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I've written about this before, in relation to the 737 MAX, I'll just post it verbatim: --- In 1997, Boeing merged with McDonnel Douglas. This led to some changes in management, and as a result, culture[1, 8:20]. McDonnel Douglas CEO, Harry Stonecipher, became the COO of Boeing. Stonecipher brought with him a cost-cutting sensibility, which was at odds with the engineering culture at the company [1, 9:00]. The culture change is best conveyed through two actions made by Boeing top management: • Pierson being told ”The military isn’t a profit making organization” by Program Manager Scott Campbell after raising the point that the conditions at the Renton factory would not be acceptable in the military [2] • Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg calling Donald Trump, the president of the United States, two days after the second crash to assure him that the plane is safe, apparently trying to persuade him to pull some strings Here is a longer timeline of disruptive events, bad fortune, and questionable behavior: • In 1998, Boeing committed corporate espionage against Lockheed Martin • Relocation of Boeing headquarters from Seattle to Chicago in 2001 • Multiple canceled projects: e.g. The Sonic Cruiser • Boeing lost its market leader position to Airbus in 2003 • An espionage/insider agent scandal in 2003 caused CEO Phil Condit to resign. Harry Stonecipher stepped in as CEO • Stonecipher was soon forced to resign due to a relationship with another executive • In the 2010’s, thousands of high