"I commit to you to be more accessible than the team has been," Calhoun said at the outset of an hour-long conference call with reporters, the first such event with a Boeing executive since the MAX was grounded in March following two deadly crashes. Calhoun vowed a "safety first" culture and promised investment in the firm's engineers, who critics say have lost influence in the company's zeal to boost its share price. Without safety "there is no shareholder value, there is no profit-sharing," Calhoun said a day after the company's decision to push back the timeframe for the MAX's return until at least midyear. Calhoun reaffirmed his commitment to the MAX, saying "I believe in this airplane" and pointing to positive feedback from pilots as he dismissed speculation it could be grounded permanently. A former General Electric and Blackstone Group executive who has been on the Boeing board since 2009, Calhoun took the corner office at Boeing this month after the company ousted Dennis … [Read more...] about New CEO stands by 737 MAX, eyeing reset at troubled Boeing
