Boeing chief must have engineering background, Emirates boss says
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Re: Boeing chief must have engineering background, Emirates boss says
#2> Pope, who is an obvious contender, has a background in finance. Dave Gitlin, a Boeing director who is chief executive of Carrier, which manufactures heating and cooling systems, has a background in aerospace, previously holding roles at Collins Aerospace and United Technologies.
> A third possible contender is Patrick Shanahan, head of Boeing’s supplier Spirit AeroSystems, which supplied the door plug that blew out during the Alaska Airlines flight in January. He previously spent three decades at the plane maker. Greg Smith, American Airlines chair and a former Boeing finance director, is seen as another potential candidate.
Re: Boeing chief must have engineering background, Emirates boss says
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Re: Boeing chief must have engineering background, Emirates boss says
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Re: Boeing chief must have engineering background, Emirates boss says
#5> Pope, who is an obvious contender, has a background in finance. Dave Gitlin, a Boeing director who is chief executive of Carrier, which manufactures heating and cooling systems, has a background in aerospace, previously holding roles at Collins Aerospace and United Technologies. > A third possible contender is Patrick Shanahan, head of Boeing’s supplier Spirit AeroSystems, which supplied the door plug that blew out…
So what you are saying is all the options are bad?
Re: Boeing chief must have engineering background, Emirates boss says
#6I don’t see why you need an engineer to manage engineers. You need someone who can synthesize high level requirements across many domains.
What we need are laws and regulations that force all companies to make products that don’t harm their customers or the rest of the world. An engineer can make a product that kills people. A financeer can hire engineers that won’t kill people. You need good people doing good things either way.
Re: Boeing chief must have engineering background, Emirates boss says
#7I don’t see why you need an engineer to manage engineers. You need someone who can synthesize high level requirements across many domains. What we need are laws and regulations that force all companies to make products that don’t harm their customers or the rest of the world. An engineer can make a product that kills people. A financeer can hire engineers that won’t kill people. You need good people doing good things…
I agree that, in general, you don't need an engineer to manage engineers. However, management is the one that sets priorities, and I can see an argument that in order for Boeing to get back to being an organization that values solid engineering practices, having an engineer in management could be of great value.
Re: Boeing chief must have engineering background, Emirates boss says
#8I don’t see why you need an engineer to manage engineers. You need someone who can synthesize high level requirements across many domains. What we need are laws and regulations that force all companies to make products that don’t harm their customers or the rest of the world. An engineer can make a product that kills people. A financeer can hire engineers that won’t kill people. You need good people doing good things…
For the same reason you chose generals from people who have experience fighting, if at all possible.
To be able to appreciate realities of what Boeing is doing and not just focus on financials. The point is it does not matter how much you know about financials or business management if your product sucks. And there are way more people who know finances and business management than people who can appreciate the kind of engineering that happens in aerospace, so you want a person who knows engineering.
Re: Boeing chief must have engineering background, Emirates boss says
#9I don’t see why you need an engineer to manage engineers. You need someone who can synthesize high level requirements across many domains. What we need are laws and regulations that force all companies to make products that don’t harm their customers or the rest of the world. An engineer can make a product that kills people. A financeer can hire engineers that won’t kill people. You need good people doing good things…
Having been part of an engineering company that was taken over by MBAs, I wish you were right but I no longer believe.
Re: Boeing chief must have engineering background, Emirates boss says
#10I don’t see why you need an engineer to manage engineers. You need someone who can synthesize high level requirements across many domains. What we need are laws and regulations that force all companies to make products that don’t harm their customers or the rest of the world. An engineer can make a product that kills people. A financeer can hire engineers that won’t kill people. You need good people doing good things…
I agree that, in general, you don't need an engineer to manage engineers. However, management is the one that sets priorities, and I can see an argument that in order for Boeing to get back to being an organization that values solid engineering practices, having an engineer in management could be of great value.
Gaining the respect of the engineering workforce might have a role here too.