The Gordon Engineering Leadership Program at Northeastern University

Kristy Casella
Textron Defense Systems
Gordon Fellow 2011

“From a technical standpoint and from a product standpoint, what we worked on for the last year is going to be the basis for a lot of new efforts moving forward.”

Before joining the Gordon Program in 2010, Kristy Casella was accustomed to working in teams.  Her Challenge Project, which focused on mobile technology enablers for unattended ground sensor systems, still presented its fair share of new challenges.

During the yearlong endeavor, Casella led a team comprised of engineers from her local office as well as a recently acquired facility in Texas.  In addition, Textron Defense Systems began implementing a new approach to the product development process.

“It wasn’t easy,” Casella says. “The team was used to working on a certain type of program, and this new approach to product development turned the tables a bit.  It presented another leadership challenge because we had to recalibrate as a group to tackle this new challenge.”

Despite the challenges, Casella is confident that her efforts have made a positive impact on her organization.

“From a technical standpoint and from a product standpoint, what we worked on for the last year is going to be the basis for a lot of new efforts moving forward,” says Casella.  “It’s a first step of many.”

When reflecting on her success, Casella is quick to credit the support she received from her sponsor organization.

“I got a lot of support from management and the engineering team,” Casella says.  “I think TDS is doing it right in that respect.  Gordon Candidates really get the attention, respect and resources that they need to be successful.”

Read about other Gordon Fellows.