Strategic Clarity: From Conglomerate to “100-Year-Old Startup” | Carrier CEO, Dave Gitlin

If you have a project that could benefit from Alex's expertise, he and his industrial advisory team at Patriot Industrial Partners work with growth-oriented organizations to raise their operational, quality, and financial performance. Visit thefactorydoctor.com to learn more about private consulting and to request a discovery call. ------------------------------------- What happens when a 100-year-old industrial company suddenly has to operate like a startup? Dave Gitlin explains what it looked like to spin Carrier out of a major conglomerate in April 2020, exactly as COVID was turning into a global crisis. Almost immediately, the company had to navigate survival mode, rethink its operating model, reshape its portfolio, and define what Carrier would become as an independent business. What followed was a broader transformation around strategic focus, capital allocation, connected systems, AI infrastructure, and the future of thermal management. Dave shares how Carrier evolved from a traditional HVAC manufacturer into a thermal solutions company operating at the center of some of the largest infrastructure shifts of the modern era. Dave is the Chairman and CEO of Carrier and also serves on the board of Boeing following decades of leadership experience across Collins Aerospace and the former United Technologies businesses. What You’ll Discover In This Episode -Spinning Carrier out of United Technologies during the start of COVID -Building a “100-year-old startup” with a new culture, operating system, and leadership rhythm -Using strategic clarity to reshape the portfolio and capital allocation -The growth of AI infrastructure and the cooling demands behind data centers -Moving from HVAC products to intelligent thermal solutions -Rethinking global manufacturing through lifecycle cost, cash flow, and customer proximity Guest Bio Dave Gitlin is the Chairman and CEO of Carrier. He previously served as President & Chief Operating Officer of Collins Aerospace, and was President of UTC Aerospace Systems after leading the integration of Goodrich Corporation with UTC. In addition to his leadership roles, he has extensive experience in business development, strategy, and mergers and acquisitions. Gitlin holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, a Juris Doctorate from the University of Connecticut, and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. -------------------------------------- About Your Host Alex Krutz is the Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing at the U.S. Commerce Department and the Managing Director at Patriot Industrial Partners, an Industrial Advisory firm. Alex and his team partner with growth-oriented companies to improve their operational, quality, and financial performance, drawing on decades of experience in complex problem-solving, factory optimization, and supply chain optimization initiatives. Alex has earned the nickname “The Factory Doctor” from industry executives, analysts and media due to spearheading many manufacturing and supply chain turnarounds. Alex has completed over 250+ industrial performance improvement projects and manufacturing turnarounds around the globe in USA, Mexico, Canada, UK, Italy, France, South Africa, South Korea, Malaysia, Japan and India. You can find Alex’s Op-Ed articles that are featured in industry-leading publications, including Washington Times, Forbes, Aviation Week and Flight Global. He has also been cited in major media outlets, such as Wall Street Journal, Reuters, CNBC, among others. He has contributed to prominent conferences and webinars organized by Bank of America, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, and other institutions.