Boeing

ROME, Jan. 21, 2014 - The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today announced the retirement of Rinaldo Petrignani as president of Boeing Italy. Petrignani will continue his relationship with Boeing as a senior counselor and is succeeded by Antonio De Palmas effective April 15.

De Palmas, 48, will be responsible for coordinating all company business activities in Italy and will be based at the Boeing Italy headquarters in Rome. He will report to Shep Hill, president, Boeing International, and senior vice president, Business Development and Strategy.

“Italy is a strategically important market for Boeing, and Rinaldo has been an outstanding leader for us during the past 12 years,” said Hill. “Rinaldo has deepened Boeing relationships with the Italian government and championed new partnerships in commercial aviation and defense. Antonio is highly qualified and will build on Rinaldo’s accomplishments as we expand our business in Italy.”

Petrignani joined Boeing in 2002 as president of Boeing Italy, focusing on strengthening Boeing’s partnership with Italy, expanding in-country business activities and pursuing development opportunities for the company. Among his previous roles, he was Italy’s ambassador to the United States from 1981 to 1991. Before accepting his appointment with Boeing, Petrignani was president of Alenia North America.

De Palmas joined Boeing in 2003. In 2008, he was appointed president of European Union and NATO Relations, where he represented Boeing interests with all European institutions and NATO headquarters. Before his Brussels appointment, De Palmas served as director of Communications in Italy, where he was responsible for all company communications, including strategic planning and issues management.

From 2000 to 2003, De Palmas was director of Business Development for Cisco Systems in Milan. Prior to that, De Palmas developed his career in Brussels in EU policy areas for eight years. During this period, he spent three years as EU and Government Affairs manager for Oracle EMEA.

An Italian native, De Palmas is a lawyer and is fluent in Italian, Spanish, English and French.

Boeing has close business relationships with the Italian aerospace and defense industry, Italian armed forces and airlines. The collaboration includes partnership with Finmeccanica and its subsidiaries such as Alenia Aermacchi (for the 787 Dreamliner) and AgustaWestland (for the new ICH-47F helicopters in service with the Italian Army). Additional partnerships have been established with Alenia Aermacchi, Oto Melara, Thales Alenia Space Italia, Telespazio and Umbra Cuscinetti. Seven Italian airlines operate 60 Boeing airplanes. Boeing AV-8B airplanes are in service with the Italian Navy, while the Army’s Chinook helicopters have participated in humanitarian operations in different continents. The Italian Air Force has received its new four aerial refueling aircraft KC-767A. Boeing has approximately 350 employees in Italy, including the maritime division of the subsidiary Jeppesen at Massa.

# # #

Contact:
Marcello Bruni
Boeing Communications
Office: +39 06 4521 7787
marcello.bruni@boeing.com