DENNIS MUILENBURG
Mr. Muilenburg is a Co-Founder of New Vista Capital and serves as its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Muilenburg has more than 35 years of experience in the aerospace and defense sector, with extensive leadership, global business, and engineering responsibilities.
Most recently, Mr. Muilenburg was President and Chief Executive Officer from 2015 to 2019 and Chairman of the board of directors from 2016 to 2019 at The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) (“Boeing”). Starting at the company as an engineering intern in 1985, Mr. Muilenburg’s multi-decade career has spanned a wide array of Boeing’s global customer base as well as the company’s extensive operations, supply chain, acquisitions, and stakeholder sets.
As Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Muilenburg developed and implemented an enterprise-wide initiative to drive leadership, culture, safety, quality, growth and productivity – delivering strong results for the company’s customers and stakeholders. Under Mr. Muilenburg’s leadership, Boeing’s stock price increased significantly, its market capitalization doubled and annual revenue exceeded $100 billion for the first time in company history. On the operational front, Boeing launched a new integrated services business combining commercial and defense capabilities (Boeing Global Services), achieved record commercial airplane production and deliveries, won several defense and space franchise programs, won the Campbell award for workplace safety, built vertical capabilities in targeted areas, developed next generation digital engineering and manufacturing systems, and helped drive supply chain optimization. On the growth front, Boeing made significant research and development investments, launched Boeing HorizonX — an innovation arm focused on external start-up investments in high growth areas (including 19 publicly announced investments during Mr. Muilenburg’s tenure in areas such as advanced air mobility, autonomy, AI, hypersonic propulsion, cybersecurity, computing, satellite constellation, and advanced materials), and launched Boeing NeXt — an innovation arm focused on organic and inorganic investments in high-growth areas. Resulting partnerships included Kitty Hawk (advanced air mobility), Adient (interiors), and SparkCognition / Skygrid (AI for autonomous systems), and acquisitions included Aurora Flight Sciences, Liquid Robotics, KLX, Millennium Space Systems, and Foreflight.
Prior to his tenure as Chief Executive Officer at Boeing, Mr. Muilenburg served in a number of leadership, management, and engineering roles, including as Vice Chairman, President and Chief Operating Officer of Boeing, and President and Chief Executive Officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, among others. He has overseen and helped drive the development of a multitude of next-generation military and commercial technologies, including Future Combat Systems, the proposed Joint Strike Fighter and Air Traffic Management. He also held program management and engineering positions, including with the F-22, Airborne Laser, High Speed Civil Transport, and Condor reconnaissance aircraft programs, among others.
Mr. Muilenburg also served as a member of the Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) board of directors from 2011 to 2020, chairman of the Aerospace Industries Association board of governors, an executive committee member of the Business Roundtable, a member of the National Space Council’s User Advisory Group, a member of the U.S.-China Business Council, a member of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation board of directors, a member of the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science & Technology) board of directors, and as a trustee of Washington University, the National World War II Museum, and Northwestern University.
Mr. Muilenburg received a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering and an honorary doctor of science degree from Iowa State University, as well as a master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics from the University of Washington. He is a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Royal Aeronautical Society, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the inaugural Innovator in Residence at Iowa State University, and a distinguished fellow for aerospace, mobility, and manufacturing at the Saint Louis University Research Institute.