Keating New Head of Rockwell Collins Commercial Avionics

Neal Keating, 45, former head of Rockwell Collins' Irvine, California-based passenger systems division, has been named executive VP and COO of Rockwell Collins air transport, business and regional jet and passenger systems, as Rockwell International spins off Rockwell Collins as an independent company next month.

"The benefit of the spin-off is increased focus on our customers," Keating says of the soon-to-be-autonomous, $3.1-billion Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based firm. (Rockwell Collins also will have a government systems business, to be headed by Robert Chiusano.)

"Our primary goals will be to more responsive, faster and more agile," Keating says. "This will provide a better line of sight between our customers and employees. We're going to be focused solely on aviation electronics and communication systems," Keating says in reference to not having to report to Milwaukee-based Rockwell International.

Keating says that Rockwell Collins strengths are good people and process management, along with a 60- to 70-year avionics heritage. "We have very strong customer relationships in the marketplace. We're the same Rockwell Collins, but we've combined air transport, business and regional, and passenger systems into one company," Keating says. This will enable the firm to use a common sales force, but it will be transparent to the customers. The company will employ engineering assets from all three groups to form centers of excellence for product development, specifically for future GPS, flight controls, and communications applications.

One of the first new products will be a new Integrated Information System that will streamline air-to-ground datalink functions for operations, maintenance and administration. Using I2S, pilots will have access real-time weather graphics for "additional safety capacity," and enhanced ACARS functionality, according to Keating. In the future, passengers too will benefit from higher capacity Internet and e-mail access.

Rockwell Collins will continue to invest in ADS-B technology, a cornerstone of future U.S. and European airspace systems, especially critical in areas not served by air traffic control radars.
Flat-panel display systems are another Rockwell Collins strength. The firm, for example, will be working with Boeing to develop plug-and-play LCD flat-panels replacement systems for the B747-400, thereby increasing reliability while decreasing weight and power consumption. "Customers, though, ultimately will determine the cost trade-offs," Keating cautions.