People in composites: March 2023

Boeing chief engineer to retire, new engineering leaders named

Greg Hyslop, former Boeing chief engineer and executive vice president (VP) of engineering, test and technology.

Boeing (Arlington, Va., U.S.) announced in March that Greg Hyslop, the company’s chief engineer and executive vice president (VP) of engineering, test and technology, will retire this June after a 41-year career that spanned Boeing’s aerospace and defense portfolio.

Hyslop, who has been on Boeing’s executive council since 2016 and assumed the top engineering position in 2019, has worked to strengthen the company’s engineering function. He led the realignment of the company’s engineers under one organization, championed changes to empower engineers and instituted next-generation design practices.

“Greg has modeled Boeing’s commitment to engineering excellence throughout his four decades here,” Dave Calhoun, Boeing president and CEO, says. “As we reshaped our company, Greg played an instrumental role in strengthening our engineering organization, positioning our engineers to innovate a future that is more digital, autonomous and sustainable, and always with a focus on safety, quality and integrity.”

Howard McKenzie, the top engineer at Boeing’s commercial airplanes unit, succeeds Hyslop as chief engineer and executive VP, engineering, test and technology. Effective immediately, McKenzie takes over leadership of the company’s 57,000 engineers worldwide, overseeing all aspects of safety and technical integrity of Boeing products and services. McKenzie also assumes oversight of Boeing’s technology vision, strategy and investment, while reporting to Calhoun and joining the company’s executive council.

Prior to his recent role at Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), McKenzie was VP and chief engineer of Boeing Global Services, the company’s services and support business. A 35-year veteran of the company, McKenzie has also served as VP of Boeing Test & Evaluation, the group responsible for testing, evaluating and certifying new products.

David Loffing, chief program engineer of Boeing’s new 777X airplane, takes over as VP and chief engineer of BCA. Loffing has held roles of increasing responsibility since joining Boeing nearly 20 years ago, with engineering leadership positions across the company’s single- and twin-aisle jet families and future airplane concepts.

“Howard and David are brilliant engineering minds who bring strong technical expertise and deep program experience to their new roles,” Calhoun adds. “They will join together with chief technology officer Todd Citron and chief aerospace safety officer Michael Delaney to lead our function into the future and help us tackle the engineering challenges of today and tomorrow.”

Hyslop will support the leadership transition through June as he assumes the role of chief engineer emeritus, reporting to Calhoun. He will assist with program management, leadership development and university relations efforts.

“When I think about the impact Boeing has on the world, I feel lucky to have worked with the talented people who take on the aerospace industry’s most difficult problems,” Hyslop says. “That’s what engineers do. We solve problems. We happily accept challenges and find solutions that change the world. I will always be proud to call myself a Boeing engineer.”

Cygnet Texkimp appoints new operations director

Andy McCampbell, Cygnet Texkimp operations director.

British advanced manufacturer Cygnet Texkimp (Northwich, Cheshire, U.K.) has appointed Andy McCampbell as operations director. McCampbell joins the engineering company with more than 20 years’ experience as an operations director in the field of heavy and bespoke precision engineering. His role will include driving improvements and efficiencies in quality and supply chain management, internal communication and employee development. His appointment signifies an important step in the company’s continued growth.

Cygnet Texkimp designs and builds large-scale machines to manufacture, slit and wind high-value advanced materials including composites used to make lightweight, structural components for cars and airplanes, wind turbine blades and technologies for construction. The company, which is set to celebrate its 50^th year in business in 2024, designs and manufactures all its technologies at its Cheshire headquarters for export to more than 30 countries worldwide.

“Bringing Andy into the company will allow us to scale and grow sustainably, while maintaining the quality of our products and service and driving process efficiencies,” Cygnet Texkimp CEO Luke Vardy says. “Andy has an impressive track record in the precision engineering industry and his people-oriented approach makes him an excellent fit for our organization.”

“Cygnet Texkimp is not only an ambitious organization with brilliant growth prospects making waves around the world thanks to its innovative approach to engineering design, but it’s also a company with great values and a mission to genuinely engage and empower its people to achieve rewarding careers,” McCampbell says. “I’m excited to play my role in the company’s continued success both as a machine builder and an employer.”

Hypetex strengthens leadership team with new board hire

Michael Dowse, Hypetex non-executive director and board member.

Advanced materials and technology firm Hypetex (London, U.K.) has appointed Michael Dowse as a non-executive director and board member.

Dowse brings a large amount of experience across sport and retail, following leadership roles at a variety of global sports organizations and companies. He was a global director for Nike (Beavertown, Ore., U.S.) before becoming president and general manager, outdoor Americas for Amer Sports (Helsinki, Finland), managing brands such as Salomon, Arc’Teryx and Suunto.

As president of Wilson Sporting Goods (2013-2019; Chicago, Ill., U.S.), Dowse led 1,500+ colleagues in delivering the company’s global strategy, corporate operations and manufacturing across more than 160 countries. He then took up the position of chief executive officer (CEO) and executive director of the United States Tennis Association (2020-2022; White Plains, N.Y., U.S.), said to be the largest governing body in the sport.

Dowse will join a high-level group of advisors at Hypetex, which includes Board Chairman Neil MacDougall and former Diageo Chief Financial Officer Nick Rose. They will support CEO Marc Cohen and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Nigel Dunlea as they continue to expand the company’s presence in sport and other sectors worldwide.

“Hypetex is an exciting company at the forefront of advanced composites,” Dowse says. “This sector is growing rapidly, especially in its application to sporting equipment and I’m eager to support this growth through utilizing my network and experience.”

Impossible Objects names new CEO

Steve Hoover, Impossible Objects CEO.

Impossible Objects (Northbrook, Ill., U.S.), a provider of composite-based additive manufacturing (CBAM) solutions, names Steve Hoover as CEO. Hoover, the former CTO at Xerox (Norwalk, Conn., U.S.), is an accomplished engineering and corporate development leader that aims to reimagine the future of 3D printing via Impossible Objects’ technology.

“Steve’s experience in printing and deep understanding of technology is a perfect fit to commercialize our revolutionary 3D printing process,” says Robert Swartz, founder and chairman of the board at Impossible Objects. “Steve has great experience in bringing new products to market and solving the hard problems of scaling a business.”

Hoover joins Impossible Objects following a storied career at Xerox. Today, he continues to serve as the vice-chair on the Consumer Reports board of directors, and advisory councils for two leading engineering colleges — Rochester Institute of Technology (New York) and Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, Pa., U.S.), his alma mater. Throughout his professional endeavors, Hoover has been responsible for multiple new products, including leading technology strategy and innovations for new technologies. Through his efforts, he enabled Xerox to penetrate new markets, and was a catalyst for creating multiple businesses and technologies from PARC, a Xerox company, into both startups and other multinational companies.

“I’m thrilled to join Impossible Objects,” says Hoover. “I am continuously impressed with the technology, material possibilities and most importantly, the people. I have been involved in a variety of 3DP projects over the past decades and Impossible Object’s groundbreaking technology solves critical problems in both manufacturing speed and part properties that enable the future of 3D printing. I am also impressed with the team and their deep expertise. I’m humbled to help lead this business into the next generation of manufacturing.”