Kathleen O’Brien – Houston we have a problem…
Kathleen O’Brien is an Associate Technical Fellow with Boeing Commercial Airplanes in Seattle.
What were you dreaming of becoming when you were a kid?
I loved to read and becoming a librarian looked like a good choice. You know how it is, little girls did not have that many options to choose from.
What moved you to become part of the aviation family?
I went to Houston with my husband at the time and graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. Unfortunately I found Houston a horrible place and wanted to get out at any cost. I was really desperate and would have taken just about any job that helped me to escape. As it happened, Boeing had an opening and they hired me.
What were the most significant sideways jumps in your professional life?
I have been with Boeing all my working life but inside the company I had a few moves right and left that qualify.
I started as a design engineer on the 777 and when the plane was ready things were a bit slow for a while until I moved into CNS/ATM. This was more avionics related and I was able to get the bigger picture… On the 777 I was dealing with the landing gear, brakes, tire pressures… it was just a piece of the overall product. In CNS/ATM a whole new world opened up for me.
The next move was to the CNS/ATM Focus Team, the famous C/AFT where my horizon expanded even more. I was suddenly called upon to get up to speed with the economics, labor aspects, business policies of the aviation world and how all that affected everybody, Boeing included.
Interaction with the design staff remained throughout but now I had to look at things through the business rather than purely the engineering window.
What were the most significant events that influenced your professional life?
Being a woman is not an event, it is a condition (a nice one by the way!) but a condition that has always had a major influence on my professional activities. I am a woman in a men’s world and it is not always smooth flying.
There were “events” in my career that were clearly due to my being a woman and at times these almost resulted in my switching to another field. But I always persevered and things worked out fine. In the end, I always found myself in a better position than before…
I tend to gravitate towards men’s roles, this brings more problems. These kept me down but they were also a great motivation for moving to new places in the organization.
Was there a person who had a profound influence on your professional life?
The most important are the colleagues for whom I have deep respect. They are all hard workers, all keen on doing the right thing.
In a huge organization like Boeing, you have this fantastic crew, each person with different skills, striving together to do the right thing and the result is something that flies, an aircraft!
The 787 is the first product where we designed the Head Up Display (HUD) as part of the aircraft… it is not something you add afterwards as in some other types. It is part of the design… It required a completely new approach to ensuring its proper alignment… a lot of special skills were required to get that done. Lots of good people doing the right thing!
Was there a company which had a profound influence on your professional life?
That is an easy one. Boeing!
Was there a “Darth Vader” in your life that you needed to conquer?
The prejudices, preconceptions, all the things that make it difficult for a woman to succeed in a men’s world. But after 20 years in the business I think I have conquered most of them, at least as far as my generation is likely to be able to.
I hope the next generation of girls wanting to build an aviation career will have fewer problems of this kind.
If you had a second chance, would you try to avoid aviation as a career?
No definitely not. I have met very interesting people, have fascinating friends and the products we work on are interesting and unique. There is also camaraderie in aviation that I am enjoying more and more. I like meeting people from all aspects of aviation, pilots, controllers, engineers… I really like the interaction with them.
Would you recommend aviation as a career to young people to-day?
In a general sense, yes, certainly. But looking at things from an economic perspective, I recommend being cautious. I have two kids and I do not know what to tell them right now.
The economic shake up has changed the US and the cyclical nature of the industry means a lot of uncertainties all around, so I would advise serious deliberation around which parts of the industry are likely to remain stable and offer growth potential. The industry itself is a fantastic area to work in and there will always be good opportunities.
What personal traits should young people develop first and foremost?
Resilience and tenacity are probably the most important. Also a willingness to listen to other people and to re-direct when you see that you are wrong. Always keep an open mind and listen to others.
What was the funniest, aviation related situation you can recall having been in?
I can’t recall a specific situation but I love to go out with pilots and controllers and listen to their stories.
In conclusion?
Originally I wanted to be a librarian… there were other opportunities too but it was discovered that I was good at math. So I became an engineer. This was a really good thing… I feel, think, analyze like an engineer.
I enjoy being an engineer, even if at times the going was difficult. By keeping an open mind, not closing any doors, I was able to manage the good times and the less good ones too.
Had I thought about the problems earlier, I would probably not be an engineer now but I would not want that.
Always recognize the opportunities, grab them as best you can, keep the doors open and you will succeed.