It’s one thing for a company to acquire another organization for growth in its market, but it’s even more exciting when that acquisition unlocks access to a new adjacent market.
When BAE Systems acquired Ball Aerospace earlier this year, BAE Systems’ new Space & Mission Systems sector was born, bringing the organization one step closer to achieving its aim to explore every region of the universe — or at least get as far as possible.
“The addition of Ball Aerospace really gave us that significant leap forward in our space capabilities, and it made sense to establish it as its own sector,” said Director of Strategic Communications Veronica Bonilla.
“The addition of Ball Aerospace really gave us that significant leap forward in our space capabilities.”
While acquisitions are never easy for employees, this one was different, according to Director of Human Resources Jeremy Yazinski. Having transitioned from Ball Aerospace to BAE Systems’ SMS sector, he expressed that the acquisition felt more like an advantageous alliance in which both organizations have equal importance in contributing to larger business goals.
“So often, these acquisitions kind of feel like an imperial exercise,” he said. “That’s not the mindset of BAE Systems. In fact, they’ve been far more interested in asking, ‘Hey, why do you do something this way?’ There’s more curiosity.”
The rise of the SMS sector and its impact on the wider organization has been palpable so far, furthering BAE Systems’ insight and access to the aerospace industry while amplifying SMS’ mission — to “improve the future and protect lives” — and its culture. For Bonilla, the benefits of the acquisition are already clear — and will only get clearer with time.
“We’re committed and invested in each other and our growth and want to see our company continue to succeed,” she said.
About Ball Aerospace and BAE Systems
Ball Aerospace was a wholly owned subsidiary of Ball Corporation, the manufacturing giant behind the iconic Ball mason jars and the world’s leading producer of aluminum packaging for beverage, personal care and household products. The company focused primarily on manufacturing spacecraft, components and instruments for national defense, civil space and commercial space applications.
Founded in 1999, BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, a global defense, aerospace and security company. The company specializes in building products for air, land and naval military forces in addition to developing solutions for use across a wide range of industries, including commercial transportation and aviation.
Unlocking Expertise and ‘Creative Dreaming’
To say BAE Systems’ SMS sector has strong industry connections is an understatement.
Trusted relationships with individuals at many high-level organizations, including NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, have unlocked expertise in many areas for the team, including spacecraft mission payloads, optical systems, sensors and antennas — all of which are critical to space technology development. The complementary offerings, customers and business models that SMS provides are enabling adjacent areas of growth for both SMS and the broader enterprise.
The acquisition presents benefits to other areas in BAE Systems, like the Electronic Systems sector, which has its own history in space-related programs, advancing safe space exploration in countless missions. With SMS now a part of the BAE Systems team, there’s an exciting opportunity for more cross-sector collaboration, expanding capabilities and broadening the reach across the board.
“This acquisition presents many collaboration opportunities for our complementary specialties,” said Joe Dziezynski, space systems product line director in the ES sector. “We are working together to identify strategic pursuits for our blended offerings across the industry. We also look forward to working with the SMS sector as we transition our airborne communications and electronic warfare capabilities to the space domain.”
“The acquisition has redefined our company’s position in the space market,” said Elizabeth Santos, software manager in ES.
According to Santos, the ES sector covers a broad array of technologies. In addition to the sector’s decades of experience in radiation-hardened space electronics, employees work on many different types of products including state-of-the-art seeker systems, propulsion and power management systems, flight and engine controls and electronic warfare technology. Because of this, Santos shared, there are plenty of opportunities for technologists in ES to work across different disciplines and locations to spur their own growth.
Bonilla added that, along with ES, the SMS sector also has ties to the Department of Defense and national intelligence community and an extensive understanding of command, control, communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance technologies as well as the missile and munitions markets.
With access to this type of knowledge, BAE Systems’ technologists have greater chances to enhance the company’s products — without excessive overhead. According to Yazinski, the organization is unlike others, given its lack of “suffocating bureaucracy,” which can bar team members from pursuing out-of-the-box ideas.
“There’s a creative dreamer kind of component to the culture,” he said.
“There’s a creative dreamer kind of component to the culture.”
This freedom even impacts HR team members in the SMS sector, Yazinski explained, as access to better tools and processes have given managers and employees greater autonomy and ownership over their work.
“Rather than devoting time during their week or month to stuff that’s probably not that exciting, now they get to be more creative and allow for time to have discussions with the leadership team on how we're going to make decisions to drive the business,” he said.
Ready, Set — Grow!
While BAE Systems’ team members stay busy building a full range of products and services that support missions across air, land, maritime, space, and cyber domains, they also focus on something that’s equally important: individual growth.
Santos said that those who wish to take their careers to the next level can participate in various initiatives, such as leadership development programs. These programs enable employees to take part in three full-time rotations, each lasting one year at different office locations, to gain new skills and experiences and attain a graduate degree, which is reimbursed by the company.
Santos took part in the Engineering Leadership Development Program, through which she was able to strengthen both her leadership and engineering skills early in her career and attain a master’s degree upon completion. She said the experience was transformative for her career, and it’s far from the only opportunity team members have to level up.
The company’s Catalyst, Emerging Leaders and Advanced Leaders programs are all geared toward helping more experienced employees build upon the skill set they need to drive success for both themselves and the business. Additionally, Santos noted, there are both formal and informal mentorship opportunities available to employees at every level, including a sponsorship program in which Santos participated.
These are all great resources to grow in a professional capacity — but what’s driving personal growth for employees? Bonilla said that the company’s eight employee resource groups, such as OutLink and the Women’s Inclusive Network, play a significant role in fostering this growth, bringing team members together to enrich their lives and those of others.
During her time as a leader in the company’s Hispanic Organization for Leadership Advancement ERG, she has seen team members from the SMS sector engage seamlessly with others from across BAE Systems, reflecting a cohesion that encompasses the overall culture.
Bonilla noted that those who wish to dive deeper into the company’s ERG initiatives can take part in the BRIDGE Program, which is a mentorship program that allows team members to share their experiences, explore their own lives and the lives of others, and develop meaningful connections. Having gone through the program herself, she knows just how impactful it can be.
“I’ve gained a mentor and, no matter how different we think our walks of life have been, we’ve found them to be more similar than not,” Bonilla said. “She’s really served as a sounding board as I continue to grow in my career. It’s a really special opportunity that I think is unique to BAE Systems and drives home the importance of inclusivity.”
‘All Voices Heard’
Santos said that there are a couple of phrases you’ll often hear around at a BAE Systems office, including: “We Protect Those Who Protect Us.®”
This commitment forms the crux of the organization, and it’s something the company shares in common with the SMS sector.
“That’s what drives a lot of the work we do here, and I know it’s something that people keep close to their hearts,” Santos said.
The other phrase, “All voices heard,” is more internal yet equally important when one considers the impact every individual — from early-career professionals to executives — has on the company.
“I think what that really gets down to is creating space for all levels of people in the business to voice their opinions and listen to them rather than just provide an opportunity to let them speak,” Santos said. “With the acquisition, we’re trying to hear from both sides of the fence on what works well, what doesn’t work well and how we can help each other.”
“With the acquisition, we’re trying to hear from both sides of the fence on what works well, what doesn’t work well and how we can help each other.”
Ensuring all voices are heard across both SMS and the broader BAE Systems will take time. Yet, Yazinski expressed, it’s already easy to see how combining talented people from both businesses has resulted in an even more powerful organization, foreshadowing an exciting — and unexpected — future.
“The acquisition will open doors that we may not have even known existed,” he said.
