Jack J. Pelton: Difference between revisions
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'''Jack J. Pelton''' is a former [[CEO]] of [[Cessna|Cessna Aircraft Company]]. Before becoming the CEO of Cessna, Pelton was Cessna's Senior Vice President of Engineering. Before joining [[Textron]] in 2000, Pelton was Senior Vice President of Engineering and Programs at [[Fairchild Dornier]]. |
'''Jack J. Pelton''' is Chairman of the Board (and acting CEO) of the [[Experimental Aircraft Association]] (EAA), and managing director of Aviation Alliance (an airplane remanufacturing firm), and a former [[CEO]] of [[Cessna|Cessna Aircraft Company]]. Before becoming the CEO of Cessna, Pelton was Cessna's Senior Vice President of Engineering. Before joining Cessna (a subsidiary of [[Textron]]) in 2000, Pelton was Senior Vice President of Engineering and Programs at [[Fairchild Dornier]]. Before that, he worked at [[Douglas Aircraft]] for over two decades.<ref>{{cite news | date=2008-01-24 | url=http://www.textron.com/about/leadership/corp_management/bios/pelton_jack.jsp | title=About Textron: Leadership: Biography | publisher=[[Textron]] | accessdate=2008-01-24}}</ref><ref name="Niles23Jan13">{{cite news|url = http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Pelton_Leads_Reman_Business_208061-1.html|title = Pelton Leads 'Remanufacturing' Business|accessdate = 24 January 2013|last = Niles|first = Russ|date = 23 January 2013| work = AVweb}}</ref><ref name="jack_pelton_eaa_official_bio">[http://spirit.eaa.org/media/jack_pelton.pdf "Jack Pelton: Chairman of the Board: Experimental Aircraft Association"], official biography, Experimental Aircraft Association website, downloaded Oct.25, 2014</ref></ref><ref name="jack_pelton_out_cessna_2011_05_03_flying">Goyer, Robert, [http://www.flyingmag.com/news/jack-pelton-out-cessna "Jack Pelton Out at Cessna"], ''Flying'' Magazine, May 03, 2011</ref><ref name="pelton_cessna_421_remfd_2013_01_28_wbj">McCoy, Daniel, [http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/blog/2013/01/former-cessna-ceo-jack-peltons-new.html "Former Cessna CEO Jack Pelton’s new venture: remanufactured Cessna 421s,"], Jan. 28, 2013, ''Wichita Business Journal''</ref> |
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==Career== |
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| ⚫ | Soon after |
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===at Dornier=== |
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In the 1990s, Pelton worked as an engineering executive for the American/German [[Fairchild-Dornier]] consortium. Pelton led development of the highly-regarded DorierJET program, which nevertheless failed, and with it the fortunes of Dornier. Shortly after Pelton's departure, however, he was hired as CEO by Cessna in 2000. |
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===at Cessna=== |
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In the 1990s, Cessna's parent company, Textron (also owner of [[Bell Helicopter]] and aircraft engine manufacturer [[Lycoming]], was hemorhagging money through its deeply troubled development of the military V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor vertical takeoff-and-landing airplane. Textron bled Cessna profits heavily, while keeping the Osprey program alive, and recovering from massive recalls of Lycoming engines. Cessna Chairman and CEO [[Russ Meyer]] moved in and out of Cessna, and then was placed in charge of all of Textron's aviation divisions, including troubled Bell and Lycoming. However, internal strife between Cessna leadership and increasingly heavy-handed Textron management resulted in the quick ouster of the next two Cessna CEOs, veteran Cessna executives Gary Hay and Charlie Johnson.<ref name="jack_pelton_out_cessna_2011_05_03_flying" /> |
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In 2000, Jack Pelton, departing the sinking ship at Dornier, was acquired by Textron and made Chief of Engineering at Cessna, (replacing previous Cessna engineering chief Johnson who became Cessna's CEO). Pelton took over the development of the (subsequently successful) [[Cessna Mustang]] "[[very light jet]]" (VLJ) program, and worked in other developments. |
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In 2003, when Johnson left Cessna, Textron management promoted Pelton into the role of Cessna President and CEO, and later, in 2006, elevated Pelton to the title of Cessna's Chairman of the Board with the departure of [[Russ Meyer]] from that role. |
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| ⚫ | Soon after Pelton was named CEO of Cessna, it was revealed that his resume included references to education received from [[Hamilton University]], which ''[[60 Minutes]]'' news program discovered was a [[diploma mill]]. Neither his undergraduate or graduate degrees in Aerospace Engineering were earned from an accredited school.<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/08/60II/main654319.shtml Diplomas for Sale] 60 Minutes</ref> Temporarily embarrassed by the revelation, Textron released a statement proclaiming that Pelton was chosen for his 30-year-long career in leadership and not for his faked diplomas.<ref name="pelton_degrees_eaa_forum">http://eaaforums.org/printthread.php?t=3057&pp=10&page=7 "Hightower Resigns as EAA President-CEO," discussion], ''EAA Forums,'' downloaded Oct. 25, 2014</ref> |
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Pelton's initial tenure was profitable and successful for Cessna and Textron, with Pelton leading Cessna through its most profitable years ever.<ref name="jack_pelton_out_cessna_2011_05_03_flying" /> |
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The Mustang was profitable, and quickly became the world's dominant player in the very competitive very light jet market (and one of the few to survive). The [[Citation Jet]] / CJ business jet's improvements kept Cessna at the forefront of the low-end business jet market. Larger Cessna jets, too, were refined and grew in popularity.<ref name="jack_pelton_out_cessna_2011_05_03_flying" /> |
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Resisting industry and Textron trends towards more expensive aircraft, Pelton worked passionately at preserving and expanding Cessna's propeller-driven light-plane lines.<ref name="jack_pelton_out_cessna_2011_05_03_flying" /> |
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Pelton testified in favor of a property tax increase to build an aviation training facility that would benefit Cessna at an August 9, 2006 Sedgwick County Commission meeting.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sedgwickcounty.org/commissioners/minutes/2006/regular/Reg08-09.pdf|title=Sedgwick County Commission minutes, August 9, 2006}}</ref> At a December 12, 2006 meeting of the Wichita City Council, Cessna applied for [[industrial revenue bonds]] that include an exemption from paying property tax on property purchased with IRB proceeds.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wichita.gov/NR/rdonlyres/3473A38B-4248-4B6B-A5B8-0BA1B03E92D2/0/12122006Council_Minutes.pdf|title=Wichita City Council minutes, December 12, 2006}}</ref> |
Pelton testified in favor of a property tax increase to build an aviation training facility that would benefit Cessna at an August 9, 2006 Sedgwick County Commission meeting.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sedgwickcounty.org/commissioners/minutes/2006/regular/Reg08-09.pdf|title=Sedgwick County Commission minutes, August 9, 2006}}</ref> At a December 12, 2006 meeting of the Wichita City Council, Cessna applied for [[industrial revenue bonds]] that include an exemption from paying property tax on property purchased with IRB proceeds.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wichita.gov/NR/rdonlyres/3473A38B-4248-4B6B-A5B8-0BA1B03E92D2/0/12122006Council_Minutes.pdf|title=Wichita City Council minutes, December 12, 2006}}</ref> |
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In March 2008, [[Kansas]] Governor [[Kathleen Sebelius]] appointed Pelton to lead the Kansas Energy and Environmental Policy Advisory Group.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.governor.ks.gov/news/NewsRelease/2008/nr-08-0321a.htm |title=Sebelius prevents and reduces pollutants with veto, executive order |accessdate=2008-06-27 |work=Kansas Governor's Office Press Release |date=2008-03-21 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080604233022/http://www.governor.ks.gov/news/NewsRelease/2008/nr-08-0321a.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2008-06-04}}</ref> |
In March 2008, [[Kansas]] Governor [[Kathleen Sebelius]] appointed Pelton to lead the Kansas Energy and Environmental Policy Advisory Group.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.governor.ks.gov/news/NewsRelease/2008/nr-08-0321a.htm |title=Sebelius prevents and reduces pollutants with veto, executive order |accessdate=2008-06-27 |work=Kansas Governor's Office Press Release |date=2008-03-21 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080604233022/http://www.governor.ks.gov/news/NewsRelease/2008/nr-08-0321a.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2008-06-04}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | Textron announced that Jack Pelton retired from Cessna |
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====trouble & ouster from Cessna==== |
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| ⚫ | On October 22, 2012, Pelton became Chairman of the Board of the [[Experimental Aircraft Association]].<ref name="Avweb22Oct12">{{cite news|url = http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/RodHightower_ExperimentalAircraftAssociation_EAAPresident_SteppingDown_207552-1.html|title = Hightower Out at EAA|accessdate = 22 October 2012|last = AVweb Staff|first =|date = 22 October 2012| work =AVweb}}</ref> |
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The '''downturn in the economy''' in 2007-2009, and the subsequent '''business jet / bailout scandal''' (arising from Detroit auto executives arriving in Washington, D.C., in expensive business jets, while seeking handouts, drawing public outrage), resulted in corporations recoiling from the bizjet market, Cessna's primary market. These events suggested the short-term futility of Cessna's Columbus large-jet development program, pushed by Pelton. |
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'''Ineffective corporate decisions''' (some perhaps by Pelton, others perhaps forced by parent company Textron's upper management) resulted '''failed attempts at global outsourcing''' to Mexico and China, the '''failure of the 162/Skycatcher product line,''' troubles in development of '''the acquired [[Columbia]] product line,''' the collapse of the very costly ($700 million) development program for '''Cessna's large Columbus business jet''' -- bringing about '''massive layoffs at Cessna,''' reduced to half its original workforce. |
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Cessna's third quarter 2012 earnings -- a loss of over $30 million -- were bluntly described by Textron leaders as "disappointing." |
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| ⚫ | On May 2, 2011, Textron announced that '''Jack Pelton retired''' from Cessna "effective immediately" (though the official retirement date was reported as delayed until June 1). The aviation news media noted Pelton's hasty retirement. AvWeb Editor-In-Chief Russ Niles questioned "who retires 'effective immediately' at age 52 on a Monday morning when the boss is in town?" and speculated that it was related to a possible demand from Textron for cuts to Cessna after a first-quarter 2011 loss of US $38 million.<ref>[http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=110047&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1558049&highlight Textron Announces Jack Pelton Retires from Cessna]</ref><ref name="AvWeb02May11">{{Cite news|url = http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/PeltonRetiresFromCessna_204581-1.html|title = Pelton Retires From Cessna|accessdate = 3 May 2011|last = Grady|first = Mary|authorlink = |date=May 2011| work = AvWeb}}</ref><ref name="AvWeb04May11">{{Cite news|url = http://www.avweb.com/blogs/insider/Jack_Pelton_Long_Term_View_Cut_Short_204591-1.html|title = Pelton's Long-Term View Cut Short|accessdate = 9 May 2011|last = Niles|first = Russ|authorlink = |date=May 2011| work = AvWeb}}</ref> |
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===at EAA=== |
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| ⚫ | On October 22, 2012, Pelton became Chairman of the Board of the '''[[Experimental Aircraft Association]]''' (EAA).<ref name="Avweb22Oct12">{{cite news|url = http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/RodHightower_ExperimentalAircraftAssociation_EAAPresident_SteppingDown_207552-1.html|title = Hightower Out at EAA|accessdate = 22 October 2012|last = AVweb Staff|first =|date = 22 October 2012| work =AVweb}}</ref> |
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===at Aviation Alliance=== |
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| ⚫ | By the end of 2012, while continuing at EAA, Pelton was also managing director of '''Aviation Alliance,''' a partnership of ten individuals and companies that intends to sell remanufacturered [[turboprop]]-powered [[Cessna 421]]s under the name [[Aviation Alliance Excalibur]].<ref name="Niles23Jan13" /><ref name="pelton_cessna_421_remfd_2013_01_28_wbj" /> |
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| ⚫ | By the end of 2012 Pelton was also managing director of Aviation Alliance, a partnership of ten individuals and companies that intends to sell remanufacturered [[turboprop]]-powered [[Cessna 421]]s under the name [[Aviation Alliance Excalibur]].<ref name="Niles23Jan13" |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 00:37, 27 October 2014
Jack J. Pelton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | John Pelton |
| Nationality |  American |
| Occupation | Retired Chief Executive Officer |
| Spouse | Rose Pelton |
Jack J. Pelton is Chairman of the Board (and acting CEO) of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), and managing director of Aviation Alliance (an airplane remanufacturing firm), and a former CEO of Cessna Aircraft Company. Before becoming the CEO of Cessna, Pelton was Cessna's Senior Vice President of Engineering. Before joining Cessna (a subsidiary of Textron) in 2000, Pelton was Senior Vice President of Engineering and Programs at Fairchild Dornier. Before that, he worked at Douglas Aircraft for over two decades.[1][2][3]</ref>[4][5]
Career
at Dornier
In the 1990s, Pelton worked as an engineering executive for the American/German Fairchild-Dornier consortium. Pelton led development of the highly-regarded DorierJET program, which nevertheless failed, and with it the fortunes of Dornier. Shortly after Pelton's departure, however, he was hired as CEO by Cessna in 2000.
at Cessna
In the 1990s, Cessna's parent company, Textron (also owner of Bell Helicopter and aircraft engine manufacturer Lycoming, was hemorhagging money through its deeply troubled development of the military V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor vertical takeoff-and-landing airplane. Textron bled Cessna profits heavily, while keeping the Osprey program alive, and recovering from massive recalls of Lycoming engines. Cessna Chairman and CEO Russ Meyer moved in and out of Cessna, and then was placed in charge of all of Textron's aviation divisions, including troubled Bell and Lycoming. However, internal strife between Cessna leadership and increasingly heavy-handed Textron management resulted in the quick ouster of the next two Cessna CEOs, veteran Cessna executives Gary Hay and Charlie Johnson.[4]
In 2000, Jack Pelton, departing the sinking ship at Dornier, was acquired by Textron and made Chief of Engineering at Cessna, (replacing previous Cessna engineering chief Johnson who became Cessna's CEO). Pelton took over the development of the (subsequently successful) Cessna Mustang "very light jet" (VLJ) program, and worked in other developments.
In 2003, when Johnson left Cessna, Textron management promoted Pelton into the role of Cessna President and CEO, and later, in 2006, elevated Pelton to the title of Cessna's Chairman of the Board with the departure of Russ Meyer from that role.
Soon after Pelton was named CEO of Cessna, it was revealed that his resume included references to education received from Hamilton University, which 60 Minutes news program discovered was a diploma mill. Neither his undergraduate or graduate degrees in Aerospace Engineering were earned from an accredited school.[6] Temporarily embarrassed by the revelation, Textron released a statement proclaiming that Pelton was chosen for his 30-year-long career in leadership and not for his faked diplomas.[7]
Pelton's initial tenure was profitable and successful for Cessna and Textron, with Pelton leading Cessna through its most profitable years ever.[4]
The Mustang was profitable, and quickly became the world's dominant player in the very competitive very light jet market (and one of the few to survive). The Citation Jet / CJ business jet's improvements kept Cessna at the forefront of the low-end business jet market. Larger Cessna jets, too, were refined and grew in popularity.[4]
Resisting industry and Textron trends towards more expensive aircraft, Pelton worked passionately at preserving and expanding Cessna's propeller-driven light-plane lines.[4]
Pelton testified in favor of a property tax increase to build an aviation training facility that would benefit Cessna at an August 9, 2006 Sedgwick County Commission meeting.[8] At a December 12, 2006 meeting of the Wichita City Council, Cessna applied for industrial revenue bonds that include an exemption from paying property tax on property purchased with IRB proceeds.[9]
In March 2008, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius appointed Pelton to lead the Kansas Energy and Environmental Policy Advisory Group.[10]
trouble & ouster from Cessna
The downturn in the economy in 2007-2009, and the subsequent business jet / bailout scandal (arising from Detroit auto executives arriving in Washington, D.C., in expensive business jets, while seeking handouts, drawing public outrage), resulted in corporations recoiling from the bizjet market, Cessna's primary market. These events suggested the short-term futility of Cessna's Columbus large-jet development program, pushed by Pelton.
Ineffective corporate decisions (some perhaps by Pelton, others perhaps forced by parent company Textron's upper management) resulted failed attempts at global outsourcing to Mexico and China, the failure of the 162/Skycatcher product line, troubles in development of the acquired Columbia product line, the collapse of the very costly ($700 million) development program for Cessna's large Columbus business jet -- bringing about massive layoffs at Cessna, reduced to half its original workforce.
Cessna's third quarter 2012 earnings -- a loss of over $30 million -- were bluntly described by Textron leaders as "disappointing."
On May 2, 2011, Textron announced that Jack Pelton retired from Cessna "effective immediately" (though the official retirement date was reported as delayed until June 1). The aviation news media noted Pelton's hasty retirement. AvWeb Editor-In-Chief Russ Niles questioned "who retires 'effective immediately' at age 52 on a Monday morning when the boss is in town?" and speculated that it was related to a possible demand from Textron for cuts to Cessna after a first-quarter 2011 loss of US $38 million.[11][12][13]
at EAA
On October 22, 2012, Pelton became Chairman of the Board of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA).[14]
at Aviation Alliance
By the end of 2012, while continuing at EAA, Pelton was also managing director of Aviation Alliance, a partnership of ten individuals and companies that intends to sell remanufacturered turboprop-powered Cessna 421s under the name Aviation Alliance Excalibur.[2][5]
References
- ^ "About Textron: Leadership: Biography". Textron. 2008-01-24. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
- ^ a b Niles, Russ (23 January 2013). "Pelton Leads 'Remanufacturing' Business". AVweb. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
- ^ "Jack Pelton: Chairman of the Board: Experimental Aircraft Association", official biography, Experimental Aircraft Association website, downloaded Oct.25, 2014
- ^ a b c d e Goyer, Robert, "Jack Pelton Out at Cessna", Flying Magazine, May 03, 2011
- ^ a b McCoy, Daniel, "Former Cessna CEO Jack Pelton’s new venture: remanufactured Cessna 421s,", Jan. 28, 2013, Wichita Business Journal
- ^ Diplomas for Sale 60 Minutes
- ^ http://eaaforums.org/printthread.php?t=3057&pp=10&page=7 "Hightower Resigns as EAA President-CEO," discussion], EAA Forums, downloaded Oct. 25, 2014
- ^ "Sedgwick County Commission minutes, August 9, 2006" (PDF).
- ^ "Wichita City Council minutes, December 12, 2006" (PDF).
- ^ "Sebelius prevents and reduces pollutants with veto, executive order". Kansas Governor's Office Press Release. 2008-03-21. Archived from the original on 2008-06-04. Retrieved 2008-06-27.
- ^ Textron Announces Jack Pelton Retires from Cessna
- ^ Grady, Mary (May 2011). "Pelton Retires From Cessna". AvWeb. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ Niles, Russ (May 2011). "Pelton's Long-Term View Cut Short". AvWeb. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- ^ AVweb Staff (22 October 2012). "Hightower Out at EAA". AVweb. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
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