Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg resigns
Dec 23, 2019, 6:23 AM | Updated: 7:15 am
Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg has resigned, the company announced early Monday morning.
The board of directors named its current chairman, David Calhoun, as his replacement, effective Jan. 13. Boeing Chief Financial Officer Greg Smith will serve as interim CEO.
The board said a change in leadership was necessary to restore confidence in Boeing. The 737 Max was grounded worldwide in March after the second of two crashes of its jet, killing a combined total of 346 people.
“I strongly believe in the future of Boeing and the 737 MAX,” Calhoun said. “I am honored to lead this great company and the 150,000 dedicated employees who are working hard to create the future of aviation.”
The leadership change follows Boeing’s announcement last week that it would halt Max production in January.
Then United Airlines said it would pull the Boeing 737 Max from its flight schedule until June. The same day, Spirit AeroSystems, which makes fuselages, said it would end deliveries intended for the Max in January, and Boeing’s new Starliner capsule went off course on a planned trip to the International Space Station.
Calhoun will remain a member of the board, but board member Lawrence Kellner will become chairman.
“On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I am pleased that Dave has agreed to lead Boeing at this critical juncture,” Kellner said. “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.”
The company’s timetable for bringing back the MAX has repeatedly proved too optimistic. In September, Muilenburg predicted that the plane would be flying by about October.
“I know there is a lot of pressure to return this aircraft to service quickly,” FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson said in November in a video for agency employees, “but I want you to know, and I want you to take the time you need and focus solely on safety.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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