Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun speaks briefly with reporters after arriving for a meeting at the office of Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) on Capitol Hill, January 24, 2024, in Washington.
Drew Angerer | Getty Images
Boeing shareholders voted to re-elect outgoing CEO Dave Calhoun to the board, according to preliminary results Friday, as he sought to reassure investors that the automaker is on its way to stability amid the latest safety crisis.
Calhoun announced in March that he would step down by the end of the year, months after a door plug panel exploded on a Boeing 737 Max 9 flight, sparking recent scrutiny of the manufacturer’s safety and quality control issues. As part of the shake-up, Boeing also replaced its board chairman and head of its commercial aircraft division.
Boeing’s recent CEO, Steve Mollenkopf, told shareholders at the company’s annual meeting on Friday that he had been consulting with investors and customers about Calhoun’s successor. Proxy counsel Glass Lewis recommended that shareholders vote against Calhoun and two other board members.
Boeing’s latest problems have slashed deliveries of recent planes, frustrating airline executives who have complained about having to reschedule flights and cut jobs. It also further strained Boeing’s relationship with the regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration, which has increased the manufacturer’s inspections.
Earlier this week, the Justice Department found that Boeing had violated a 2021 settlement that shielded the company from criminal charges related to two deadly 737 Max crashes, exposing Boeing to potential U.S. prosecution.
