The board of directors of the US Boeing Group, a company specializing in the aerospace and defense sectors, has started the search for the new CEO who will replace the current CEO Dave Calhoun, who resigned by the end of 2024. A move with which the company is aiming for a management reorganization that will see Steve Mollenkopf as the new chairman of the board and Stephanie Pope at the helm of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

According to various analysts and experts in the US aviation sector, the replacement for Calhoun, 66, could be identified among a shortlist of names of managers external to the Group. The new CEO will have to address three major issues: improving the company's safety culture; troubleshooting product quality problems; regaining the trust of regulators, customers and public reputation.

Excluding Pope, who was supposed to replace Calhoun but who was entrusted with a very delicate role in Boeing Commercial Airplanes, there is a wide range of names being considered. Among the favorites is Pat Shanahan, former Boeing executive and former US secretary of defense, current CEO of Spirit Aerosystems, a Boeing supplier company. It remains to be seen whether he will want to take this onerous weight on his shoulders.

Another figure is that of the president of American Airlines, Greg Smith, former financial director of Boeing who was fired in 2021 by Calhoun, but it is not clear whether he would be willing to give up his current role. Among the candidates there is also the CEO of General Electric, Larry Culp, who however will take the reins of the GE Aerospace division from next week.

On the topic, see also the article published by AVIONEWS.