Eric Lindblad of Boeing speaks at Boeing’s production facility in Everett, Washington, June 1, 2017.
Jason Redmond | Reuters
Boeing‘s 737 jet program manager Eric Lindblad is retiring after nearly a year on the job, according to a company memo reviewed by CNBC on Thursday.
The 34-year Boeing executive’s retirement comes as the company copes with the fallout of two crashes that killed 346 people. Its 737 Max jet has been grounded since mid-March.
“Over the past three decades, Eric has made an impact on countless employees and has led some of the biggest bets of our business. And, he has done it through a lens of doing what’s right and continuing to ensure our relentless focus on safety and quality,” Kevin McAllister, who heads Boeing’s $60 billion commercial division, wrote in a memo to employees.
Mark Jenks, who has worked on Boeing’s potential new mid-market airplane (NMA) project, will assume the role as lead of the 737 program, McAllister said.
Mike Sinnett, Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice president of product development and future airplane development, will also take over as vice president for NMA in addition to his current role, according to the memo.
Boeing did not immediately respond to CNBC request for comment.