Satnews Daily
February 25th, 2016

Moving On Up... Caret To President + CEO Of Boeing's DS&S Business


[Satnews] The Boeing [NYSE: BA] board of directors has elected Leanne Caret president and chief executive officer of the company's Defense, Space & Security business effective March 1—she will succeed Chris Chadwick, who has announced his retirement from the company.

Caret is a 28-year company veteran and currently leads that unit's Global Services & Support business, which has approximately 13,000 employees in 295 locations around the world. With $9 billion in revenues, it is the U.S. Department of Defense's largest performance-based logistics contractor and an industry leader in providing sustainment services for a diverse range of military products and systems. In addition to becoming CEO of the Defense, Space & Security organization, Caret also becomes a Boeing executive vice president and joins the company's executive council. Caret's Boeing career began in 1988. Before leading the services and support organization she was chief financial officer for the defense, space and security unit and, before that, vice president and general manager of its rotorcraft programs.

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Kansas State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Wichita State University. She also earned certifications from Harvard University in the Program for Leadership Development and the International Security Defense Program, and completed the Integral Leadership Program at the University of Notre Dame.

Chadwick, retires this spring after a 34-year career that included a range of senior executive roles. He has led the $30-billion Defense, Space & Security unit since December 2013, after previously leading its Military Aircraft business, which is home to the organization's tactical aircraft, rotorcraft, and weapons programs, among others.

Ed Dolanski, 48, will succeed Caret as president of Global Services & Support. Dolanski is currently president and chief executive officer of Boeing subsidiary Aviall, the largest provider of new aviation parts and aftermarket supply-chain management services for the aerospace and defense industries.