EXCLUSIVE: Boeing sales chief McMullen to retire, company memo says
- McMullen, the guy who tried to sell jets after a door plug flew off mid-air, is calling it quits—retiring in December after a short but 'illustrious' stint patching up airline relationships with duct tape and charm.
- Ryan Weir, current North America sales chief, gets promoted to the hot seat—because nothing says 'confidence' like promoting the guy from the region that already bought the planes.
- McMullen's legacy: a recovery from the 2024 mid-air blowout that saw Boeing's reputation go from 'we'll fix it' to 'please still buy our stuff'—and somehow it worked.
- The memo was 'seen by Reuters'—which, in Boeing's world, is like a pilot's note found under a seat cushion: technically helpful, but you have to squint to read it.
Brief Summary
In a stunningly unsurprising move, Boeing's jetliner sales chief Brad McMullen is retiring in December, according to a memo that leaked out like a poorly sealed door plug. His successor, Ryan Weir, currently runs the North American market—because why not promote the guy who had the easiest sales pitch: 'You're already stuck with us.' McMullen will leave behind a legacy of steering the commercial division through the 2024 mid-air blowout incident, which is corporate-speak for 'survived the PR nightmare when a Boeing plane decided to ventilate itself mid-flight.' Under his watch, strained airline relations were 'shored up,' which apparently means airlines stopped screaming and started whispering their complaints. The memo, seen by Reuters, offers no details on why McMullen is bailing now—perhaps he finally realized that selling planes that stay in one piece is a job for engineers, not salesmen.
Why This Matters
For the average traveler, this is the corporate equivalent of watching a car dealership fire its best used-car salesman—it doesn't change the fact that the car might blow a gasket on the highway. McMullen's departure signals a potential shift in how Boeing kisses up to airlines, but the real issue remains the same: your next flight might be on a plane that had its emergency door held on by hopes, prayers, and an 'improved' inspection process. The leadership change won't make your seat cushion float any better, but it might mean smoother excuses from the company when things go sideways. At least Weir will have fresh stories to tell—if he survives long enough to learn them.