‘We need someone to fix Boeing.’ Here’s who could replace Calhoun as the troubled plane maker’s CEO

[mwai_chat context=”Let’s have a discussion about this article:nnIn this articleBAFollow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNTAn aerial photo shows Boeing 737 Max airplanes parked on the tarmac at the Boeing Factory in Renton, Washington, on March 21, 2019.Lindsey Wasson | ReutersHelp wanted at Boeing.CEO Dave Calhoun on Monday announced he is stepping down from the aerospace giant’s top post at year’s end as the company struggles with a safety and production quality crisis tied to its bestselling airplane, the 737 Max. Boeing said it will begin a search for Calhoun’s replacement.Boeing also announced Monday it’s replacing board Chair Larry Kellner and the chief executive of its all-important commercial airplanes unit, Stan Deal.Calhoun told CNBC on Monday that the decision to retire was “100%” his own and that he would be involved in finding his successor. His departure isn’t much of a surprise given the struggles of the last few months.Boeing’s customers had grown frustrated under Calhoun’s watch as they faced the fallout from recurring quality issues that span programs like the 737 Max, the 787 Dreamliner and the two 747s that will serve as Air Force One aircraft.”We need someone to fix Boeing,” one major airline executive, who wasn’t authorized to speak to the media, told CNBC after Boeing announced the management shake-up Monday. “They unequivocally needed a change.”With supply chain issues, quality lapses and more regulator scrutiny in the wake of a panel blowout from an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 in January, airplane deliveries are arriving late, and airline executives say the problems have forced them to change their growth and fleet plans.Executives at Boeing’s customers told CNBC they want the company’s new leader to have manufacturing acumen, expertise in the highly regulated and technical world of aviation, and, perhaps most difficult of all, the ability to rally Boeing’s employees and ensure a culture of safety, consistency and innovation.”This is going to be a challenging role to fill. You’re going to need someone with a huge amount of energy and commitment,” said John Plueger, CEO of Air Lease, a major buyer of Boeing planes that leases them to airlines. “You don’t want somebody for two years. You want someone at the head of the ship for as long as possible.”The next boss at Boeing will have to contend not just with the company’s internal struggles but lost market share to rival Airbus. Meanwhile, China has been pushing ahead with building its own commercial aircraft.”I want somebody who knows how to handle a big, long-cycled business like ours,” Calhoun told CNBC in an interview Monday while announcing his departure. “It’s not just the production of the airplane. It’s the development of the next airplane. Our next lead is going to develop … the next airplane for the Boeing company.”Financial analysts applauded the amount of time Boeing is giving itself to find Calhoun’s replacement. Four-year Boeing board member Steve Mollenkopf, an ex-Qualcomm CEO who will take over as independent chairman of the board, will lead the search.”It provides leadership continuity, which a knee-jerk change would not, and CEO Dave Calhoun clearly is on board with the need to bolster safety,” said TD Cowen analyst Cai von Rumohr, in a note Monday.While Boeing didn’t comment on its top candidates, here’s who some aviation experts say could potentially lead Boeing:Larry CulpLarry Culp, chairman and chief executive officer of General Electric Co., speaks during the Semafor World Economy Summit in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, April 12, 2023.Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesG …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]