Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun, along with Chairman Larry Kellner and Boeing Commercial Airplanes President Stan Deal, are stepping down in a management shakeup for the troubled aerospace giant. Calhoun will be leaving his post at the end of 2024, while Kellner will resign during Boeing’s annual meeting in May. The departures come amid increased pressure from airlines and regulators for major changes at Boeing following a series of quality and manufacturing issues with their planes.
Calhoun expressed the need for humility, transparency, and a renewed commitment to safety and quality in response to the recent Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 accident involving a Boeing 737 Max 9. Airline CEOs have been meeting with Boeing directors to address concerns about manufacturing quality controls and production levels of the 737 Max planes, prompting the leadership changes at Boeing. Calhoun, who took over in early 2020 after the ousting of the previous CEO due to mishandling of deadly 737 Max crashes, has been working to address the company’s quality struggles.
As Boeing undergoes this management reshuffling, newly appointed Chairman Steve Mollenkopf and CEO Stephanie Pope will be tasked with leading the company through its challenges. The aerospace giant faces mounting scrutiny and demands for improvement as it navigates the aftermath of recent accidents and seeks to regain trust from both customers and industry stakeholders. Boeing’s commitment to addressing safety, quality, and manufacturing issues will be closely watched as it moves forward under new leadership.
