Which Boeing exec will take the fall for the 787?

Published 8:14 am Thursday, June 25, 2009

With investment firms and others predicting a lengthy delay for Boeing’s 787, in today’s story, I asked analysts whether Boeing will need to shake up management in order to appease Wall Street and Dreamliner customers for this latest setback.

The Teal Group’s Richard Aboulafia pointed out that the cause of this fifth delay is more of a technical issue than a management issue. Previous delays had investors questioning Boeing’s oversight of its global supply chain.

But Boeing’s communications strategy is a management issue, Aboulafia said.

JSA Research’s Paul Nisbet didn’t think a change in management would come until a new schedule is outlined, if at all. But he noted that several managers on the program – Scott Fancher, Pat Shanahan – are too new to it to take the blame.

Ultimately, that puts responsibility on the doorstep of key senior executives like Scott Carson, president of commercial airplanes, and Jim McNerney, Boeing Co. chief executive.

Neither McNerney nor Carson set up the 787’s supply chain.

But both maintained last week that the 787 would fly by June 30 – part of Boeing’s communications/credibility problem.

Readers, what do you think? Will a Boeing executive take the fall for the 787’s fifth major delay?

After Boeing’s latest delay, when will the company fly its 787?(survey software)