Setting the standard

Meggitt CTO Emeritus begins term at helm of SAE International, seeks to encourage cross-sector relations, elevate image of SAE as aerospace industry leader.

Providing leadership for a diverse organization is nothing new to Richard Greaves, Ph.D., SAE International's President for 2015. Prior to his semi-retirement in 2012, Greaves oversaw all of engineering and technology for Meggitt PLC, which specializes in aerospace equipment and has 11,000 employees operating at more than 40 sites worldwide. Now as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Emeritus, Greaves oversees new technology for the $2.5 billion engineering business.

Headquartered in the U.K., Meggitt is organized into five operating divisions-Meggitt Aircraft Braking Systems, Meggitt Control Systems, Meggitt Equipment Group, Meggitt Polymers and Composites, and Meggitt Sensing Systems-and generates revenues in excess of $2.5 billion per year. Customers include many of the major aircraft OEMs and engine suppliers, most notably the U.S. Department of Defense, Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, GE Aviation, Gulfstream, Lockheed Martin, and Rolls-Royce.