Who is Stephanie Pope? Boeing’s New COO

On December 11, Boeing announced the appointment of Stephanie Pope to the newly established role of Chief Operating Officer (COO). This move positions Pope as a likely candidate to succeed David Calhoun as CEO when he steps down. Here’s an overview of Stephanie Pope’s nearly three-decade career at Boeing:

Education & Career:

• Stephanie Pope joined Boeing in 1994 and has held various senior-level positions across all three of the company’s key businesses.
• Prior to her appointment as CEO of Boeing Global Services (BGS) in April 2022, Pope served as the Finance Chief of the commercial airplanes business from December 2020 to March 2022. Before that, she was the CFO of BGS from January 2017 to December 2020.
• She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Southwest Missouri State University and earned a Master of Business Administration from Lindenwood University.

BGS Performance Under Pope:

• Boeing Global Services (BGS) is the only Boeing business segment to report a profit in the first nine months of 2023, showcasing resilience amidst challenges faced by other segments.
• Under Pope’s leadership, BGS revenue increased by 9% to $4.81 billion for the quarter ending September 30, 2023. Operating margins saw a slight dip from 16.5% to 16.3%.
• BGS provides critical services such as engineering, maintenance, modifications, upgrades, conversions, and spare parts to Boeing’s commercial and defense customers.

Reactions and Succession Speculation:

• Industry analysts suggest that Pope’s appointment as COO positions her as a strong contender to succeed Dave Calhoun as Boeing’s CEO.
• Jefferies analysts noted that this move “could be setting her up as a possible successor to Dave Calhoun.”
• Vertical Research Partners analyst Robert Stallard emphasized Pope’s pivotal role in generating the company’s profits, making her a front-runner for the CEO position.
• Boeing CEO Calhoun acknowledged Pope’s extensive operational, financial, and customer experience in her new role as COO.

This strategic move signals Boeing’s focus on internal talent for key leadership positions, and Stephanie Pope’s proven track record at the helm of Boeing Global Services positions her as a formidable candidate for future leadership roles within the company.