CHICAGO—Boeing Co. said Tuesday that its president and chief financial officer, James Bell, would retire on April 1.
Bell has been at Boeing since 1996 and was interim CEO for several months in 2005.
The plane maker and defense contractor said Greg Smith, its corporate controller and vice president for finance, would take over as chief financial officer.
Bell, 63, joined Rockwell International as an accountant in 1972, and he joined Boeing when that company acquired Rockwell's aerospace business in 1996. Bell was named chief financial officer in 2003 and corporate president in 2008. He was interim CEO in 2005 before current chairman and CEO Jim McNerney was hired.
McNerney credited Bell with creating "a world-class finance organization and a culture of continuous improvement."
"James has been an invaluable business partner to me and to our entire leadership team. His passion, strength of character, and 40 years of accomplishment will have a lasting impact on our company," McNerney said.
Smith, 45, will become CFO Feb. 1. He has been Boeing's corporate controller since February 2010. Before that, he led the company's financial planning and analysis and internal audit groups. He led investor relations at aerospace company Raytheon Co. from 2004 to 2008.
Boeing shares fell $1.97, or 3 percent, to $63.82 in morning trading.
