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- All HBS Web (354)
- Faculty Publications (183)
Charles Erwin Wilson
Despite his reluctance to produce military goods, Wilson was nonetheless an excellent manager during World War II and helped his company garner over $14 billion worth of military contracts. In the post war era, Wilson’s success continued as he returned the company to...
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Automotive & Aerospace
Roger B. Smith
Smith made sweeping changes at the auto giant, which had become complacent in its success and was losing share to foreign imports. Smith instituted a barrage of controversial changes at GM that included forming strategic joint ventures with Japanese and Korean auto...
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Automotive & Aerospace
Igor I. Sikorsky
Sikorsky was a pioneer in the aircraft industry. The father of the helicopter, Sikorsky patented and flew the first helicopter in 1939. Revolutionizing the transport industry, Sikorsky Aircraft eventually supplied helicopters for both military and commercial purposes...
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Automotive & Aerospace
Donald E. Petersen
Though he was part of the teams that launched the Ford Thunderbird and Mustang, Petersen's real fame is rooted in his revival of the Ford dynasty in the 1980s. Under Petersen's leadership, Ford grew out of the shadow of GM, redesigning the Thunderbird, and launching...
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Automotive & Aerospace
Guy S. Peppiatt
During the nineteen years Peppiatt served the company in an executive capacity, the net sales of Federal-Mogul increased dramatically from $25 million (1950) to $263 million (1969). This tenfold increase was fostered by his commitment to retaining and building a strong...
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Automotive & Aerospace
Charles W. Nash
Not wanting to compete with the "Big Three" auto makers in the 1920s, Nash carved out a unique niche for well-designed luxury automobiles at medium prices. This strategy was very successful for Nash Motors as it became one of the few, profitable independent...
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Automotive & Aerospace
William P. Lear
Long before he invented the autopilot and the executive jet that bears his name, Lear was a pioneer in the development of radio technology. A self-taught engineer, Lear developed the prototype for the first practical automobile radio which he sold to Motorola...
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Automotive & Aerospace
John D. Hertz
Hertz founded the Yellow Cab Company in 1915 as a way to provide transportation services at a modest price. At the time, livery services were targeted only to the upper echelons of society, and Hertz believed that there was a vast untapped potential. Hertz’s...
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Automotive & Aerospace
Robert E. Gross
Gross developed the popular World War II military pursuit plane named the Lightning in the U.S. and the Hudson in Britain. Gross’ Lockheed accounted for 6% of U.S. airplane production during World War II building 19,000 planes and employing a peak of 94,000 employees...
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Automotive & Aerospace
Harvey S. Firestone
By securing a large tire order from Henry Ford in 1906, and aggressively promoting his tires in automobile races, Firestone was able to grow his company’s sales from $100,000 in 1901 to $15 million in 1913, joining the ranks of the “Big Five” of the tire industry....
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Automotive & Aerospace
Victor Emanuel
During World War II, Emanuel produced all types of military aircraft, including giant bombers, aircraft carriers, and cruisers. After the war, Emanuel led the conversion of AVCO from a producer of aircraft and heavy goods to a manufacturer of consumer goods. Emanuel...
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Automotive & Aerospace
Donald W. Douglas
Douglas developed and built all types of military planes as well as civilian transport planes. The big breakthrough for Douglas came in the early 1930s when he introduced the DC series of planes. In 1935, Douglas introduced the DC-3, which had 21 to 28 passenger seats,...
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Automotive & Aerospace
Frederic G. Donner
An accountant by training, Donner was recognized as one of the sharpest financial minds in business. His overwhelming command of the financial aspects of running GM led him to set new records for sales, profitability, and dividend payments. He is principally credited...
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Automotive & Aerospace
William M. Allen
In 1945, when Allen was appointed CEO, Boeing faced cancellation of $1.5 billion in wartime contracts. Under Allen’s leadership, Boeing kept course and later prospered. In 1952, Boeing’s B-52 was chosen by the Air Force as its intercontinental bomber, and in 1959, the...
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Automotive & Aerospace
- 10 Oct 2007
- Research & Ideas
“Blank” Inside: Branding Ingredients
Harvard Business School professor John Quelch writes a blog on marketing issues, called Marketing Know: How, for Harvard Business Online. It is reprinted on HBS Working Knowledge.Why do we pay more for an orange with a Sunkist sticker? Because inspecting the outside of...
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Dwane L. Wallace
In 1936, Wallace took complete control of Clyde Cessna Aircraft and set out to make it the #1 light plane manufacturer. Wallace’s sharp engineering skills allowed him to create high quality, low cost planes that could be made on efficient assembly lines. Securing an...
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Automotive & Aerospace
Thomas E. Braniff
Braniff received his first airmail contract from the federal government in 1934, four years after founding Braniff Airways. In 1952, Braniff acquired Mid-Continent Airlines, which made Braniff Airways the sixth largest airline in the U.S. and the twelfth largest in the...
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Automotive & Aerospace
W. Michael Blumenthal
When Blumenthal took over Bendix, it had become a gigantic conglomerate producing a bewildering variety of products. Blumenthal sold several of the company’s unprofitable divisions, and doubled company sales during his tenure to more than $3 billion. Under his...
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Automotive & Aerospace
Charles M. Pigott
Pigott was instrumental in leading the growth of his family’s business, Pacific Car & Foundry. Sales of heavy trucks under the Peterbilt and Kenworth names increased from $320 million to $4.3 billion. Part of that growth was generated through a series of...
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Automotive & Aerospace
Ransom E. Olds
Olds was one of the early pioneers of the automobile industry. He is credited with the design of the “curved dash” which was both functional (keeping passengers warm) and stylish. Olds’ first car, the “runabout,” was mass produced in 1901 and was considered the first...
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Automotive & Aerospace