The American aircraft manufacturer Boeing, in the midst of turmoil after several safety problems on its planes, announced this Monday March 25 the departure at the end of the year of its boss Dave Calhoun, as well as that of other managers.
Dave Calhoun will remain at the helm until the end of 2024, the company said in a press release. Stan Deal, director of the commercial aviation division, is replaced with immediate effect by Stephanie Pope, the group’s current operating director.
Board Chairman Larry Kellner further “informed the board that he does not plan to run for re-election in the next election” during the annual general meeting of shareholders, according to the press release. He had held this position since the end of 2019.
The board of directors chose Steve Mollenkopf, a member of Boeing’s executive board and former boss of chipmaker Qualcomm, to succeed him. As such, Steve Mollenkopf will be responsible for finding a new general manager for Boeing. “Serving Boeing has been the greatest privilege of my life,” Dave Calhoun said in a letter to Boeing employees. “The eyes of the world are on us and I know we will come out better as a company,” he added.
Serial setbacks
The American aircraft manufacturer is at the heart of several investigations after a series of incidents and production problems. At the beginning of January, a door of a Boeing 737 MAX 9, operated by Alaska Airlines, came loose a few minutes after takeoff, causing a few minor injuries.
Among other consequences, the United States Civil Aviation Agency (FAA) launched an audit of the manufacturer’s quality control. At the beginning of March, it indicated that “non-compliance issues” had been identified in the production control of Boeing and its subcontractor Spirit Aerosystems.