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Boeing has removed the chief operating officer (COO) title from Stephanie Pope, seemingly freeing the long-time company executive up to focus on running the company’s Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) division under CEO Kelly Ortberg.
Pope continues to serve as EVP, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the manufacturer said in a Feb. 25 regulatory filing announcing the changes.
Named to the newly created COO position in late 2023, Pope was widely seen as former CEO Dave Calhoun’s preferred choice to take over as Boeing’s top executive. But Boeing’s plans were forced to change just a few weeks later in the aftermath of the January 2024 Alaska Airlines 737-9 door-plug blowout. In addition to significant internal procedural changes that are still taking hold, Boeing shook up its senior ranks. Calhoun announced his departure, and Pope replaced Stan Deal as BCA president. Ortberg was tapped to take over for Calhoun, starting in August 2024.
Boeing is not expected to name a new COO, sources familiar with the company’s thinking tell Aviation Week.
The change, effective Feb. 19, continues a steady shift among senior leaders under Ortberg.
Ortberg announced in an internal memo Feb. 19 that Chief Aerospace Safety Officer (CASO) Mike Delaney plans to retire “later this year.” Delaney’s replacement will be announced “in the coming weeks,” Ortberg said.
In three decades at Boeing, Pope has held senior positions within its global services and defense and space business units. Speaking at a recent Barclays investor event, Ortberg cited Pope’s leadership at BCA as a key part of the company’s ongoing recovery from years of production and new program development challenges.
“Stephanie and her team are all over this,” Ortberg said, referring to a focused effort to stabilize and slowly increase 737 production rates under an FAA-imposed plan. “They’re doing a very good job. Our customers are giving us good feedback in this area, and we’re getting decent feedback from the FAA, too.”
Boeing’s filing also said that Sabrina Soussan will not stand for re-election at the next shareholders’ meeting. She will not be replaced.
“The decision was not due to any disagreement with the company on any matter relating to its operations, policies or practices,” Boeing said of the board changes. “In connection with this decision, the board approved a reduction in its size, effective as of the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.” The company has not announced the meeting date.
Soussan, a former CEO of French utility company Suez SA, joined the 12-member Boeing board in 2023.
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