Boeing marked a pivotal moment in its leadership trajectory as it appointed Stephanie Pope, a seasoned veteran within the company, to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer (COO) on Monday. The move positions Pope, a long-serving insider, as a leading candidate to succeed David Calhoun as CEO when he eventually steps down.
Stephanie Pope’s extensive career spans nearly three decades with the U.S. aerospace giant, having joined Boeing in 1994. Throughout her tenure, she ascended through various senior-level positions across all three of Boeing’s core businesses, showcasing her prowess and strategic acumen within the company.
Her trajectory includes significant leadership roles, notably as the Chief Executive Officer of Boeing Global Services (BGS) from April 2022, preceded by her tenure as the finance chief of the commercial airplanes business and earlier as the CFO of BGS.
Stephanie Pope holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Southwest Missouri State University and a Master of Business Administration from Lindenwood University, underpinning her academic foundation in finance and business administration.
Under Stephanie Pope’s leadership, BGS emerged as Boeing’s sole business reporting a profit in the first nine months of 2023. Amidst challenges faced by the commercial planemaking division due to supply chain issues and cost overruns in defense businesses, BGS showcased resilience, recording a 9 percent revenue increase to $4.81 billion in the quarter through Sept. 30, 2023. However, operating margins slightly dipped to 16.3 percent from 16.5 percent.
Boeing’s Services division, overseen by Stephanie Pope, focuses on providing a spectrum of services like engineering, maintenance, modifications, and spare parts to both commercial and defense customers, Reuters news report said.
Analysts have highlighted Stephanie Pope’s pivotal role, citing her instrumental contribution to the company’s profitability. Jefferies analysts and Vertical Research Partners analyst Robert Stallard both speculated on Stephanie Pope’s potential succession to the CEO role, given her significant contributions to Boeing’s profitability and operational excellence.
David Calhoun, Boeing’s CEO, lauded Stephanie Pope’s extensive expertise, affirming her strong operational, financial, and customer-centric background, which makes her an ideal fit for the COO position.
Stephanie Pope’s elevation to COO at Boeing underscores the company’s commitment to continuity, leveraging internal talent and expertise as it navigates challenges and sets its sights on sustained growth in the aerospace industry.
