*John Slattery. Photograph: Sean Curtin / True Media
Ennis native, John Slattery has been conferred with an honorary doctorate from the University of Limerick.
Since July of last year, John has been the President and CEO of GE Aviation running the world-leading provider of commercial and military jet engines and services, as well as avionics, digital solutions, and electrical power systems for aircraft. He is the first non-American to hold the position in the company’s 102 year history.
On Wednesday evening, John was conferred with the honorary doctorate alongside Dr Anne Anderson the first female Irish ambassador to the EU, the UN and the USA, singer/songwriter Paul Brady and the former Minister of Finance and ex Fine Gael leader, Michael Noonan.
John’s love for aviation developed in his youth when he went on weekend trips to Shannon Airport with his older brother Domhnall who is the CEO of Avolon.
Before GE Aviation, Slattery led Embraer’s largest business, Commercial Aviation, typically accounting for over half of the Group’s revenue and free cash flow as well as about 10,000 of its 18,000 employees.
During his tenure at Embraer Commercial Aviation, the E-Jet installed base doubled, the number of operators grew by 45 percent, the unit backlog grew by 36 percent, and the number of countries operating the E-Jet increased by 39 percent.
As chief commercial officer and subsequently CEO of Commercial Aviation, the past pupil of St Flannan’s College was responsible for the business plan for the E2 through triple-certification of the E190-E2 in 2018. He previously served as Embraer’s senior vice president of customer finance, risk, and asset management.
Prior to joining Embraer in 2011, Mr. Slattery spent 15 years in the aircraft financing and leasing space, where he developed deep financial understanding of airline operations and a large network of aerospace professionals that he continued to engage at Embraer.
UL President, Professor Kerstin Mey said: “Today, UL very proudly confers honorary doctorate degrees on four esteemed recipients who share in so many of our values as a university. Like UL, our newest graduates are leaders and visionaries in their professional fields as well as engaged citizens. They have a proven track record in the ability to drive forward their vision and projects and make tangible impacts on society.
“Making an impact, in any way, takes insight and drive, leadership and risk talking. These are overarching qualities of our recipients of Honorary Doctorates, no matter of their chosen and specific fields of engagement. Our newest graduates are exemplars of shaping society,” she added.
