The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has appointed Sir Roger Bone, a former senior British ambassador, as the new president of Boeing United Kingdom (UK), effective Sept. 1. He succeeds Sir Michael Jenkins, who for the last two-and-a-half years has overseen Boeing's broad-ranging activities throughout the UK. Sir Michael will continue to engage in a number of activities for Boeing as a part-time consultant.
Sir Roger's 40-year diplomatic service career culminated in his role as British ambassador to Sweden (1995 to 1999) and Brazil (1999 to 2004). Key elements of Sir Roger's career include promotion of UK trade interests overseas and support for inward investment in the UK. He will seek to bolster the industrial and technology links between Boeing and the UK, where the company supports some 30,000 jobs through an average annual purchase of $2.62 billion (£1.5 billion) of advanced systems, services and components from a large network of suppliers.
"Boeing continues to build a strong team of country leaders to support Boeing's global growth," said Tom Pickering, senior vice president of International Relations. "Sir Roger will strengthen our relationships with suppliers, partners, universities, customers and other stakeholders. We are very grateful for the distinguished service of Sir Michael Jenkins, whom he will replace as President of Boeing UK."
Sir Roger, 60, remarked: "The United Kingdom is a key market for Boeing in terms of customers, suppliers and research and development partners. I am delighted to join a global company that has such a long-standing commitment to doing business here. I look forward to strengthening these relationships."
Fluent in French, Swedish, Russian and Portuguese, Sir Roger has worked around the globe. Prior to serving as British ambassador in Brazil and Sweden, he was political counselor at the British Embassy in Washington D.C. He was a visiting fellow at Harvard University and served as a private secretary to the foreign secretary (Francis Pym and then Sir Geoffrey Howe) between 1982 and 1984. He was an assistant under-secretary of state in the Foreign Office between 1991 and 1995.
Boeing is the largest aerospace company in the world. The company's capabilities in aerospace include commercial and military airplanes, rotorcraft, electronic and defense systems, launch vehicles, satellites and advanced information and communication systems. The company has an extensive global reach with customers, suppliers and partners in 145 countries.