Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun announced that he will be stepping down from his position at the end of the year after a series of setbacks for the aircraft manufacturer. The chairman of the board, Larry Kellner, also stated that he does not plan to run for re-election during the next shareholders’ meeting. Steve Mollenkopf will take over from Kellener as independent president and lead the process of selecting the next CEO.
In January, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launched an investigation into Boeing after a 737-9 (MAX) aircraft of Alaska Airlines experienced a fuselage issue during flight. This incident led to the grounding of all Boeing 737-9 (MAX) planes by the US Government until further safety measures were put in place.
Calhoun acknowledged the challenges faced by Boeing in a letter to employees and emphasized the importance of transparency and a commitment to safety and quality throughout the company. While he did not directly attribute his departure to the Alaska incident, Calhoun expressed his confidence in Boeing’s ability to recover and stabilize without him as CEO. He mentioned that discussions about a CEO transition have been ongoing for some time and believes that his tenure will come to a close once the necessary work has been completed to address the issues at hand. Despite facing scrutiny from around the world, Calhoun is optimistic about Boeing’s future and its ability to overcome current crisis.
