The Chicago-based aerospace giant announced Calhoun would leave the company at the end of 2024.

 

Calhoun Ends Five-Year Run Under Dark Cloud of 737 MAX

According to his official biography provided by Boeing, Calhoun first joined the company as a board member in 2009. His prior experience includes a 26-year career at GE, followed by short stints at Nielsen Holdings and Blackstone.

 

Calhoun’s five-year run at Boeing was marked with numerous difficulties. One year after the accidents of Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, Calhoun questioned the abilities of the pilots to The New York Times, claiming they did not have the same experience as U.S.-based aviators. At the end of 2023, he missed a performance-based payment after the 777X did not come into service.

 

In an open letter to Boeing employees, Calhoun acknowledged the significance of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 in his decision, calling it “a watershed moment for Boeing.” After speaking to the board about a chief executive transition, Calhoun announced he would leave the company by the end of 2024.

 

“I originally agreed to take on the role of CEO of Boeing at the board’s request, stepping down as board chair in the process, because of the unprecedented circumstances the company was facing at that time,” Calhoun wrote in the letter. “It has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve in both roles and I will only feel the journey has been properly completed when we finish the job that we need to do. We are going to fix what isn’t working, and we are going to get our company back on the track towards recovery and stability.”

 

Calhoun will not be the only executive leaving the company by the end of the year. Longtime board chair Larry Kellner will vacate his post at the next annual shareholder meeting. Succeeding him is Steve Mollenkopf, the former CEO of Qualcomm who will be tasked with leading the search for a new leader for Boeing.

 

More immediately, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO Stan Deal has “retired” from his position effective immediately. He will be replaced by Stephanie Pope, who was promoted to the chief operating officer role at Boeing in January 2024.

 

Feature image courtesy; Boeing

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