Several of Boeing's candidates for CEO have turned it down, report says

• Boeing is said to be struggling to find a new CEO before Dave Calhoun departs at the end of the year.
• The Wall Street Journal reported that GE's Larry Culp declined the role, along with Carrier's David Gitlin.

Boeing is struggling to find a new CEO, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

Dave Calhoun announced in March that he'd step down at the end of the year in the wake of the Alaska Airlines blowout. He's set to face further scrutiny as he testifies before the Senate on Tuesday.

People familiar with the discussions told the Journal that Larry Culp, the CEO of GE Aerospace, turned down Boeing's request that he consider the role.

Culp gained plaudits for turning GE around after taking over in 2018, overhauling manufacturing processes and slashing debt.

David Gitlin, the CEO of the home-appliances firm Carrier and a member of the Boeing board, said in a first-quarter earnings call that he removed his name from the list of candidates, citing his commitment to Carrier.

One candidate still in the running is Stephanie Pope, the CEO of Boeing's commercial-airplanes division. Her predecessor, Stan Deal, announced his immediate retirement at the same time as Calhoun's resignation. She was formerly the plane-maker's chief operating officer and, like Calhoun, has a background in finance. A third-generation Boeing employee, she started as a finance analyst in 1994.

But the Journal reported that many insiders were lobbying for a CEO with an engineering background.

Boeing's struggles with the 737 Max have been linked to an emphasis on speed over safety, with delivery goals taking priority over quality control.

Another potential candidate is Pat Shanahan, the CEO of Spirit AeroSystems — the supplier that built the fuselage of the Alaska 737 Max that lost its door plug in midair. The firm is in discussions to be taken over by Boeing, while some parts of the business could be sold to Airbus.

The Journal reported that the CEO discussions had also included whether the next leader should be based near Boeing's factories in the Seattle area rather than at its Virginia HQ.

Boeing's decision to move its headquarters away from its traditional base in 2001 attracted controversy. The distance between corporate leaders and manufacturers on the ground has been cited as contributing to the plane-maker's struggles in maintaining standards.

In February, Boeing's board shut down a shareholder's bid to move its HQ back to Seattle.

And last September, the Journal reported that Boeing employees were irritated by Calhoun commuting via private jet while the firm began a return to the office.

Boeing didn't immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider.

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