Biography
Shan Carr Cooper 89C 95EvMBA recently left her post leading Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Marietta, Georgia, where she oversaw more than 6,300 employees. She was the first female general manager at the company and also served as vice president of business ethics. She embraced these two important roles with a confident zest, perhaps because she’d been continuously preparing for them most of her life. Years of studying, along with plenty of on-the-job training, allowed Cooper to fully spread her wings as a leader and stand out as an example of the power of lifelong learning.
When she joined Lockheed in 2002, she immediately began learning the nuances of one of the world’s largest defense contractors. For better or worse, it’s an industry that pivots on often-uncertain military sales. That adds an unmatched unpredictable element to the mix. But this dynamic only served to help Cooper become more comfortable with pressure, complexity and politics.
Working in the defense contract industry also goes beyond business. There are millions of dollars at stake, as well as the company’s reputation and culture. Moreover though, Cooper was responsible for the lives of those depending on Lockheed’s product integrity. A mistake could be more than costly — it could mean life or death.
Cooper never took this lightly. Then again, great responsibility begets great opportunities, as has been the case of late for Cooper. She was recently presented with a different opportunity, a new role within Lockheed Martin, but it required relocating. She opted to stay in Atlanta and seriously contemplated retirement. Ultimately she decided to accept a new role as chief transformation officer with WestRock, a global paper and packaging solutions company. It was the right fit for her next chapter, allowing her to focus on what she loves most — family and business.
At WestRock she led the recycling and waste services division as well as the information technology, global supply chain and enterprise logistics organizations. Her mission focused on supporting and growing the capabilities of her teams, developing and implementing new business processes, and identifying business growth opportunities.
In May 2018 the opportunity for Cooper to fully focus her energies on giving back became a reality – and she couldn’t let this opportunity pass her by. She was confident that now was the right time for her style of retirement.
“I left WestRock to focus on making a life-changing and sustainable impact on our communities in the areas of education, poverty, the arts and economic development, while continuing to actively serve the non-profit Boards I’m a part of, including serving as an Emory Trustee,” Cooper said.
Serving others continues to be a big part of Cooper’s legacy and isn’t something she takes lightly either. She has been an invaluable part of the Emory University Board of Trustees since 2014.
Retirement for Cooper allows her to have it all and give her all. She can now give others the benefit of her years of hard work and self-development, as well as her unparalleled business acumen, education, human insight and life experiences.
Cooper’s legacy continues on in her “retirement work.”
“I love doing what I do,” she said. “Focusing on business through the lens of the people I work with and who use the products and services is still very exciting. I think, too, when you go beyond to be the leader people need and the business needs, then everyone can succeed.”
Being a leader seems have come naturally to Cooper. She points out that to succeed as a leader, it all starts with listening. Talking comes secondary and, when it does, it’s candid and transparent. She’s always made a point to openly discuss the company’s status, the role of employees and where the organization needs to go.
Cooper’s listen-first, talk-second mantra is just one way she’s put ethics and integrity into action. She also notes that to successfully lead a positive culture, it’s crucial for employees to understand the reasons why she makes decisions.
“It doesn’t always make me the most popular person, but they know they’re getting the absolute truth and there’s a respect that comes with that,” she said.
Cooper’s ability to navigate business and life with integrity while leveraging education and ethics is something she credits to her family. Her parents laid the foundation when she was a child living in Anniston, Alabama. The daughter of a pastor and part of a military family, Cooper saw her parents give back to those in need. In the process, she learned the immeasurable value of investing in others.
Cooper also learned that a college education was her way forward and, in the process, she transformed her family’s future. She was the first in her family to get a degree, earning dual bachelor’s degrees before earning an MBA and an additional master’s.
“Education is a personal passion for me,” Cooper once told Georgia Trend. “When I’m talking to students, I often talk to them about never giving up. I would like to have a sincere impact on the education process for our youth, whether it’s getting girls excited about engineering and science and making sure they know they can do anything they put their mind to, or it’s reaching out to at-risk youth so that they can have a sense of hope. Those are things to me that are important.”
Combining knowledge, values and ethics is paramount for Cooper.
“People need to know they can count on you and that you’ll follow through,” she said.
“You talk to anyone in the company, when you say you’re working for Shan, everyone is so jealous,” Rainia Washington, vice president for diversity, culture and equal opportunity programs for all of Lockheed Martin, told Georgia Trend magazine, “Everyone wants to work for Shan.”
Cooper’s “follow through” and drive have manifested themselves in a number of positions and honors. She also gives back as a trustee and hosting breakfast and other events for Goizueta Business School students. When not out inspiring others, mentoring Goizueta business students or providing stretch opportunities for her employees to continue to develop and grow, she’s doing what her dad taught her to do through his own actions: meeting people where they are, wherever that is. The methodology is simple: listen to understand, learn as much as you can and don’t make assumptions because everyone matters and everyone is important.
To that end, Shan plans to continue her commitment to helping others leverage the power of education to make their dreams a reality.
“Education is my passion! I want to ensure that every child has the opportunity for a great education,” she said. “That’s the legacy I want to leave — that I cared.”