Boeing human resources boss heads for exits

Deal and Colbert report to David Calhoun became Boeing President and CEO on Jan. 13. He replaced Dennis Muilenburg, who was forced to resign in December.

Boeing said Monday that its senior vice president of human resources is leaving the jet maker in early April for a new job.

Departing after giving her notice is Heidi Capozzi, who joined Boeing in 2009. She has led the company’s HR leadership and learning, talent planning, employee and labor relations, and diversity and inclusion initiatives since 2016.

There was no information about what her new job will be like.

The Chicago-based company announced Capozzi’s departure after the stock market closed and after Boeing shares plunged $40.55 each, a 25 percent drop in a single day.

News of her exit also came amid a report that Boeing has asked White House and Congressional officials for short-term financial aid for itself, suppliers and airlines, to help avoid layoffs during the crisis caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.

It’s the latest in a series of departures and new hires Boeing has made over the past six months as it grapples with the 737 Max global grounding and now a worldwide airline crisis caused by the spread of COVID-19.

In a statement announcing Capozzi’s departure, Boeing President and CEO David Calhoun thanked her for service to the company and its 160,000 employees around the world.

“For more than a decade, Heidi has demonstrated a deep commitment to engaging and inspiring our people, strengthening our culture and supporting our business,” Calhoun said.

Boeing said that after an “orderly transition,” it’s vice president of corporate human resources, Wendy Livingston, will replace Capozzi on an interim basis until her successor is hired. No timeline was given for that hire.

Livingston currently leads a Boeing HR team that supports several corporate functions and previously oversaw a unit responsible for identifying and developing leaders within the company.

Livingston joined Boeing in 1995 as a business and planning analyst for what at the time was McDonnell Douglas. She later worked at Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Boeing is the world’s largest aerospace company and leading provider of commercial airplanes, defense, space and security systems, and global services. The company employs more than 61,000 people in Washington state at its facilities in Everett, Seattle, Renton, Auburn, and Mukilteo. www.bizjournals.com