Your CEO: Engineering Background -vs- Non-Engineering Background

Your CEO: Engineering Background -vs- Non-Engineering Background

With the announcement a couple of months ago of the departure of Boeing’s CEO sparking conversations about the ideal successor, it got me thinking about leadership within the civil engineering realm. Should the Board be looking for a strong leader that specifically comes from the aerospace / manufacturing background coming up through the engineering ranks, or a strong leader from another industry?

When it comes to consulting civil engineering, I believe having a CEO who has risen through the ranks of technical service lines, ideally with a Professional Engineer (PE) background, brings invaluable insights to the table. Also, I believe they are likely to be more respected by their employees knowing that they too were once in the trenches.

While leadership skills are undoubtedly crucial, there’s a unique depth of understanding that comes from having walked the engineering path firsthand.

What are your thoughts?

Do you believe a CEO’s engineering background is essential for success in civil engineering firms, or do leadership skills, despite career up-bringing, trump technical expertise?

hashtag#EngineeringLeadership hashtag#CivilEngineering hashtag#CivilEngineeringJobs

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