Boeing appoints a new Chief Financial Officer; Current CFO to become a senior Advisor
On 30 June 2025, Boeing issued a short statement: Jesus “Jay” Malave will take over as Chief Financial Officer on 15 August, and current CFO Brian West will become a senior adviser. The announcement comes just before the company’s quarterly results and is part of a broader leadership reshuffle led by CEO Kelly Ortberg.
West steadies the ship, then steps aside
The current CFO - West arrived in 2021 to triage a balance sheet swollen by pandemic-era debt and 737 MAX delays. Four years on, the numbers look calmer, yet investor nerves remain raw. Insiders say West pitched his own exit as “the right moment to pass the baton”.
Enter Malave, the deal-seasoned runner
If West was the firefighter, Jay Malave is the marathoner. The 52-year-old spent the last decade stitching together multibillion mergers at L3Harris and guiding Lockheed Martin through inflationary cross-winds.
A company at mid-stride
Malave inherits a house still under renovation. Boeing’s net debt hovers near $48 billion, regulators cap 737 MAX output, and every 787 delivered is scrutinised for microscopic flaws. Ortberg’s fix-it roadmap hinges on two levers: flawless production and freer cash flow. Malave owns the second and influences the first.
The first 100 days, retold as checkpoints
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Liquidity pit stop – Reprice debt before rates tick higher, without spooking ratings agencies.
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Production pacing – Align capital spend with an FAA-approved MAX ramp rate.
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Culture hand-off – Tie cost-of-quality metrics to division bonuses, nudging engineers and accountants onto the same scoreboard.
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Storytelling laps – Host town-hall roadshows that translate “quality spend” into future margin miles—a narrative Wall Street has begged to hear.
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Optional pit-crew tweaks – Decide whether non-core digital mapping assets stay or go, freeing fuel for the main race.
Lessons for finance leaders reading the race
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Own the narrative before numbers own you – Malave’s debut will be judged less by EPS and more by the credibility of his road map.
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Spend to save – Safety fixes feel like cost sinks until a CFO reframes them as balance-sheet insurance.
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Blend continuity with fresh legs – Keeping West on the pit wall preserves play-book knowledge while the new runner finds top gear—a succession model worth copying.
