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Spirit Aero chief in spotlight as Boeing look for new CEO

Boeing's longawaited announcement that it will buy back its struggling provider, Spirit AeroSystems, now shifts the focus of financiers to the planemaker's look for a brand-new CEO. Boeing has been looking for a brand-new head after Dave Calhoun stated in March he would step down by yearend, in a broad management shakeup following a January midair panel blowout on a 737 MAX airplane.

Several possible candidates have emerged, including Patrick Shanahan, who has been running Spirit AeroSystems for the past 9 months. Other prospects include Boeing's chief operating officer, Stephanie Pope, and existing board chair Steve Mollenkopf.

Regardless of who is called CEO, Shanahan, 62, is notable for his previous period at Boeing and existing role as Spirit's CEO. An engineer by training, during his 31-year career at the planemaker he was referred to as Mr. Fix-It for his ability to turn around inadequately performing programs.

It's very considerable having Shanahan back into Boeing as an executive, said Bill George, former Medtronic CEO and executive fellow at Harvard Organization School. They require someone who comprehends the technology or aerospace technology. Shanahan took the reins at Spirit last October after his predecessor resigned following a series of mishaps at the supplier, which makes Boeing's 737 fuselages and other airframe parts.

After taking control of, he pledged to stabilize operations and improve cash flow at Spirit. However the Jan. 5 mid-air panel blowout dealt a huge blow to Shanahan's turnaround plans for Spirit. Federal private investigators found that the panel was removed by Boeing workers to repair rivet damage present when the airplane was delivered by Spirit last year. After the January incident, Spirit said it would invest in self-governing innovation, boost training for mechanics and the number of Boeing and Spirit-performed evaluations, in addition to take actions to mistake-proof 737 MAX production. In May, the business said it was pursuing various alternatives to shore up liquidity. It also revealed strategies to lay off numerous hundred employees in Wichita, Kansas.

Shanahan was not readily available for remark.

He was put in charge of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner in 2008 during a troubled time in the program's development and increased to become Boeing's senior vice president for supply chain and operations in 2016. His Boeing profession ended in 2017 when he became U.S. deputy secretary of defense Shanahan was called acting U.S. defense. secretary in January 2019 after Jim Mattis resigned but he took out of his quest for the irreversible job in June of that year.

Spirit AeroSystems was founded as an independent business in 2005 when Boeing offered its Wichita, Kansas, and Oklahoma plants. With Boeing's new deal for Spirit not due to close up until mid-2025, it was not instantly clear how long Shanahan may stay connected to the aerostructures company.

Ernest Arvai, president of consultancy AirInsight Group, stated Shanahan's long association with Boeing has actually made him steeped in its culture, which he stated is not what the jetmaker needs.

They need to alter their culture, he stated. I'm simply not sure he would have the extra gravitas to be able to do that job.

Some market sources state Spirit's continued battles under Shanahan might hamper his chances of gaining the leading task at Boeing.

After the January mid-air event, Shanahan stated that quality would drive the settlement of Spirit executives. He gotten about $8.9 million in overall compensation last year.

Tony Bancroft, portfolio supervisor at Gabelli Funds, which holds shares of both Boeing and Spirit, said that while Shanahan was trying to get Spirit on the best track, he potentially had too little time to make the necessary changes.

Bancroft said he has actually gotten really positive feedback on Shanahan from a few of Boeing's large investors.

I think he's a sensible, natural fit, he stated.

(source: Reuters)