Boeing has announced the appointment of Don Ruhmann as the company's new Chief Aerospace Safety Officer, effective immediately. In this role, Ruhmann will be tasked with enhancing Boeing's safety culture and practices, driving the maturation of the company's Safety Management System (SMS), and collaborating with the aviation industry to strengthen the global safety ecosystem.
The position of Chief Aerospace Safety Officer was created in 2021 to oversee Boeing's integrated Global Aerospace Safety programme, which includes product and services safety, aerospace safety analytics and the global aviation safety system. By aligning these safety teams under one leader, Boeing aims to improve safety across all areas of its operations and increase accountability within both internal and external safety networks.
Ruhmann succeeds Mike Delaney, who announced his retirement after nearly 40 years at Boeing. Delaney will continue to assist with the transition in an advisory capacity for the next few months. Ruhmann will report directly to Boeing's President and CEO, Kelly Ortberg and will join the company's Executive Council.
Ruhmann, who joined Boeing in 1989, previously served as Vice President of Airplane Development at Boeing Commercial Airplanes. He led design and certification efforts for the 737 MAX family and the new 777-9, and has held senior leadership positions across various Boeing programmes, including the 777 and 787.
