More than half of Boeing Co. shareholders voted Monday to permanently separate the CEO and chairman roles.
The separation was adopted on a temporary basis in October 2019, following the company's 737 Max crisis. At Boeing's annual meeting Monday, 52% of shareholders voted for making it permanent, while the board recommended against it, saying that it has "a demonstrated record of adjusting its leadership structure in a thoughtful manner depending on circumstances."
Boeing shareholders rejected a shareholder proposal for Boeing to increase the viewpoint diversity of board candidates. The proposal was submitted by the National Center for Public Policy Research, which describes itself as a non-partisan, free-market, independent conservative think tank. Boeing's board unanimously opposed the proposal.
Scott Shepard, coordinator for NCPPR's Free Enterprise Project, warned in a statement that failing to consider more diverse viewpoints "threatens shareholders' return on investment because it risks allowing Boeing to follow a dangerous trend toward partisan echo chambers in corporate boardrooms."
Mr. Shepard cited the recent resignation of board member Nikki Haley, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, over Boeing's decision to accept government assistance as one example of "ideological hegemony that eschews conservative people, thoughts and values."
