During the Aerospace MBA Graduation Ceremony, on Wednesday 28th of September, Patrick de Castelbajac, godfather of the 17th promotion, delivered an inspiring speech toward the graduates on leadership and management in the thrilling and fast changing aerospace industry.
“In ATR, we have plenty of people coming from TBS. You are people with a lot of value”.
Why being Godfather the 17th promotion of the Aerospace MBA?
The partnership between ATR and the Aerospace MBA has existed for nearly a decade. Many former graduates now occupy positions in ATR. These people have curiosity and passion like that which led myself be drawn into the adventure!
What are the qualities you recognize in the graduates of this MBA?
People who follow this course reflect quite well the aeronautical world: an open world, people from many countries driven by the same passion for aeronautics. This MBA to me is very interesting because it presents a real complementarity between the theoretical and practical. Secondly and most importantly, because the training backs up the developed expertise already gained. In our world of international enthusiasts, questioning oneself, having the curiosity to always go further, expanding horizons and becoming more efficient are essential qualities. At ATR, we have a real affinity with this culture.
Are you a breeding ground for recruitment?
Absolutely, we find MBA graduates in various professions: marketing, sales, finance programs, legal …
To the best of your knowledge does other such training exist?
It’s a good question. No, I do not think so. This training is quite unique.
What are the required qualities to be a good manager in the aircraft industry?
There are several, but I would say in particular “agility, adaptability”. We live in a volatile world. Our great challenge is to be able to anticipate, or when we do not anticipate, be able to adapt to successive changes. The world changes quickly, as does our industry. ATR’s two biggest customers; Indonesian Group Lion Air and the Brazilian company Azul- did not exist ten years ago! We need to be in tune with these changes, our managers must themselves be able to put their teams in alignment with these rapid changes.
What makes MBA aerospace students come at ATR?
We are an aircraft manufacturer which has retained the added dimension of being on a human scale. Our chains of decision and action are short so teams can actually see the effects of their actions.
Last question: what do you see as the great events to watch out for in aeronautics, medium and long term?
It will be very interesting to follow the ongoing work on the environment. ICAO – the International Civil Aviation Authority is working on CO2 emissions, with the aim of halving them by 2050. The environment is a crucial issue; it is a condition for the continued existence of our industry. This is not a project that we put off until the end of the day once our work is finished.
Attention should also be given to Iran’s return to the commercial market; it’s a big country and good news for aircraft manufacturers, both small and large. Finally, the growth of aviation in India will continue and grow in amplitude. India will become a leading country in aviation, as a user and perhaps even as an actor.
Biography
Patrick de Castelbajac started his aeronautical career at Aerospatiale Matra. He joined the Legal Affair Direction of Airbus in 2002 and became Vice-President Legal Affairs for Purchasing and Intellectual Property in 2007. At the end of 2010, Patrick de Castelbajac joined the Commercial Direction of Airbus as Head of Contract Negotiations. He was appointed CEO of ATR in June 2014. He is French and has Irish origins. He is 45 years old, married and has three children.
