John Wheadon Jr.
Chief Executive Officer
Rolls-Royce Goodrich Engine Control Systems LLC
PhD AAE 1973
"I have found the disciplined approach to problem-solving to be the most valuable aspect of my engineering training. I have used these skills in all aspects of my life with particularly valuable application in management decision-making. The dynamics of a growing company are, in fact, a large complex system. Analysis of the facts, data, and interdependence of all the variables helps with timely and more accurate decision-making. I have always felt that my engineering education at Purdue has given me a competitive advantage."
John Wheadon earned a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from Purdue before gaining his MBA from the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Today, Wheadon is an analyst with Creative Strategies Inc., a California firm that focuses on industry, market, and consumer trends in the global technology industry. He also has been involved in the formation and executive management of companies in data communications and mobile advertising.
During his career, Wheadon also has worked as a corporate vice president at Xerox, including roles as general manager of Xerox Ventures and chief executive of Inxight Software, a developer of knowledge management applications with high-fidelity search and visualization capabilities. He also held executive positions at IBM Corp., FWB Software Inc., and Market Resources Co. He started his aeronautical engineer career, working as a control systems designer for the space shuttle's maneuvering system at Rockwell International Corp.