The Boeing Company [NYSA: BA] today named Craig Saddler as president, Boeing Australia. He was previously chief financial officer for the 787 program, responsible for the 787 business case and developing the program's new business model.
Saddler will co-ordinate the company's in-country business activities from the Sydney head office of Boeing Australia. He succeeds the Hon. Andrew Peacock, AC, who retires at the end of this month.
"The importance of Australia to our globalization effort is marked by the appointment of such a senior and widely experienced Boeing executive," said Laurette Koellner, president of Boeing International. "Saddler has held key leadership roles in both our defense and commercial businesses and we look to him to consolidate and grow our footprint Down Under – the largest outside the United States."
Boeing employs approximately 3,900 people in Australia working for Boeing Australia Limited, Hawker de Havilland, Preston Aviation Solutions, Jeppesen Australia, and Aviall Australia. Activities include aerospace support, integrated defense systems, airport and airspace modeling, the manufacture of aerocomponents, and commercial aircraft sales.
As vice president, business management, for the 787 program since February 2003, Saddler had overall fiduciary responsibility for finance, business operations, estimating, contracts and cost management. With 452 confirmed orders before its first flight this year, the 787 is the company's most successful commercial aircraft launch.
Previously, he was the company's Shared Services chief financial officer as well as president of Boeing Travel Management, a U.S. top 20 travel agent which handles the company's business travel.
From December 1999 to January 2001, he was vice president, financial planning and analysis, and vice president, Investor Relations in the company's Treasury operation. In these positions, he was responsible for financial planning, and business analysis.
From 1997 to 1999, Saddler was director of business operations for the company's then military aircraft and missile systems group, and before that, was controller for the C-17 program and general manager of business management of the military transport division.
Saddler joined McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis in 1981 on the Tomahawk program, and by 1992 was director, corporate contracts and overhead for McDonnell Douglas.
He holds a bachelor of engineering degree from Purdue University and a master's degree in engineering management from the University of Missouri. He has served on the executive committee of the Bellevue, WA, Chamber of Commerce, and is chairman of Boeing Realty Corp, a wholly-owned subsidiary, and on the Dean's Advisory Council for Purdue University's Krannert School of Management.
Boeing is the world's leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft, with capabilities in rotorcraft, electronic and defense systems, missiles, satellites, launch vehicles and advanced information and communication systems. Boeing employs more than 154,000 people in 70 countries.