W. James McNerney Jr., commonly known as Jim McNerney, is a business executive with a wealth of experience in leading some of the world's most prominent companies. As the former Chairman, President, and CEO of The Boeing Company from 2005 to 2015, Jim played a pivotal role in steering the company through a decade of significant growth and transformation. His leadership was instrumental in advancing Boeing's commercial and defence sectors, solidifying its position as a global aerospace leader. Jim's career is marked by his strategic acumen and commitment to operational excellence. Before his tenure at Boeing, he held key leadership roles at General Electric and 3M, where he honed his skills in corporate strategy and innovation. His ability to navigate complex business environments and drive organisational success has made him a sought-after speaker on topics such as leadership, innovation, and global business practices. Throughout his career, Jim has faced and overcome numerous challenges, demonstrating resilience and adaptability. His approach to leadership is characterised by a focus on fostering innovation and maintaining a competitive edge in rapidly changing markets. This perspective has not only benefited the companies he has led but also provided valuable insights to audiences worldwide. Jim's contributions to the business world have been recognised through various accolades and honours. His expertise and insights continue to influence current and future leaders, making his perspectives highly relevant in today's dynamic business landscape. Whether discussing the intricacies of corporate strategy or the importance of innovation, Jim McNerney offers a wealth of knowledge and experience that resonates with audiences seeking to understand the complexities of global business.
Innovation is more critical than ever to succeeding in business, as globalization and digitization now offsets many other competitive advantages such as cost, capacity and supply-chain availability. Done right, innovation drives customer success and loyalty and financial success. But Jim mcnerney believes innovation has to be more actively managed than any other activity, needs support and funding through step function changes in productivity in the business base, and when done successfully, is the primary reason “the best of the best” will want to join your company. Using his history of executive leadership at The Boeing Company, 3M and GE, mcnerney explores the intersection of innovation, leadership and global competition, and the pitfalls that can occur when too much innovation happens too fast—or when innovation’s pace does not meet market or competitive requirements.
A shared culture and value system is vital to a company’s longevity, but how can leaders drive change when a company’s culture is off course? Jim McNerney believes focusing on leadership development and values, while aggressively addressing bureaucratic insularity, is critical when addressing dysfunctional cultures. Sharing stories from his executive roles at The Boeing Company, 3M and GE, mcnerney explores the “hands-on, one-conference-room-at-a-time” approach he took to drive culture change and strategies around the use of both bottom-up and top-down leadership approaches.
Jim McNerney shares technology, leadership, and business transformation insights from Boeing leadership. Talks are customized for relevance and impact.
