BJT Editorial Director Jennifer Leach English interviews Honeywell CEO Dave Cote. (Photo: Bill Bernstein)
BJT Editorial Director Jennifer Leach English interviews Honeywell CEO Dave Cote. (Photo: Bill Bernstein)

Up Front: October 2014

After I interviewed Honeywell CEO Dave Cote for this issue’s cover story, he showed me around his Morristown, New Jersey office, which is a large, light-filled space crammed floor to ceiling with mementos of his years of travel across the globe. The items he pointed out to me included autographs, photos and personal notes from political figures and sports celebrities. I found his childlike excitement about these souvenirs fascinating, because he is today an internationally renowned figure in his own right. The irony is that some of the people he’s thrilled to have met have probably boasted to their friends about meeting him. As he said during our conversation, he still can’t believe how far he has come.

While many factors have contributed to his success, one that stands out in my mind is the amount of time he dedicates to being face-to-face with his employees and customers all over the world. Cote spends approximately 500 hours per year aboard Honeywell’s business jet fleet because he knows there is no substitute for human contact. By making such a phenomenal effort, he proves just how seriously he takes his job, his colleagues and his customers.

Of course, BJT readers know all about the value of showing up—and of business jets. As the results of our fourth annual Readers’ Choice Survey make clear, the vast majority of you view private aviation as a powerful business tool that can save time, make you more productive and allow you to meet with employees and customers at widely scattered locations. “Best thing I have ever done to increase efficiency in my business,” wrote one survey respondent. Said another: “I attribute much of the success of our company over the last 60 years to private aviation.”

As for the airline alternative, a third respondent commented: “You need to take at least one commercial return flight each year to really appreciate all the benefits of flying on business jets.” 

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