Kevin Millison ’87
Major: Business Administration
Job Title: Vice President Supply Chain Finance
Organization: Boeing Commercial Airplanes
Host Date: Friday, January 12, 2018
Time: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Location: Tukwila, WA

Please note: Students that shadow Kevin will be part of a larger group attending the Boeing visit together and the time frame is subject to change.

 

What student groups/clubs/activities were you involved in when you were a student at Puget Sound?

  • KUPS
  • Sigma Chi
  • Intramural Sports

How would you describe your role and organization?

My current role is financial leadership for the commercial airplane part/component procurement and fabrication activities. My team leads financial analysis for the entire supply chain for Boeing airplanes; including whether we will make or buy; sourcing decisions; data analytics; negotiation support; and the financial management for roughly 20 manufacturing businesses and joint ventures located around the world. Past roles have included CFO of an Australian subsidiary, CFO of our financing business, CFO of our global commercial services business, and Controller of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

How would the skills and competencies gained through a liberal arts education be beneficial in the type of work you do?

At UPS I learned about finance and accounting, and more broadly, how to learn and how to think critically, through the evaluation and application of concepts from different disciplines in my liberal arts studies.

At Boeing, being able to work in a team environment, applying both creativity and disciplined critical thinking, together with financial acumen are key components to success. Integration of analytic considerations stemming from strategies ranging from program, technology, production, region/country, economic, to drive optimal value-creating decisions is our mission every day.

What can a student expect to experience by job shadowing you?

Rather than a typical shadow day, we will create an engaging experience for a large group. We will invite numerous UPS alums who work across Boeing, from recent graduates to executive level, to share their experiences and discuss their careers in areas of the business which could include Sales, Contracts, Marketing, Financial Planning and Analysis, Business Operations, International Business, and others. We will share information about our early-career development and rotation programs, and as a kicker, we will also take the UPS team on a tour of the amazing 737 Final Assembly plant where we build the most popular airplane in the world at a rate of 2 per day!