SEATTLE – Boeing has ousted the leader of the 737 Max programme at its Renton plant and reshuffled its leadership team at the Commercial Airplanes division, effective immediately, reported tca/dpa.
The moves come more than a month after a Renton, Washington-assembled Max 9 saw a fuselage panel blow out of an Alaska Airlines flight departing Portland, Oregon.
Investigators contend key bolts were missing from the plane before the January 5 blowout, a failure that has increased scrutiny of quality control at Boeing and its suppliers and put intense pressure on company leadership.
Ed Clark, vice president of the Max programme and general manager at the Renton facility, will leave the company. He’s being replaced by Katie Ringgold, the current vice president of 737 delivery operations.
The changes were announced Wednesday morning in an email to employees by Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief Stan Deal.
Deal wrote that the leadership changes are intended to drive Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ “enhanced focus on ensuring that every airplane we deliver meets or exceeds all quality and safety requirements.”
Clark took charge of the Max programme in 2021 as it returned to service after two fatal crashes had grounded the jets worldwide for almost two years. He was responsible for 737 engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, and other support functions.
Deal wrote in his note that Clark “departs with my, and our, deepest gratitude for his many significant contributions over nearly 18 years of dedicated service to Boeing.”
However, a person familiar with the decision and who asked not to be identified commenting on sensitive personnel decisions, confirmed that Clark’s departure was not voluntary.
Clark is an engineer. His successor Ringgold has business degrees. However, she began her aviation career performing avionics systems maintenance and troubleshooting on C-130 cargo aircraft in the US Air Force. – February 22, 2024