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PROFILE


A BREAK FROM THE TECHNICAL REALM In 2004, Doehring stepped away from the technical side of Duncan Aviation to take a job as the company’s customer service manager. He worked with the project managers to iron out issues that would come up with customers and within the company. He also was in charge of line service. Then in 2011, there was a management shift at Duncan


Aviation, and Doehring was asked to return to the airframe shop as the airframe manager. “It was nice because it was like coming home,” he says. “I was able to take all of the customer service knowledge and experience and bring it back into the technical side. I’m able to provide a diff erent perspective to our guys that they don’t see on the technical side of things.”


“I can use technical information to substantiate an opinion,” he explains. “But I can then blend that knowledge with customer feedback to help bring positive results for our customers and for Duncan Aviation. It helps me think more globally.”


SELECTING NEW HIRES We asked Doehring what he looks for in new employees. “First of all, we have a lot of long-term employees here at Duncan Aviation,” he says. “I’ve been here 20 years, and we have a lot of mechanics who have been on the fl oor for that long and longer. When it comes to hiring a new employee, we are looking at that soft-skill piece – their personality. We are interested in their frame of mind when it comes to customers, quality and safety. We’re not too concerned about technical experience. Don’t get me wrong – we want people who have good skills. But they don’t need to have experience on corporate jets – we can teach them that. I’m a prime example of that. We’re really looking for the future leaders of the company.”


DEVELOPING LEADERS FROM WITHIN Duncan Aviation has a program called Leadership Dynam- ics Program (LDP) to groom its future leaders. There are currently two phases – LDP1 and LDP2. “I’ve been through both courses,” Doehring says. “This is a good example of our home-grown initiatives we have at Duncan Aviation. Duncan Aviation senior management put on these classes. LDP1 went from personal development to team develop- ment to company development and all the phases in- between. We talk about communication, accountability and respect. LDP2 is more about business. It covered fi nancials, our global economy, strategic planning and other higher- level leadership topics.”


CHALLENGES OF BEING THE AIRFRAME MANAGER


We asked Doehring what his biggest challenge is as the airframe manager at Duncan Aviation. “I would say try- ing continue to promote more innovative thinking in a commodity industry,” he says. “What we do is a commod- ity. Operators need to get their airframe inspections done. There are many good maintenance providers out there they can go to. So, how do we diff erentiate ourselves from the rest in a commodity market? That’s been one of my bigger opportunities and challenges. It’s about minimizing downtime. It’s about providing superior quality. It is about having a workforce with great morale. Our employees deal with our customers every day. We have an open-door policy where our customers can walk around the shop fl oor. They can quickly sense bad morale.” In conclusion Doehring says, “It’s about making sure our


employees are happy, well supported and have the ability to aff ect change.”


PARTS 10 2014 10


There are always two sides to experience.


Experience Is Everything. To You. And To Us.


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