Boeing has appointed Ann Schmidt, a 20-year veteran of the company, as Chief Communications and Brand Officer. With extensive experience across various business units and functions, Schmidt brings a wealth of knowledge to the role.
Her appointment appears to be a strategic move by Boeing to restore confidence among customers, regulators, and employees following challenges related to supply chain disruptions, quality control issues, and labor disputes.
Schmidt will manage both external and internal communications, reporting directly to CEO Kelly Ortberg and joining the executive council.
Key Background:
Boeing has announced the appointment of Ann Schmidt as its new Chief Communications and Brand Officer. A 20-year veteran of the company, Schmidt was selected as part of Boeing’s efforts to restore trust among customers, regulators, and employees following the challenges the aerospace giant has faced in recent years.
Schmidt previously served as Boeing Vice President of Corporate Communications and Employee Engagement. In this new position, she is expected to play a significant role in directing the company’s communications strategy, both internally and externally. With long experience at Boeing, Schmidt should bring profound knowledge of the industry and its operations. This will be very crucial as the company continues efforts toward rebuilding trust.
According to an internal memo to staff, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg highlighted the need for Schmidt’s leadership during the recovery stage. Boeing has restarted its commercial jet factories in the Puget Sound area after a seven-week-long strike that hit more than 30,000 of Washington state’s employees. The production had come to a halt due to labor disputes and increased regulatory attention since some issues emerged concerning the company’s supply chain and quality control. Recently, the firm was involved in a controversy when one of its 737 Max aircrafts was compelled to make an emergency landing in January after the door panel on it came loose during ascend.
As Boeing works to regain its stability, Ortberg expressed confidence that Schmidt’s appointment will be crucial in effectively communicating the company’s progress and accomplishments. “Our communications and brand team will play a crucial role in supporting our recovery and rebuilding trust,” Ortberg stated. “I am confident that by fulfilling our commitments and achieving key development milestones, we will be able to once again proudly share our storied legacy of courage, innovation, and achievement.”
Schmidt’s appointment comes in the wake of a spate of leadership changes that have recently taken place at Boeing. Among the most prominent include Chief Information Officer Susan Doniz and Senior Vice President of Quality for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Elizabeth Lund, who will be retiring. She will, of course report to Ortberg, and will join the executive council where she’ll, with her vast knowledge about Boeing operations and connections in the company try to steer Boeing’s communication efforts. Her previous roles include different departments of supplier management, human resources, sales, and employee relations, and most recently chief of staff to the CEO from 2016-2021. This is important to Boeing because leadership comes at a very critical time when the company needs to reboot and rebrand itself, putting it in the mainstream globally in the aerospace market.
