Boeing names new chief for 737 Max program, its fifth since 2018

Boeing selected a new honcho for its 737 Max jetliner program -- the fifth executive to hold the post since 2018. Ed Clark Jr, a VP who previously served as chief mechanic and chief engineer for the single-aisle aircraft family, was named general manager of the operation, according to a memo sent to employees Friday. His duties include running the Renton, Washington, campus where Boeing has manufactured the workhorse 737s for more than a half-century. The program grappled with parts shortages in 2018, and hundreds of undelivered jets built during a grounding imposed in March 2019 after two fatal crashes. Clark held leadership roles at Southwest, the world’s largest 737 operator, and now-defunct Trans World Airlines before joining Boeing in 2006 as chief mechanic for single-aisle replacement studies. More recently, he was a VP for global technical operations with the planemaker’s global services division.<br/>