I’ve been fortunate throughout my career to surround myself with smart, experienced and accomplished people, both active and retired executives. I found that lessons they shared with me were much more impactful than the 6 years of business school I attended to obtain a master’s degree.

I wrote below to recognize my mentor, my friend, and who I was fortunate to also call my business partner who taught me so much that it will have to be an entire book in the future.

“45 years ago today, on December 17, 1975, Arthur Serpa walked into the gates of General Dynamics Electric Boat Quonset Shipyard to start his career as a machinist. Working hard, sharpening his skills, and delivering results helped him climb up the corporate ladder all the way to Vice President of Operations at General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego.

After a successful seven years at NASSCO (and he’s not shy about sharing those success stories)—Art retired and returned to the East Coast. He spent a couple of years in North Carolina before moving back home to Rhode Island to be close to his family.

I met Art in early 2015 when he was asked to return to EB to consult on a few leadership initiatives. We quickly realized that we operated on the same playbook, so we began collaborating on various projects, delivering results, and along the way, forming a great friendship.

Art is happiest when walking the deck plate and mentoring mechanics, sharing “war stories” from his years in the shipyard. Although he retired from General Dynamics several years ago, you wouldn’t know it by looking at his limitless dedication and unwavering willingness to serve and support everyone—from the shop floor to the top floor.

In my 20+ years of consulting, I’ve had the honor and privilege of working with many successful executives, each with unique stories of their journey to the top. However, Art Serpa’s story remains the most intriguing and impressive, as he never lost touch with where he started 45 years ago. Whether we’re walking the deck plate, the hallways of Quonset Point, or the 10th floor in Groton, it’s easy to

see why this machinist at heart earned the trust and respect of so many powerful GD leaders.