Exclusive report - Boeing memorandum says sales chief McMullen will retire

Additional quotes and background information

Tim Hepher

Reuters, October 16 - According to a memo obtained by Reuters, Brad McMullen, Boeing BA.N's head of passenger jet sales, will retire in December, with Ryan Weir, currently responsible for the North American market, set to take over one of the industry's most high-profile positions.

As Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing, McMullen led the company to a commercial recovery following incidents in 2024 involving cabin door plugs falling off mid-air, and is credited with playing a key role in reassuring airlines shaken by the event.

Stephanie Pope, CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said in the memo: “Brad has always been at the forefront of winning market share by building deep and trusting relationships with our customers.”

Thanks to a series of deals struck during U.S. President Donald Trump’s overseas visits , Boeing in 2025 (link) order competition, for the first time in seven years, defeated Airbus, marking signs of recovery for the U.S. planemaker after a string of crises.

The company's orders for 787 wide-body jets surged, but it still lags behind Airbus AIR.PA in the fiercely contested market for long-range narrow-body jets such as the A321neo — Boeing hopes to close this strategic gap with the soon-to-be-approved 737 MAX 10.

According to the memo, before taking charge of Boeing's North American sales, Weir had served as sales chief for Boeing in India and South Asia, and was responsible for global leasing company sales.

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