James Sulak

I’m a technology executive based in Houston, Texas. I currently serve as a Senior Director of Engineering at Collins Aerospace. My previous role was President of FlightAware. My hobbies include cycling, photography, reading history, and keeping up with my three small children. My preferred editor is Emacs, although I’ve been known to use VS Code.

Writing

I write at Box Kite Machine about technology leadership. Below is a selection of essays:

• Recommended reading for technology leaders
• Acceptance is not agreement
• First-team mindset
• Crews, Wings, and Alliances. Part 1: The Principles of How We Work
• Making the decision right
• Notes on the Unicorn Project by Gene Kim

Elsewhere

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Github
• james [at] boxkitemachine.net

In the News

• Houston-based FlightAware has collected flight data for years. Here's how it’s shaking up travel.

Bio

James Sulak serves as Senior Director of Engineering: Applications, Messaging, and Flight Ops at Collins Aerospace, leading a global team of engineers building products to make aviation more efficient and reliable.

Prior to that, James Sulak served as FlightAware’s President from 2021-2023. In this role, he directed all of FlightAware’s global teams and drove corporate growth. Before being named President, James served for five years as FlightAware’s Vice President of Engineering. In that role, he led the rapid growth of FlightAware’s industry-leading software development, operations, and product design teams. His teams were responsible for designing and delivering innovative data and products, the reliability of FlightAware’s worldwide infrastructure, and the growth of the world’s largest terrestrial ADS-B ground station network. He defined many of the core organizational practices that continue to drive FlightAware’s business today.

James graduated Magna Cum Laude from Rice University. His hobbies include photography, cycling, reading history, and keeping up with his three children. He lives in Houston, Texas.