. Do we really

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<v Speaker 1>need a lot more submarines or we just kind of

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<v Speaker 1>replacing the ones we have? Or do we need more

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<v Speaker 1>than sixty eight, which I think the number we have.

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<v Speaker 1>So I personally believe that the more submarines the better.

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<v Speaker 1>And while people maybe jaundice that in um skeptical of

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<v Speaker 1>my view given where I sit, I think from a

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<v Speaker 1>national security perspective, US underwater supremacy is critical to our

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<v Speaker 1>national security and the more submarines that we can put

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<v Speaker 1>in the water, the better off we are to protect

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<v Speaker 1>our shores as well as to protect our assets overseas.

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<v Speaker 1>So it takes a long time to build a submarine,

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<v Speaker 1>is it like three years, four years, five years? So

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<v Speaker 1>they attack boats when we're on about our twenties something

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<v Speaker 1>attack boat which is the Virginia class submarine takes about

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<v Speaker 1>um seventeen months to build. Um we are building the

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<v Speaker 1>ballistic missile submarine replacement in the Columbia class, which is

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<v Speaker 1>replacing the Ohio class. It's part of the nuclear deterrent.

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<v Speaker 1>That will take us eighty four months. So these are long,

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<v Speaker 1>complicated build cycles. And what does it cost to build

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<v Speaker 1>a submarine? I assume it's uh not uh, you know, cheap.

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<v Speaker 1>So the Virginia classes about two billion dollars a submarine.

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<v Speaker 1>But there are highly survivable weapons systems and by the way,

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<v Speaker 1>as we've come down our learning curves, Um, we have

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<v Speaker 1>driven costs out of out of those submarinings. So again

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<v Speaker 1>that's part of the value proposition with our customer. Let's

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<v Speaker 1>talk about another division, the land division, which is I

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<v Speaker 1>assume that division that makes this tank. All right, So

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<v Speaker 1>why are tanks so important today? Because with cyber and

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<v Speaker 1>and kind of missiles being launched off of submarines and

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<v Speaker 1>so forth, do we really need tanks to kind of

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<v Speaker 1>help the military that much? So? Since the dawn of

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<v Speaker 1>human time, wars are ultimately one if they can't be avoided,

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<v Speaker 1>their one with boots on the ground or taking territory.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't see that paradigm changing anytime soon. If we

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<v Speaker 1>get into a really hot war, you need your tanks,

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<v Speaker 1>you need your army to take land. You have an

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<v Speaker 1>aerospace division and they are the principal product is Gulf

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<v Speaker 1>Street jets. Is that right? Yes? Um, as a reason

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<v Speaker 1>why you're not in the military jet business unlike some

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<v Speaker 1>of your competitors, Well, UM, General Dynamics before the big

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<v Speaker 1>sell off, you would call General Dynamics and the height

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<v Speaker 1>of the Reagan build up as the largest defense industry

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<v Speaker 1>that comes at the CEO at the time, UM believed,

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<v Speaker 1>and I think appropriately so to some extent, UM that

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<v Speaker 1>it was important to UM sort of liquidate at the

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<v Speaker 1>end of the Cold War, and so he systematically went

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<v Speaker 1>through and sold off units and defense, including UM what

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<v Speaker 1>was at the time, UM General Dynamics, UM fighter jet business.

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<v Speaker 1>So we're out of that business, all right. So you're

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<v Speaker 1>in gulf Stream now. Glof Stream is mostly a business

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<v Speaker 1>jet business, I thinks, okay, And so with COVID, I

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<v Speaker 1>assume business people weren't flying around as much, were they

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<v Speaker 1>buying as many jets. So golf Stream is a pretty

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<v Speaker 1>cyclical business where economy facing and as is as goes

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<v Speaker 1>the world economies, that tends to draw I have our demand,

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<v Speaker 1>and this was the third economic perturbation that I have

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<v Speaker 1>seen since I've been a General Dynamics. So what we

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<v Speaker 1>have learned is to be a good cyclical and that's

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<v Speaker 1>drive out costs faster than your revenue declines. So last

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<v Speaker 1>year we were the only successful aerospace O e M

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<v Speaker 1>to make a profit, a significant profit at a billion dollars,

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<v Speaker 1>and we did that by reacting very very quickly to

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<v Speaker 1>the change in the marketplace. So demand was down as

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<v Speaker 1>a result of the economic perturbations caused by COVID, but

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<v Speaker 1>demand is nicely begun to recover and we are in

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<v Speaker 1>a very strong position in that recovery. So let's talk

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<v Speaker 1>about your last division, which is your information division, which

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<v Speaker 1>I assume is mostly cyber related things and things you

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<v Speaker 1>can't probably talk too much about. But is that where

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<v Speaker 1>the greatest growth is going to be for aerospace defense

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<v Speaker 1>companies in cyber and other kinds of information technology. So

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<v Speaker 1>cyber is embedded in almost every single one of our programs,

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<v Speaker 1>including the main battle tank, the upgrades that we make

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<v Speaker 1>and the continual improvements that we make to upgrade the technology,

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<v Speaker 1>and for example, that platform all include cyber protection of

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<v Speaker 1>multiple UM multiple layers. So cyber is a growth area

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<v Speaker 1>and has been for quite some time in the defense

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<v Speaker 1>industrial base. We are very active and have been for

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<v Speaker 1>twenty years in the cyberspace and will continue to see growth,

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<v Speaker 1>But I don't see it as the exclusive growth in

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<v Speaker 1>our in our business. What's driving real growth on the

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<v Speaker 1>defense side of submarines. So one area we didn't talk

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<v Speaker 1>about that is an area that some people think is

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<v Speaker 1>important in aerospace defense is space. So UM some companies,

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<v Speaker 1>some of your competitors are building things for the space world.

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<v Speaker 1>Are you thinking about getting into space? So we have

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<v Speaker 1>some components, some lines of business that serve UM largely

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<v Speaker 1>as a merchant supplier some of the space companies, and

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<v Speaker 1>that's a good place for us. We've made our large

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<v Speaker 1>capital bets elsewhere. Let's talk about your own background for

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<v Speaker 1>a moment and how you came to be the CEO.

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<v Speaker 1>So where did you grow up? I grew up pretty

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<v Speaker 1>much all over what day was in the Air Force,

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<v Speaker 1>and we spent a lot of time in Europe during

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<v Speaker 1>the Cold War, and I got a real sense of

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<v Speaker 1>being an American. UM. Germany was still relatively poor UM

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<v Speaker 1>in the sixties coming out of World War two, UM,

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<v Speaker 1>and not the major industrial power that it is today.

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<v Speaker 1>And we had a real sense of what the United

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<v Speaker 1>States had done to save Europe. Your father wasn't Serbian

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<v Speaker 1>immigrants the United States? Is that right? So my father's

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<v Speaker 1>family suffered from totalitarian regimes, both on the fascist side

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<v Speaker 1>and the communist side, and they were fortunate enough to

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<v Speaker 1>escape with their lives and during World War two, and

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<v Speaker 1>it was their dream to come to the United States.

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<v Speaker 1>Because when you have suffered from both types of totalitarian ism.

0:12:57.440 --> 0:13:03.800
<v Speaker 1>You you treasure democracy, in particular market based democracy. And Uh.

0:13:04.679 --> 0:13:09.280
<v Speaker 1>He is an avid patriot, as is my mother. UM,

0:13:09.320 --> 0:13:14.320
<v Speaker 1>and they they imbued me with that same sense of patriotism.

0:13:14.400 --> 0:13:17.640
<v Speaker 1>So you grew up in various places in Europe and

0:13:17.720 --> 0:13:19.840
<v Speaker 1>United States, and then you went to college at Smith.

0:13:20.440 --> 0:13:23.880
<v Speaker 1>So did you study aerospace defense at Smith? Or what

0:13:24.000 --> 0:13:27.800
<v Speaker 1>did you study? I was a government major and the

0:13:27.840 --> 0:13:33.520
<v Speaker 1>philosophy minor um and uh, and I got a superb

0:13:33.600 --> 0:13:38.400
<v Speaker 1>labor arts background and education. So I learned to write

0:13:38.440 --> 0:13:40.520
<v Speaker 1>and I learned to think in college. Those are two

0:13:40.559 --> 0:13:45.040
<v Speaker 1>critical values. So most people that graduate from Smith probably

0:13:45.080 --> 0:13:49.240
<v Speaker 1>don't wind up in the CIA, be my guess. Most Yes.

0:13:50.480 --> 0:13:53.120
<v Speaker 1>So when you were interviewing for jobs at the end

0:13:53.120 --> 0:13:56.160
<v Speaker 1>of your college career, UM, did you tell people I

0:13:56.160 --> 0:13:57.640
<v Speaker 1>want to be in the CIA or how did you

0:13:57.679 --> 0:14:00.800
<v Speaker 1>happen to get into the CIA? Well, I had a

0:14:00.840 --> 0:14:04.480
<v Speaker 1>sense of service to my nation, um, and it seemed

0:14:04.559 --> 0:14:07.800
<v Speaker 1>a good place for me. Um so much in life,

0:14:07.840 --> 0:14:10.120
<v Speaker 1>as you and I've talked about before, his finding place

0:14:11.040 --> 0:14:14.920
<v Speaker 1>and Uh, it was the agency was opening its stores

0:14:14.960 --> 0:14:18.079
<v Speaker 1>to women, um. And so it was a good opportunity

0:14:18.120 --> 0:14:21.240
<v Speaker 1>for me and I really enjoyed the service that I

0:14:21.320 --> 0:14:23.760
<v Speaker 1>was able to provide. How long were you in the CIA?

0:14:24.440 --> 0:14:27.080
<v Speaker 1>About four or five years? And were you a c I,

0:14:27.200 --> 0:14:30.720
<v Speaker 1>a agent or your spy or undercover? You can't say

0:14:30.760 --> 0:14:36.040
<v Speaker 1>even today. So we were what we're called case officers.

0:14:36.080 --> 0:14:38.800
<v Speaker 1>So you might, in the common parlance, think about those

0:14:39.000 --> 0:14:41.280
<v Speaker 1>spies when you were doing that. Could you tell anybody

0:14:41.320 --> 0:14:42.840
<v Speaker 1>what you were doing or what did you tell people

0:14:42.840 --> 0:14:46.680
<v Speaker 1>you were doing as a career, Well, we had various

0:14:46.840 --> 0:14:51.320
<v Speaker 1>um uh stories that we told approved stories, and I

0:14:51.320 --> 0:14:53.560
<v Speaker 1>think we'll leave it at that. Okay, but your parents

0:14:53.560 --> 0:14:57.200
<v Speaker 1>that they even know my parents. So after you did

0:14:57.240 --> 0:15:00.000
<v Speaker 1>that for a while, you decided to go to where

0:15:00.040 --> 0:15:03.000
<v Speaker 1>to school? Yes? So the Cold War was winding down

0:15:03.560 --> 0:15:07.120
<v Speaker 1>and um yes, and decided to go to business school?

0:15:07.200 --> 0:15:09.000
<v Speaker 1>All right? She went to Wharton. And then after you

0:15:09.000 --> 0:15:10.760
<v Speaker 1>have a Wharton n b A. I assume it's easy

0:15:10.840 --> 0:15:12.760
<v Speaker 1>to get a job. Was it easy for you get

0:15:12.760 --> 0:15:16.840
<v Speaker 1>a job? It was extremely difficult. I had a rather

0:15:16.920 --> 0:15:20.640
<v Speaker 1>a kind of classic background, and I was seven months pregnant,

0:15:21.080 --> 0:15:23.080
<v Speaker 1>so it was very hard to get a job. You

0:15:23.120 --> 0:15:26.040
<v Speaker 1>have a c I A background, your seven months pregnant,

0:15:26.240 --> 0:15:29.600
<v Speaker 1>and you find that employers aren't interested in hiring women.

0:15:29.640 --> 0:15:32.240
<v Speaker 1>Like that. I had a number of interviews. I remember

0:15:32.280 --> 0:15:34.360
<v Speaker 1>one in particular. I wanted to work for a steel

0:15:34.400 --> 0:15:38.600
<v Speaker 1>company because I like making things. Um, the tangible value

0:15:38.600 --> 0:15:41.600
<v Speaker 1>of seeing, you know, the fruits of your labor. And

0:15:41.880 --> 0:15:44.120
<v Speaker 1>I walked in and now here they are at a

0:15:44.200 --> 0:15:46.360
<v Speaker 1>hiring fair or and I walk in and they say,

0:15:46.400 --> 0:15:48.360
<v Speaker 1>we're not hiring and so what I understand, You're not

0:15:48.440 --> 0:15:51.560
<v Speaker 1>hiring me? Um, as I wattle out of there. So

0:15:51.680 --> 0:15:54.160
<v Speaker 1>you finally got a job at the Office of Management

0:15:54.200 --> 0:15:56.800
<v Speaker 1>and Budget, which runs the budget of the United States government.

0:15:57.200 --> 0:15:59.760
<v Speaker 1>So what did you do there? So? I started out

0:15:59.800 --> 0:16:02.680
<v Speaker 1>as a budget examiner and was fortunate enough to work

0:16:02.720 --> 0:16:06.600
<v Speaker 1>my way up and ended up running the National Security Division,

0:16:06.640 --> 0:16:10.640
<v Speaker 1>which was responsible for all defense and intelligence spending. UM.

0:16:10.960 --> 0:16:14.200
<v Speaker 1>Submissions to the to the Congress. Okay, so after a

0:16:14.200 --> 0:16:16.200
<v Speaker 1>while you decided I had enough of this. The government

0:16:16.280 --> 0:16:19.160
<v Speaker 1>salary is good, but not that good. You decide you

0:16:19.160 --> 0:16:21.840
<v Speaker 1>want to go in the business. Um. And you you

0:16:21.920 --> 0:16:25.160
<v Speaker 1>got a position in two thousand one with General Dynamics. Yes,

0:16:25.200 --> 0:16:27.000
<v Speaker 1>I had to stop over for four years at the

0:16:27.040 --> 0:16:30.160
<v Speaker 1>Pentagon and then to General Dynamics. And I went there

0:16:30.240 --> 0:16:34.400
<v Speaker 1>because I remember thinking very distinctly in these seminal times

0:16:34.400 --> 0:16:37.320
<v Speaker 1>in your life when you have perhaps a bit of epiphanies.

0:16:37.800 --> 0:16:40.160
<v Speaker 1>I sat at my desk one afternoon, thinking I can't

0:16:40.160 --> 0:16:43.840
<v Speaker 1>afford to put my children through college. And I happened

0:16:43.840 --> 0:16:46.600
<v Speaker 1>to know a number of CEOs, including the CEO of

0:16:46.640 --> 0:16:49.680
<v Speaker 1>General Dynamics, and I called him and I said, I'm

0:16:50.040 --> 0:16:52.240
<v Speaker 1>going to be leading year soon if you ever would

0:16:52.280 --> 0:16:55.680
<v Speaker 1>be interested, and called a couple of the other CEOs,

0:16:55.840 --> 0:17:01.480
<v Speaker 1>and and I was fortunate enough to go with General Dynamics. Okay,

0:17:01.520 --> 0:17:03.760
<v Speaker 1>So she went to General Dynamics in two thousand one,

0:17:03.800 --> 0:17:06.800
<v Speaker 1>And what was your initial job there? So I was

0:17:06.840 --> 0:17:10.520
<v Speaker 1>in strategic planning, but think about that, more special projects

0:17:10.520 --> 0:17:14.040
<v Speaker 1>for the CEO. And I ultimately kept a series of

0:17:14.119 --> 0:17:18.919
<v Speaker 1>jobs um as I moved up the chain at General Dynamics.

0:17:18.920 --> 0:17:20.679
<v Speaker 1>But I was also the chief of staff to the

0:17:20.760 --> 0:17:23.840
<v Speaker 1>then CEO, and I learned a lot about how a

0:17:24.040 --> 0:17:29.600
<v Speaker 1>very very effective, powerful CEO manages a company. I learned

0:17:29.600 --> 0:17:34.000
<v Speaker 1>a lot watching a superb CEO operate. And you said, hey,

0:17:34.040 --> 0:17:35.680
<v Speaker 1>I can do this job as well as this guy.

0:17:35.800 --> 0:17:38.280
<v Speaker 1>At some point, No, that would be the height of Hebrews.

0:17:38.560 --> 0:17:41.320
<v Speaker 1>And I've never suffered from that. I think I was

0:17:41.359 --> 0:17:44.359
<v Speaker 1>the beneficiary of a lot of learning. So I was

0:17:44.400 --> 0:17:48.080
<v Speaker 1>blessed with that. Today, as you look at the opportunities

0:17:48.119 --> 0:17:51.800
<v Speaker 1>that women have to be chief executives, you think they're

0:17:51.840 --> 0:17:53.960
<v Speaker 1>much better than when you were coming along. And what

0:17:54.040 --> 0:17:55.920
<v Speaker 1>do you advise young women who want to be a

0:17:55.960 --> 0:17:58.480
<v Speaker 1>CEO about the best way to prepare to be a CEO?

0:18:00.119 --> 0:18:02.240
<v Speaker 1>So I think there are more opportunities for women that

0:18:02.320 --> 0:18:04.880
<v Speaker 1>there certainly were in the late seventies when I entered

0:18:04.880 --> 0:18:09.240
<v Speaker 1>the workplace, and that is throughout the food chain. I tell,

0:18:09.560 --> 0:18:12.160
<v Speaker 1>whether it's young women or young men, if you want

0:18:12.160 --> 0:18:14.240
<v Speaker 1>to do well in this world, be a part of

0:18:14.240 --> 0:18:16.560
<v Speaker 1>a team, serve your team well, and do the job

0:18:16.640 --> 0:18:19.360
<v Speaker 1>in front of you as best as you possibly can.

0:18:19.960 --> 0:18:23.600
<v Speaker 1>And in functional organizations, the rest takes care of itself,

0:18:23.600 --> 0:18:26.760
<v Speaker 1>and a dysfunctional organizational bets are off get out of it.

0:18:27.080 --> 0:18:29.160
<v Speaker 1>What would be the skill set that a CEO really

0:18:29.160 --> 0:18:32.720
<v Speaker 1>needs to be success on today's environment? So I think

0:18:32.760 --> 0:18:37.600
<v Speaker 1>a good leader needs fundamentally good character, good characters required.

0:18:38.240 --> 0:18:42.400
<v Speaker 1>I think a a smattering and a and a wholesome

0:18:42.880 --> 0:18:47.480
<v Speaker 1>um capability set in whether it's intellect or finance, or

0:18:47.560 --> 0:18:51.800
<v Speaker 1>ability to think strategically or solve complex problems. All those

0:18:51.840 --> 0:18:56.920
<v Speaker 1>things are really important, and frankly, perseverance. I mean, sometimes

0:18:57.320 --> 0:19:00.320
<v Speaker 1>you just have to never, never stop, never to quit,

0:19:00.520 --> 0:19:05.480
<v Speaker 1>never give up. So you have three daughters and so, um,

0:19:05.520 --> 0:19:08.040
<v Speaker 1>you've obviously got a private sector jobs you can help

0:19:08.119 --> 0:19:10.639
<v Speaker 1>support them and get them through college. And you have

0:19:10.800 --> 0:19:15.080
<v Speaker 1>now getting four grandchildren grandchildren. Okay, so what do you

0:19:15.119 --> 0:19:18.359
<v Speaker 1>do for rest and relaxation to spend time with your

0:19:18.400 --> 0:19:21.280
<v Speaker 1>children grandchildren? Well, that's joyful, but I wouldn't call it

0:19:21.400 --> 0:19:29.080
<v Speaker 1>RESTful relaxing. Um. Three toddlers and one newborn is haurly relaxing. Um.

0:19:29.119 --> 0:19:32.359
<v Speaker 1>But my husband and I walk a lot, hike a lot,

0:19:32.800 --> 0:19:35.960
<v Speaker 1>and uh, and we talk a lot. He's finishing his

0:19:36.200 --> 0:19:40.879
<v Speaker 1>doctorate at Princeton Theological Seminary and ethics, and so I

0:19:40.920 --> 0:19:44.800
<v Speaker 1>find those kinds of conversations really stimulating and interesting. They're

0:19:44.840 --> 0:19:46.560
<v Speaker 1>a respite for me. But there are also a lot

0:19:46.600 --> 0:19:49.920
<v Speaker 1>of mental gymnastics to kind of keep up. Other people said,

0:19:49.960 --> 0:19:53.480
<v Speaker 1>it seems in Congress to have a spouse who is

0:19:53.720 --> 0:19:57.720
<v Speaker 1>getting a degree from Princeton Theological Seminarians. Very spiritual presumably,

0:19:58.040 --> 0:20:00.879
<v Speaker 1>and you're in the aerospace defense business. Is anybody mentioned

0:20:00.880 --> 0:20:04.400
<v Speaker 1>that seems unusual or not well. I think it probably

0:20:04.480 --> 0:20:06.320
<v Speaker 1>is a bit unusual, but I think when you're in

0:20:06.400 --> 0:20:09.400
<v Speaker 1>leadership positions, it's important to look at all of your

0:20:09.440 --> 0:20:13.800
<v Speaker 1>decisions through immortal prism, irrespective of the industry that you're in,

0:20:13.880 --> 0:20:16.160
<v Speaker 1>and to make sure that you're doing the right thing

0:20:17.040 --> 0:20:20.040
<v Speaker 1>um and to constantly question I am I doing the

0:20:20.119 --> 0:20:22.359
<v Speaker 1>right thing? Is this the right thing? And if you

0:20:22.359 --> 0:20:25.480
<v Speaker 1>don't ask yourself those questions routinely, then I think you

0:20:25.600 --> 0:20:30.720
<v Speaker 1>can you run the risk of failing to see potential error.

0:20:31.080 --> 0:20:33.399
<v Speaker 1>So what's the greatest pleasure of being the CEO of

0:20:33.480 --> 0:20:37.320
<v Speaker 1>Jenathan Amis and what's the biggest downside? Well, I think

0:20:37.359 --> 0:20:40.080
<v Speaker 1>these jobs are sub great privilege. I don't think I

0:20:40.119 --> 0:20:44.440
<v Speaker 1>see a particular downside. The pleasures the people and the team.

0:20:44.640 --> 0:20:49.840
<v Speaker 1>We have a highly functional, um, very transparent, very cohesive

0:20:49.920 --> 0:20:53.760
<v Speaker 1>team and frankly, you know, he was an interesting outcome

0:20:54.000 --> 0:20:57.600
<v Speaker 1>from COVID. UM crises bring out the worst and the

0:20:57.600 --> 0:21:01.920
<v Speaker 1>best in people, and while we entered the COVID crisis

0:21:02.119 --> 0:21:06.840
<v Speaker 1>as a very coherent, powerful team, we emerged even stronger

0:21:06.960 --> 0:21:13.280
<v Speaker 1>forged and that brings me a lot of satisfaction. Thanks

0:21:13.359 --> 0:21:15.720
<v Speaker 1>for listening to hear more of my interviews. You can

0:21:15.760 --> 0:21:20.040
<v Speaker 1>subscribe and download my podcast on Spotify, Apple, or wherever

0:21:20.080 --> 0:21:20.520
<v Speaker 1>you listen