Boeing change amid recent safety failures

In a dramatic turn of events, Boeing has confirmed that Dave Calhoun, its President and CEO, will step down from his role by the end of 2024.

This announcement was made on Monday, March 25, marking a significant shift in the aviation giant’s leadership in the middle of ongoing safety concerns.

Calhoun has expressed in a letter to all employees that working at Boeing has been ‘the greatest privilege of his life’, asserting that ‘The eyes of the whole world are on us and I know that we will overcome this moment as a better company.’

A time of transition

Calhoun’s departure is seen as a step towards stabilising and repositioning the company after a tumultuous period.

‘We will continue to focus on completing the work begun to return stability to the company after the extraordinary challenges of the last five years’, he highlighted, with a clear focus on ‘safety and quality.’

Leadership changes at the helm

Further to Calhoun’s exit, Boeing announced that Larry Kellner, the President of the company’s board, will not seek re-election at the upcoming shareholders meeting.

Steve Mollenkopf has been elected to take over as the independent chairman of the board, tasked with leading the search for the new CEO. Kellner’s tenure on Boeing’s board spans 13 years, with Mollenkopf stepping in after serving as Qualcomm’s CEO.

Facing the future

Boeing has been grappling with a safety and reputation crisis since 2019, stemming from a series of issues with its 737 MAX models.

These models were involved in two fatal accidents within six months. More recently, an Alaska Airlines plane had to make an emergency landing after part of its fuselage was lost during flight in January.

This series of events underscores the challenges Boeing faces as it seeks to restore confidence in its safety standards and rebuild its reputation in the aerospace industry.