Dad's 'to-do' list teaches life lessons

Find out more about Rockwell Collins Services Executive Vice President Kent Statler and how summers on the family farm helped shape the man he is today.

By Jill Wojciechowski

Kent Statler remembers well the first day of summer vacation and the long list of things that needed to be accomplished prior to the start of the next school year.

Building fences, pouring concrete and baling hay weren't exactly the way a high school boy wanted to spend his time away from the classroom. But in the early 1980s, working hard and working together on the family farm was simply a way of life.

More than two decades have passed since one of his father's infamous to-do lists has been compiled, but the lessons Statler and his older siblings learned during those hot summer days in Eastern Iowa continue to guide him in his current role as executive vice president of Rockwell Collins Services.

"A lot of who you are comes from your parents," said Statler. "I am definitely my own person, but my strong value system, my results-driven approach, and my desire to succeed were without a doubt instilled by my dad and mom."

Climbing the corporate ladder

A graduate of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls with a Bachelor of Arts degree in production management and economics, Statler's career with Rockwell Collins began on the production floor the day after he received his college diploma.

"I graduated on a Sunday, and started working on a Monday," recalled Statler, who married his high school sweetheart, Julie, the summer before his senior year in college. "I think being married and having our first child on the way had something to do with that quick transition from college life to the real world."

During the first eight years of his career, Statler rotated through several positions that provided him with insight to the operations side of our business. From production, assembly and test foreman, to production control manager and industrial engineering manager, Statler learned more about our company and our products with each new challenge he faced.

In 1994, his climb up the corporate ladder continued when he became one of our company's first Integrated Product Team leaders. Two years later, the career path led him to Coralville, Iowa, where he assumed responsibilities as plant manager.

"I've always enjoyed leading large, diverse organizations and I get really excited about taking people to places they don't believe they can go," said Statler. "The experiences I had during those first 12 years taught me a lot and really helped prepare me for that next step."

As part of an enterprise-wide job rotation plan, Statler returned to Cedar Rapids in 1998 and entered the world of Collins Aviation Services (CAS), which is known today as Rockwell Collins Services. As the vice president of Maintenance Operations, he was responsible for our service centers and services bases, which are located around the world.

With a vast amount of experience and a Master of Business Administration degree in hand — which he earned in 1998 from The University of Iowa — Statler was now ready to make one of the largest leaps of his career.

In January 2001, at the tender age of 36, he became vice president of Lean Electronics, reporting directly to Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Clay Jones.

"I knew a long time ago that I wanted to be someone with a large say in the success of a major business," said Statler. "I wanted to lead the decisions that would help make a company successful … I just didn't think it would happen quite so fast."

Keeping priorities in line

In the six years since he accepted his first executive role, Statler has continued to learn from some of our company's most talented leaders.

In January 2002, he began working with Herm Reininga, the former senior vice president of Operations, before assuming the role himself after Reininga's retirement in January 2003.

And, in October 2005, he made yet another career move when he assumed responsibilities for Rockwell Collins Services as executive vice president, the position he holds today.

"I've definitely kept my competitive spirit over the years, but I've learned along the way that I can't succeed on my own," said Statler. "If you surround yourself with high potential people and provide them with stretch objectives, they will help you succeed.

"I've been extremely fortunate to have had some outstanding leaders working for me and they've made me look pretty darned good," he continued. "Without them, I wouldn't be where I am today."

Statler also admits he would not be the man he is today if it weren't for his wife, Julie, and their three children — Jessica, 19, Ben, 17, and Joshua, 12 — helping him keep his priorities in line.

"Without a doubt, my family is the most important thing in my life," said Statler. "My wife and I have been married for 20 years and we dated for five years before that. Watching our kids grow up has been so rewarding — it's something I would never change."

As a devoted husband and father, Statler has made it a practice to be home each night for dinner with his family at 6 p.m. He also limits his travel schedule to weekdays only. Naturally, there are times when adjustments have to be made, he said, but his commitment to them is obvious.

In fact, the former high school football player and wrestler can count on one hand the number of times he had to miss one of his daughter's high school sporting events.

"She was involved in sports year-round through all four years of high school, and even though I had major roles and responsibilities at work, I rarely missed an event," said Statler, who averages between 50 and 60 hours at work each week. "I made a commitment to my children a long time ago that I would be there to support them in their activities, and I believe that has helped me keep my priorities in line."

That ability to maintain a healthy balance between his family and his career has not gone unnoticed by those who have worked closely with him throughout the years.

Scott Gunnufson, vice president of Marketing and Strategy for Rockwell Collins Services, has known Statler for nearly nine years. Although he realizes his boss is extremely focused on our Services business, he also understands the value he places on helping his employees maintain a reasonable work-life balance.

"I am married and have children of my own and Kent understands there are times when I need to be away from the office," said Gunnufson. "He truly has a genuine concern for the people who work for him, and that's one of the things that makes him a great leader."

Rose Donnelly, the vice president of Manufacturing Operations at Rockwell Collins agrees. For nearly two decades, she has worked and attended mentoring sessions with Statler, who has taught her a great deal about the importance of separating work life and family life.

"Kent is very family-oriented, but he also has very high expectations when it comes to our work performance," said Donnelly. "He's very intense and that tells you how important our company is to him. But he's also very passionate about his family and he's able to keep a good balance between the two."

Leaving a legacy behind

This June, Statler will celebrate his 42nd birthday, and although he agrees he is still a fairly young man, he also realizes that retirement isn't as far away as it once used to be.

"I've been with this company for 20 years," he said. "Realistically, I could already be more than halfway through my working career. I can't believe how quickly the time has passed."

When the day comes that he is able to trade in his daily work responsibilities for a permanent tee time on his favorite area golf course, he simply wants to look back on his career and hope he made a positive impact on those he's leaving behind.

"I really enjoy being part of something special," said Statler. "The people I have had and will continue to have the opportunity to work with are really the legacy I hope to leave behind. If our business continues to grow and run smoothly after I'm gone, then I have succeeded in my mission as a leader."