Following a series of safety calamities, Dave Calhoun, Boeing’s CEO, has said he will be stepping down from his position at the end of 2024.
“My decision to step down as CEO at the end of this year is one the board has been prepared for, and will result in a number of changes at a management and governance level moving forward. My long-time partner in all things Boeing, our Chair Larry Kellner, has advised the board and me that he does not intend to stand for re-election at our upcoming Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The board has elected Steve Mollenkopf to succeed Larry as chair. Steve will lead the board process of selecting my successor as CEO,” said Calhoun in communication addressed to Boeing’s employees.
The news appears to have been received positively by traders, with Boeing shares rising 4% shortly after the announcement. This is on the back of a 25% nosedive in Boeing’s stock after the door of an Alaska Airlines aircraft blew out mid-flight.
Death of quality control whistleblower
Mystery still surrounds the sudden death of John Barnett, the ex-Boeing staff member responsible for quality control for the manufacturer between 2010 and 2017. Barnett filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 2017 – the same year he retired due to stress-related medical issues.
OSHA closed the four-year investigation, reportedly finding no fault with Boeing. Barnett’s appeal was still pending when he died, along with a lawsuit he filed against Boeing, alleging that the company had “undermined his career because he had raised safety concerns”. In the lead-up to his death on March 9 this year, Barnett flagged major concerns regarding Boeing’s culture and approach to safety.
According to NPR.org, the alarm was sounded when Barnett was not present for his deposition in his lawsuit against Boeing. When police conducted a welfare check, Barnett was found fatally shot in his car that was parked at a Holiday Inn in Charleston.
The cause of Barnett’s passing earlier this month was deemed a suicide. However, eTurbo News reported that a week before his death, he told a friend, “I ain’t scared but if anything happens to me, it’s not suicide.”
The lawsuit against Boeing continues.
