IMLP Senior Bootcamp - What Is It?

IMLP's in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China.Senior Bootcamp is the experienced training IMLPs get usually between second and third rotation. I had the tremendous opportunity to be part of the most recent edition that lasted from August 14th to September 3rd, 2011 in Shanghai, China.

Senior Bootcamp is now held into two separate sessions in the year, and with the next group getting ready to head abroad towards this incredible adventure, I thought it may be useful telling you something about the curriculum and what can be expected during these amazing 3 weeks in China.

Week 1:
In the first week, IMLP's are split into 4 worlds, with four teams in each world. Each team will be competing with the other 3 teams in their respective world in a business simulation. The simulation consists of selling futuristic computers in a technology market. In order to increase profit and sales, team members are assigned to various roles and had to work together to determine how they should invest in the following:

• R&D: This team  will focuses on what they would invest in (i.e. New Products vs New Features)
• Supply Chain: This team will focus on investments that could improve manufacturing efficiency and reduce costs
• Marketing: This team will determine which campaigns would be most effective for building brand awareness and increasing sales
• CFO: The CFO will manage and allocate funds for the three functions above
• CEO: will help to lead the team's strategy for each quarter of the rotation

The simulation lasts for 8 quarters, and positions will randomly change, giving IMLP's the chance to be in several roles. That simulation was a lot of fun because it make you learn how to think and act fast. We would have an hour to prepare, but when the quarter started we'd only have 20 minutes to make sure we invested in the right projects and allocated our employees correctly. Sometimes, random unpredictable events were thrown in that made things difficult, as noted by the nervous moans of everyone in the classroom. Although it was a lot of fun, the most important takeaway was that the simulation gave IMLP's insight into the decisions that executive leaders have to make on a daily basis.

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So. What Does a 2nd Rotation Consist of, Anyway?

As my 2nd rotation is coming to a close (there are only 2 weeks left), I thought I'd use this chance to reflect back and write on some of the things I've worked on this rotation.  I had two projects this rotation in Aviation Systems, but I will talk about the main one. Before I get started, though, I thought I'd start out with some descriptions of the various businesses I worked with this rotation. GE Aviation is full of joint ventures and acquisitions, so things can get confusing quite easily. :-)

Aviation Systems - At GE Aviation, we are mainly known for producing engines themselves, but Aviation Systems is a component of GE Aviation, specializing on various aircraft components produced in numerous sites around the world. These products include: flight navigation systems, thrust reversers, landing gear, and more!  My assignments this rotation were all within the Aviation Systems organization.

Middle River Aircraft Systems (MRAS) - MRAS is one of the sites within Aviation Systems. It specializes in thrust reversers and is located in Baltimore, Maryland.

Aircelle - Aircelle is a company headquartered in France that specializes in nacelles (the casing that holds an aircraft engine) and thrust reversers.

Nexcelle - Nexcelle is a joint venture between MRAS and Aircelle, looking to provide a complete package of engine nacelles and subsystems.

My first main project this rotation involved working on the MRAS-Nexcelle portal. 

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Interview with Matt Brooks: New IMLP Program Manager

Matt Brooks recently took over as the new IMLP program manager and is finalizing preparations for our onboarding of all the new IMLP's this January in Detroit, Michigan. We recently had an interview with Matt to learn a little more about himself and his intentions for the IMLP.

Matt Brooks (IMLP Program Manager)1. What made you eager to become the IMLP Program Manager?

I’ve always been connected with the IMLP since I was on program. After I graduated, I started doing Bootcamp and Software Development Life Cycle reviews. I also participated in recruiting events and served as an ambassador for recruiting IMLP’s into IT Corporate Audit Staff (CAS). I became the program champion at GE Power and Water after IT CAS, serving as a mentor, helping with rotations, and guiding the interns. My involvement with IMLP the past 2 years has been more of a side job, so when the IMLP Program Manager position opened, I thought “What a great avenue to continue down my global learning path and make a full-time job out of my passion for the IMLP!” This opportunity will provide a great way to work with all the IMLP’s from every business and provide a great transition into a new learning environment while remaining in IT.

2. What future plans do you have for the IMLP?

 We will be looking a lot at our recruiting strategy. It’s not just about recruiting at the schools, but also the importance of branding. Over the next couple of years we are looking into not only branding IMLP’s externally with schools, but also internally with CIO’s, IT CAS, and other leaders. We want the IMLP to be seen as a premiere leadership program within GE; to be recognized as the pipeline for top leadership positions. That’s not saying people don’t think the IMLP is great today, but it has more of a reputation for being a great development program. We need people to realize it’s a great IT leadership feeder program as well. We will also be conducting curriculum reviews. We've had some implementations of new material to our coursework, but we will continuously look and see if we are teaching the appropriate items. This won’t just occur between me at Corporate; we will be talking to CIO’s, business representatives, and IMLP’s. It will be a very inclusive analysis to introduce valuable new content into the program and to eliminate any unnecessary content.

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GE Aviation IMLP's and EEDP Go Camping in the Smokey Mountains

This past weekend, 6 Aviation IMLP's and 1 EEDP (Edison Engineering Development Program) took a road trip to the Smokey Mountains to go camping! It was my first time there, and it turned out to be a great experience! We got in late Friday night, so it was interesting setting up our tents in the dark. But soon, our fire was made, and we were able to take in the beautiful mountainside sky.

The next morning we went hiking around the mountains. We got to enjoy some great scenic views of the rivers and waterfalls within the nearby forest. After lunch, we wanted to go the highest point of the mountain where we could get the best view. However, the local ranger informed us there would be a huge rainstorm coming our way and quoted a "100% chance of rain."  Three IMLP's got nervous and stayed back at the camp, but the rest of us drove to the top of the mountain and were able to hike to our viewpoint before it rained. 

Unfortunately, the view at the top was quite foggy, but it was still amazing being that high up in the Smokey Mountains. The trails at this elevation were beautiful and we snapped a lot of great pictures.  The rainstorm did come, but during the next morning when we were packing up to head home.  All in all, though, it was a great experience, and I would love to go again next year!

Experiencing a Different Side of the Business

GEnx Engine

One thing I really enjoy about my second rotation is how much different it is from my first rotation. It gave me the chance to experience a completely different side of the business.  My first rotation was involved in Supply Chain, and now I am located in Aviation Systems. While GE Aviation as a whole focuses on the designing and building of jet engines, the Aviation Systems side of the business focuses on additional products that support aircraft. For example, employees in Aviation Systems work with sites such as Grand Rapids, Michigan and Middle River Aircraft Systems in Baltimore, Maryland. These sites have a variety of products such as navigation systems and reverse thrusters.

It is very interesting to learn about the GE Aviation family and how it has grown through the years. Rather than solely focusing on jet engines themselves, we now bundle our engines with supporting products for our customers.