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In My Own Words:
A Career in the Navy

By PHILIP A. DUR
Corporate Vice President and President
Northrop Grumman Ship Systems

Sea Power
August 2004

I spent a career in the Navy. And my happiest moments were commanding warships, working with other sailors and officers to develop a real team on a ship, to operate to maximum combat readiness and combat effectiveness. I spent a lot of time learning a lot about ships — how they’re operated and how they work, what the requirements are and for what purpose, and what did not work.

As a result, I understand the customer — the Navy, Marine Corps and the Coast Guard — perhaps better than a guy who hadn’t spent 30 years at sea. At one point in my career, I was the director of naval strategy and spent a large part of my career in political military affairs trying to understand the importance of military force in the formulation and execution of foreign policy.

I was very well educated as an economist by the Navy. So I think I have a tool kit that enables me to bridge the industrial demands of shipbuilding to the operational requirements and the strategic context for the shipbuilding industry.

Leadership, to me, is being able to recognize the talent and the abilities of the people with whom you work, and ensuring that you play to their strengths. You find ways to compensate for areas in which they need more experience or improvement.

As a business imperative, we periodically have to let people go, which is a very painful exercise. I never like the idea of having to release people because we don’t have the volume of work that we anticipated. That’s why I’m so aggressive in looking for new business opportunities. I spend a lot of time on the Hill and with the customer. If you don’t keep the business coming, you’re ultimately facing a downturn.

My mother was born in Cuba. I remember some painful moments as a boy listening to disparaging remarks about Hispanics from people who had no idea that when I went home at night I spoke Spanish to my mother.

I understand that historically there have been groups of people in American society that have been disadvantaged as a result of their culture, their race and, in some cases, their religion. I try very hard as an executive to ensure that everyone is getting the same shake. I really believe that the best way to recognize performance is on merit basis.

My goal would be to have our management team represent the diversity of our work force. We have a very large minority segment in all three of our facilities. And, over time, I think we need to do a better job of having the management team reflect that diversity than it has in the past.

One of the most rewarding things I have as an executive is the e-mails that I get from people whom I’ve touched, who tell me that I’ve made a difference. One was from a program manager who had experienced a major setback when his program was canceled. He later presented brilliantly to the corporation’s chief executive and was given the opportunity to manage a $500 million program. He was especially grateful for the second chance we gave him.

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