Summary
- Learn from the past to create a better future. Acknowledging past mistakes is key for Boeing’s recovery.
- It is crucial for the new CEO to be a strong leader who understands the aviation industry and is hands-on.
- Emirates President suggests the CEO should be an aerospace engineer to help address production issues at Boeing.
The search for a new Boeing CEO continues, with Dave Calhoun set to leave at the end of the year. Any incoming replacement will face enormous public and investor scrutiny, and no formal announcement about potential candidates for the role has yet been made.
Looking at the past is paramount.
Speaking at a conference in Dubai, Willie Walsh, chairman of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents more than 300 airlines, suggested that any potential replacement must be able to look objectively at the past to build a better future.
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Gitlin comes with extensive experience in the aerospace industry.
Speaking to Reuters, Walsh emphasized that the aviation industry benefits from learning from its mistakes and sharing that learning with everybody. In Boeing’s case, he suggested that the best path forward is an acknowledgment of what went wrong, evaluating best practices, and looking at what others do:
“It is not for me to say who should be running Boeing. But I think an understanding of what went wrong in the past, that’s very important.”
The chairman further concluded that it is vital to foster an environment “where people feel secure in putting their hands up and saying things aren’t working the way they should do,” as the manufacturer recovers from several safety-related incidents. However, he believes Boeing is back on the right track going forward:
“The industry is frustrated by the problems as a result of the issues that Boeing have encountered. But personally, I’m pleased to see that they are taking the right steps.”
Preferred qualifications for the new Boeing CEO continue to dominate discussions, with stakeholders worldwide offering input.
“It should be an aerospace engineer.”
Also, over the weekend in Dubai, the President of the Emirates had some suggestions for the selection process. As the largest customer of Boeing widebodies, Emirates has a vested interest in production at the manufacturer. Speaking to Bloomberg yesterday, Sir Tim Clark highlighted the need for someone at the top who will get involved at the ground level.
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Sir Tim Clark thinks Boeing must look back at the last 10-15 years to see what went wrong.
According to Clark, the key attributes for the new head of Boeing must include somebody who’s hands-on, is a great communicator, great leader, and that people will respect and follow because they understand the issues:
“You need a true leader, a strong person, a great communicator who understands the business.”
“I’ve always said it should be an aerospace engineer. It would help a lot.”
Photo: Soos Jozsef | Shutterstock
Clark continued by highlighting Alan Mulally as an example. Mulally previously served as CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes before taking over as the head of the Ford Motor Company. While Boeing has not announced any potential candidates for the role, there are rumors that Stephanie Pope, presently filling in for Stan Deal as the top executive at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, might be in the running.
Other potential contenders include Pat Shanahan, the CEO of Spirit AeroSystems, American Airlines Chairman Greg Smith, and Boeing board member David Gitlin.