Amid 737 MAX Crisis, Boeing Board Boots CEO Dennis Muilenburg

Boeing announced that, effective immediately, Dennis Muilenburg is no longer the company’s CEO. In a brief statement issued Monday morning, the builder said that the Board of Directors “decided that a change in leadership was necessary to restore confidence in the Company moving forward as it works to repair relationships with regulators, customers and all other stakeholders.”

This implies that Muilenburg’s resignation was demanded by the board, rather than a decision made by the now-former CEO. David L Calhoun, who previously replaced Muilenburg as Chairman of the Board, is set to take the role effective Jan. 13, 2020.

While Calhoun exits his non-Boeing commitments, the company’s Chief Financial Officer Greg Smith will assume an interim CEO role, and Lawrence Kellner is becoming a non-executive Chairman of the Board.

“On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I am pleased that Dave has agreed to lead Boeing at this critical juncture,” Mr. Kellner said in a press release. He added, “Dave has deep industry experience and a proven track record of strong leadership, and he recognizes the challenges we must confront. The Board and I look forward to working with him and the rest of the Boeing team to ensure that today marks a new way forward for our company,” he concluded.

Calhoun rapidly reassured that the leadership change is not modifying the course for the MAX restoration process. “I strongly believe in the future of Boeing and the 737 MAX. I am honored to lead this great company and the 150,000 dedicated employees who are working hard to create the future of aviation.”

While the path to that return to flight condition still remains a mystery, the Board of Directors felt that a shakeup to the management was necessary to change the company’s image: “Under the Company’s new leadership, Boeing will operate with a renewed commitment to full transparency, including effective and proactive communication with the FAA, other global regulators and its customers,” a statement concluded.

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Pablo Diaz

Since a little kid, Pablo set his passions in order: aviation, soccer, and everything else. He has traveled to various destinations throughout South America, Asia, and Europe.

Technology and systems expert, occasional spotter, not-so-dynamic midfielder, blogger, husband, father of three cats; he believes that Latin America's aviation industry past, present, and future offer a lot of stories to be told.

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