Dawne Hickton

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Dawne Hickton
Born (1957-11-02) November 2, 1957 (age 66)
NationalityAmerican
EducationPitt (Law School) JD (1983)
Alma materUniversity of Rochester (1979)
Occupation(s)Business executive
Law professor
Years active29+
EmployerRTI
SpouseDavid Hickton
AwardsCrohn's & Colitis Foundation[1][2]

Dawne Eileen Sepanski Hickton (born November 2, 1957) is an American

Jacobs Engineering Group.[3] Before that, she was CEO of Pittsburgh-based RTI International Metals.[4][5][6]

Hickton is one of the few women business leaders to manage a large publicly traded firm.[7] In 2011-2012, she pursued numerous acquisitions to grow RTI into an end-to-end supplier of titanium components for clients such as Boeing and Airbus,[8][9][10][11] and for making components for the military aircraft such as the Joint Strike Fighter.[12] She pursued a strategy of buying specialty firms such as Remmele Engineering,[11][13][14][15] the Forming Division of Aeromet,[16][17] and others as part of a program of vertical integration.[17] In March, 2015, RTI International Metals, Inc. was acquired by Alcoa in a stock-for-stock transaction valued at $1.5 billion.[18]

Career

Law beginnings

Niagara Falls, New York

Hickton grew up in

homecoming queen and graduated in 1979. She took a year off, and then studied at the law school of the University of Pittsburgh, and graduated in 1983.[20] She worked as a Corporate Trial Attorney at U.S. Steel from 1983 to 1994, and represented the firm before the Equal Employment Advisory Counsel.[21] She was promoted to general attorney of commercial litigation, after winning a billion-dollar lawsuit for the steelmaker.[19] She served as president of the Pitt's chapter of the American Inns of Court.[21] She worked as an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law from 1994 to 1997.[21] She worked at the law firm of Burns, White and Hickton for several years.[21]

RTI years

Titanium's light weight and high strength properties make it suitable for tennis racquets and jetliners. Photo: The Boeing 787 Dreamliner in flight.

Hickton joined RTI International Metals in 1997 as vice president and general counsel.[22] RTI specializes in making and processing metals including titanium and steel, and sells specialty metal mill products, extruded shapes, formed parts and engineered systems to many different markets.[23] The firm depends on buying activity in the defense and aerospace industries.[24][25] It is a cyclical business. She became senior vice president of administration and principal financial officer in 2005.[22] She managed accounting, treasury, tax, business information systems, personnel and legal functions.[26] She was appointed vice chairman and chief executive officer in April 2007.[22]

In 2007, RTI won a $900 million agreement to supply titanium components for the

CNN Money as being one of the 100 fastest-growing companies in the United States.[34]

According to one report, when the

supercommittee was trying to find a bipartisan compromise solution to the nation's budget woes, she met with members of the delegation to inform them that "budget uncertainty" was having detrimental effects on her firm's fortunes.[35] Later, in November 2011, after the failure of the supercommittee to act, she criticized political leaders for failing to deal with the nation's "crushing national debt".[12]
She wrote:

It is long past time for congressional leaders to stop blaming the "other side" and take action. Kicking the deficit reduction can down the street into the election year ahead is a dangerous strategy.

As a business executive, she serves on various boards, including the Board of Governors of the Aerospace Industries Association,[21][23][26][36] a director of the International Titanium Association,[23][26] and a director of the FNB Corporation.[23][26] She has been a Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland since January 2012.[21][37] She is married and has six children.[38][39]

References

  1. ^ Marylynn Uricchio (2011-05-24). "Crohn Colitis Foundation luncheon held at Fairmont Pittsburgh Hotel". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  2. ^ "Health Happenings". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 2011-05-16. Retrieved 2012-02-24.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ Jane Edwards, May 3, 2019, GovConWire, Dawne Hickton to Succeed Terry Hagen as COO of Jacobs’ Aerospace, Tech & Nuclear Business, Retrieved July 20, 2019
  4. ^ staff and wire reports (August 4, 2010). "Business news briefs". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  5. ^ "Speaker Biographies". Titanium 2011 Conference -- San Diego, California. October 5, 2011. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  6. ^ University of Pittsburgh, Katz Graduate School of Business, Dawne S. Hickton, Retrieved July 20, 2017
  7. ^ Susan Chira, July 21, 2017, The New York Times, Why Women Aren’t C.E.O.s, According to Women Who Almost Were: It’s not a pipeline problem. It’s about loneliness, competition and deeply rooted barriers., Retrieved July 21, 2017
  8. ^ Len Boselovi (February 1, 2011). "RTI trims quarterly loss, posts full-year profit". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  9. ^ Len Boselovic (May 3, 2011). "Profits fall at RTI International Metals". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  10. ^ Teresa Lindeman (February 7, 2012). "Metals company posts small quarterly profit". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  11. ^ a b Len Boselovic (2012-01-11). "Acquisition boosts Moons RTI Metals". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  12. ^ a b c DAWNE S. HICKTON (November 23, 2011). "The supercommittee's failure will hit home". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  13. ^ DOW JONES NEWSWIRES (January 10, 2012). "RTI To Buy Remmele Engineering For $182.5M". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  14. ^ Len Boselovic (2012-01-10). "RTI acquires Remmele Engineering for cash and debt". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  15. ^ "RTI Completes Remmele Acquisition to Expand Downstream Opportunities". The New York Times. February 13, 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  16. ^ Paul J. Gough (October 18, 2011). "RTI to acquire UK titanium forming firm". Pittsburgh Business Times. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  17. ^ a b Business Wire (October 18, 2011). "RTI Announces Agreement to Acquire Titanium Forming Division of Aeromet International PLC". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2012-02-24. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  18. ^ March 9, 2015, Alcoa News Room, Alcoa to Acquire RTI International Metals, Boosting Value-Add, Multi-Material Aerospace Portfolio, Retrieved July 20, 2017, "...Alcoa will purchase RTI in a stock-for-stock transaction with an enterprise value of $1.5 billion.."
  19. ^ a b c Cynthia Vinarsky (February 9, 2003). "DAWNE HICKTON: A profile RTI attorney-executive can handle life's trials". Vindicator Business Magazine. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  20. ^ "2011 Reunion". University of Pittsburgh -- PittLaw. 2011. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  21. ^ a b c d e f "Dawne S. Hickton Esq". Bloomberg Businessweek. 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-24.[dead link]
  22. ^ a b c Len Boselovic (February 1, 2007). "RTI names Dawne Hickton CEO". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  23. ^ a b c d "RTI International Metals Inc". Wall Street Journal. 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  24. ^ Len Boselovic (November 1, 2011). "RTI reverses loss on higher prices, more sales". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  25. ^ Len Boselovic (February 4, 2010). "Airplane makers' woes hit RTI Metals' earnings". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  26. ^ a b c d "Dawne S. Hickton". Forbes. 2012. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  27. ^ Roger Mezger (November 12, 2007). "RTI wins $900 million Boeing contract". Cleveland.com. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  28. ^ Len Boselovic (April 28, 2009). "RTI International Metals posts loss". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  29. ^ James O'Toole (February 19, 2008). "Obama returns fire from Clinton over specifics of change". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  30. ^ Dan Fitzpatrick (March 18, 2008). "Top 50: Companies slow to expand ranks of female executives". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  31. ^ "Pitt nominates 3 for trustees board membership". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 21, 2008. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  32. ^ Robert Hill (Jun 19, 2008). "Brian Generalovich, Dawne Hickton, and Dan Marino Advanced As New Trustee Candidates by Pitt Board's Nominating Committee". University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  33. ^ Len Boselovic (May 19, 2011). "Obituary: Donald P. Fusilli Jr. / Passionate engineer, lawyer and former CEO". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  34. ^ "100 Fastest-growing companies". CNN Money. September 3, 2008. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  35. ^ Michael Fabey (Sep 21, 2011). "A&D Supporters Dig In On Capitol Hill". Aviation Week. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  36. ^ Aerospace Industries Association (2011). "AIA Elects Officers, Board of Governors for 2012". cbs8.com. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  37. ^ Natalie Hill (January 22, 2012). "Dateline Pittsburgh". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  38. ^ Joyce Gannon (October 22, 2007). "Group helps people find a middle ground between career and home". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  39. ^ SEC archives, June 21, 2006, Pittsburgh Resident and Chief Administrative Officer of RTI International Metals Joins Board of Directors of F.N.B. Corporation, Accessed July 10, 2013

External links