Veterans - Rick

Name: Rick

Position: Manager, Machine Division

Division: Defense and Federal Products

Military Affiliation: U.S. Army (Retired)

1. How did your career bring you to Caterpillar and why was Caterpillar the best employer for you?
My military experience includes engineer command and leadership positions ranging from platoon leader to Commander and Operations Officer for Company, Battalion, Brigade and Corps Level engineer units [82nd Airborne Division and 20th Engineer Brigade (ABN CORPS)] with a wide range of projects employing the entire fleet of Army airborne and heavy fleets of construction equipment. As an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at the U.S. Air Force Academy, I instructed cadets in construction management; water resources, soils and structural engineering as well as airbase design. When I retired in 1998, I chose Caterpillar among numerous job offers based on the enterprise's reputation and strong belief in fundamental values that most closely aligned with the U.S. Army's. At Caterpillar I have hired numerous folks with military backgrounds and facilitated informational interviews with other hiring managers to best align skills with job requirements.

2. What are your current roles and responsibilities at Caterpillar?
I am the Defense and Federal Products' Machine Division Manager where I am responsible for ensuring Caterpillar provides the U.S. Department of Defense, Federal Civilian Agencies, and our Global Military Allies with top-quality construction equipment and unparalleled product support. I manage Machine Engineering, Contracts, Marketing and Sales Staffs, which administer current complex multi-year contracts with TACOM, MARCORSYSCOM, DLA/DSCP, GSA, U.S. Navy, USAF, USFWS, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, TVA, and numerous military contracting offices around the world. My team also markets and formulates program bid strategies for future construction and material handling equipment procurements.

3. From your perspective, how and why do you believe that Caterpillar would benefit from hiring military veterans into the company?
As a hiring manager for Caterpillar, I select only the best talent I can find, both internally and externally. I look for attributes such as; demonstrated leadership, integrity, strong work ethic, ability to work in a teaming environment, confidence with the ability to perform under pressure, highly adaptable and flexible, strong professional technical skills, along with great communication skills. I have found that the qualities and capabilities that military veterans provide my team give me the necessary advantage I must have for today's highly competitive business environment.

4. What would you say to the veteran candidate pool to encourage them to choose Caterpillar as their employer of choice?
As I interviewed for numerous jobs around the world, I looked for firms that I felt would emphasize those fundamental values I had followed in the U.S. Army as an Engineer Officer. I was offered greater compensation by a number of other employers, but I selected Caterpillar primarily based on its reputation and strong belief in fundamental values which were clearly outlined in its Code of Conduct.