December 2014–January 2015 07 Tony Parasida Senior vice president Human Resources and Administration The people of Boeing Boeing’s success depends on attracting, retaining and engaging the company’s most vital resource—its people I was 17 years old when I saw Boeing’s magnificent 747 for the first time, at the airport in my hometown of Pittsburgh. Instantly capturing my imagination, the iconic “Queen of the Skies” forever changed the face of air travel and sparked in me what has become a lifelong passion for aerospace. And it was made possible by one thing—Boeing people. This special issue of Frontiers is devoted to a remarkable collection of photos of employees from around the company. They capture the spirit of accomplishment Boeing people have in helping produce the best aerospace products in the world. Seeing these powerful images of the diverse men and women of Boeing underscores for me the importance of people and, as the leader of Human Resources, of the role HR plays in helping you, and our company, thrive. This is something I have a unique perspective on as both an engineer and a former business unit leader within Boeing Defense, Space & Security. I’ve experienced the challenges of bringing all the right players to the table to work a technical solution that meets our As the businesses evolve to meet new objectives, we are working side by side with them to develop approaches that help maintain and grow competitive advantage. HR is focused on ensuring we provide the resources we need to be successful and to attract and retain talent. These include: • Providing market-leading benefits that focus on health and financial well-being • Revamping our curriculum at the Boeing Leadership Center to develop our next generation of leaders • Working proactively with our unions to provide long-term agreements that stabilize our business for years to come And as we face into the changing demographics of our workforce, we’re focusing on everything from knowledge transfer to career development to strong relationships with key universities and technical schools. By putting our focus on speed, quality and simplicity in everything we do, we want to be your partner in driving success at Boeing for the next century and beyond. Forty years ago, I was inspired by a single Boeing product. Today, I am inspired by you—the more than 168,000 Boeing people across the United States and in more than 65 countries. You all exemplify why we are here. Take a look at the photos of your colleagues, and I believe you, too, will be inspired. n photo: Bo b Fer guson | Boe ing Leadership Message customers’ needs, the pressure to grow the business while decreasing costs, and the significance of front-line managers’ roles, as they sort through all of their daily management duties while providing the leadership that helps Boeing’s people grow and thrive. As competitive and financial pressures on our customers intensify, they demand more from us—more capability, efficiency, quality and reliability in our products and services—and, in turn, more from our people. That’s why the business of attracting, retaining and engaging some of the most creative minds in the industry is critical to Boeing’s second century of success. We are setting higher standards for ourselves to transform HR into a bestin class function from both a company and employee perspective. I think of HR as a force multiplier; the stronger our HR team is, the stronger our employees, and therefore our company, will be. We’re starting from within to ensure that you are working with the best talent in the field with the right combination of education and experience, people who lead by example and promote excellence among their peers.
Frontiers December 2014–January 2015 Issue
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