Boeing has a plan, brings in Carson

CHICAGO: Boeing faces another transition at the top following Alan Mulally’s unexpected switch from planes to automobiles.

But after absorbing two CEO changes in two years without losing momentum, it looks well-positioned to withstand Mulally’s departure to run Ford Motor.

Losing Mulally as the head of Boeing Commercial Airplanes was a price the aerospace company paid Tuesday for bypassing him for the CEO’s job last year and choosing Jim McNerney of 3M instead.

Boeing was ready. Anticipating a potential move months ago, McNerney promptly named the airplane division’s sales ace Scott Carson to replace Mulally as president and CEO of the Seattle-based unit. Aerospace industry analysts and Wall Street took the news calmly.