BCoE Distinguished Lecture: Pratt & Whitney president speaks at BCoE
October 28, 2014
Paul Adams, president of aerospace firm Pratt & Whitney, spoke to the Bagley College of Engineering October 17 as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series.
Adams became president of Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp., January 1. He is responsible for the company’s global operations in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, auxiliary and ground power units, and small turbojet propulsion products. With an active, installed aero-engine base of approximately 67,000 and an unmatched global service network, the company had revenues of $14.5 billion in 2013.
Under his leadership, Pratt & Whitney is manufacturing engines with Geared Turbofan™ technology for Airbus, Bombardier, Embraer, Irkut and Mitsubishi and is the sole provider of the F135 engine for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter.
Prior to being named Pratt & Whitney president, Adams served as the company’s chief operating officer, leading a unified operations strategy and ensuring the readiness of the company’s global supply chain. He has more than 30 years of leadership experience in program management and engineering with extensive global experience in the aircraft engine industry. Prior to becoming chief operating officer, he was the senior vice president of operations and engineering for a combined seven years, leading new product development, technology strategy, manufacturing operations and supply chain management. He joined Pratt & Whitney in 1999 from Williams International.
Adams is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, elected in 2013 “for leadership and innovation for gas turbine engines.” He serves on the advisory boards of the University of Michigan Aerospace Engineering Department and the University of Connecticut’s School of Engineering. He is also a member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering. He completed the Stanford Executive Program through the Stanford University Graduate Business School and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan.