Boeing board strips CE of chairman title amid 737 MAX crisis

Boeings board has stripped CE Dennis Muilenburg of his chairmanship title, in an unexpected strategy shift announced by the Friday only hours after a global aviation panel criticised development of the troubled 737 MAX. Separating the roles, which will enable Muilenburg to have "maximum focus" on steering daily operations, was the latest step the board has taken in recent weeks to improve executive oversight of its engineering ranks and industrial operations. Lead director David Calhoun, a senior managing director at Blackstone Group, will take over as non-executive chairman, Boeing said, which came late Friday afternoon without warning. It added that the board had "full confidence" in Muilenburg, who will retain the top job and remain on the board. <br/>