67th Laureates Lifetime Achievement And Pathfinder Awards
Aviation Week Network has announced the recipients for the Philip J. Klass Lifetime Achievement Award and the Pathfinder Award of the 67th Annual Laureate Awards (#AWLAUR), which recognizes exceptional achievements in the global aerospace industry.
The winners will be celebrated at the Laureate Awards ceremony on March 6, 2025, at the National Building Museum in Washington. During this event, a Grand Laureate will be named in each of the five categories from among the honorees.
Philip J. Klass Lifetime Achievement Award Winners
Norm Augustine
Norm Augustine may have retired from the industry in 1997, but his oversize influence on the aerospace sector he joined in 1958 as an engineer did not end there. After a career split between industry leadership and public service, including roles as CEO of Martin Marietta and Lockheed Martin as well as under secretary of the Army, Augustine has continued to help shape the industrial landscape as chair of blue-ribbon committees investigating the U.S. space program, human spaceflight plans and, most recently, NASA’s uncertain future due to declining national investment in technology innovation. Famed for Augustine’s laws, which were published in 1984 and warned that, by 2054, the entire U.S. defense budget will purchase just one aircraft, his wise guidance has continued to be invaluable to an industry facing un- precedented technological change.
Patrick Ky
Patrick Ky has made a lasting positive impact in the field of aviation safety. During his 10 years at the helm of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Ky was instrumental in raising the profile of the European regulator and making it a strong reference for global safety matters. EASA led efforts to establish tougher standards for certification of the Boeing 777X and ungrounding of the 737 MAX. To ensure sufficient fire protection, EASA also required Airbus to make substantial changes of the A321XLR. Under Ky, EASA also led global efforts to safely regulate the emerging advanced air mobility sector. A former aerospace engineer, Ky previously led Europe’s Sesar air traffic management research project and is now CEO of the Singapore-based International Centre for Aviation Innovation.
Pathfinder Award Winner
Larry Culp
Larry Culp’s transformation of General Electric from a troubled, debt-ridden conglomerate into a pure play aerospace and defense company culminated in 2024, after the spinoffs of GE’s energy and health care businesses. As chairman and CEO, Culp has reinvigorated GE Aerospace with a culture of candor and facing into problems and a relentless focus on lean. His signature initiative, Flight Deck, partners leaders at the aircraft engine maker with workers and suppliers to remove barriers to productivity and create a safer, more effective work environment. In 2024, the company hired 900 new engineers and invested $650 million in manufacturing facilities and supply chain. In a few short years Culp, who had never previously run an aerospace company, has emerged as one of the industry’s most consequential CEOs in recent years.
The winners of the Aviation Week Network's 67th Laureate Awards have been announced, and tickets are now available for purchase.
The 2025 Laureates will be presented on March 6 at a black-tie gala at the National Building Museum in Washington. That evening, editors also will reveal five Grand Laureates selected from the winners in each of the industry categories.
For more information on attending or sponsoring the event please contact Rob Howlett at [email protected] Queries on general event information should be sent to Allison Gold at [email protected]
Sponsorship information: https://laureates.aviationweek.com/content/dam/markets/avia/laureates-aviationweek/en/2025/attend/Laureates_2025.pdf
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