Phontel is the Technical Director of Enterprise Program Management. She leads Enterprise initiatives focused on deploying industry best practices and standards that ensure superior program performance, enabling Blue Origin to scale through rapid growth. She is excited to be part of Blues Vision and Mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of earth.

Prior to that, Phontel was an Executive leader at Boeing for over nine years. Her last position there was as the Director of Program Management for Manufacturing, Safety and Quality. In this role, she is focused on One Boeing Production System and alignment to the Enterprise strategies, goals, and objectives. Phontel had responsibility for the definition and integration of Operations and Safety metrics across the programs and fabrication, along with digital transformation for manufacturing.

Phontel was the Director of the 737 MAX and 787-10 Program Management Offices. She was named to the MAX role at launch of the program towards the end of 2011. In this assignment she led a disciplined planning, commitment, and control process, which included adherence to the enterprise gated process. She brought strong functional excellence, implementing program management best practices with an emphasis on program execution and control elements. Responsibilities also included leading an integrated management system to ensure integration across all functions, Airplane Development and the 737 Program. In addition to her 737 MAX assignment, Phontel was named Director of the 787-10 in early 2016. In this role her focus was on leading program execution, functional excellence, and integration between 787 Airplane Development, Airplane Programs, and Boeing South Carolina.

Phontel was a senior manager on the 787 Program where she led program management responsibilities for the 787-9. This included planning and execution of the enterprise gated process, implementation of the -9 technology initiatives, blockpoint strategy for the 787 Program, and integration of the -9 into the 787 production system. Phontel also lead the development of recovery plans for propulsion performance to plan issues. She established the configuration and control offerability of 787 engine thrust, airplane model combinations, and airplane performance packages.

In 2008, Phontel lead the Program Management Office in Propulsion Systems. Her responsibilities include planning, commitment, and control using program management best practices. An emphasis was placed on development programs, improving the work statement management process, enhancing the management information system, and execution of BCA and Propulsion Systems strategic goals.

Phontel moved into management in 2005 within the BCA Production Business System Integration organization. She led the development of a new change management process and tool, along with an integrated project management team for business processes and information technology systems. Her responsibilities included developing a budgeting process that would enable the business to achieve functional excellence work statement without compromise to the production business systems, while faced with significant funding challenges.

When joining the Boeing Company, Phontel was a member of the Commercial Aviation Services organization. During her years there she focused on engineering, project management, finance, and program management for new and derivative airplane programs.

Phontel earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering and began her career working at a small civil engineering design and consulting firm. In 2008, Phontel earned her Executive MBA from the University of Washington. She was then nominated to participate in the Boeing Program Manager’s Development Program, class of 2010.

Phontel served as a board member for the American Red Cross for six years and is nearing the end of her Seafair board term. She mentors others, sharing her experiences and providing career guidance. Phontel resides in Mukilteo, enjoys summers and the outdoors, and is especially grateful for quality time with her daughter and son.