NEWS & MEDIA

Boeing has announced that Dr. Brendan Nelson AO will take over as president of Boeing International and Maria Fernandez PSM, will succeed him as President of Boeing Australia.

Former Australian diplomat and government minister, Dr Nelson comes from his role as President of Boeing Australia and will succeed Sir Michael Arthur when he retires from Boeing in early 2023.

Dr Nelson will become the second non-U.S. citizen to lead Boeing International, will report to Boeing President and CEO Dave Calhoun and join the company's executive council. He has been president of Boeing Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific since February 2020.

"Brendan brings to his new position vast experience in government and diplomacy, industry and non-profit associations, that will serve us well as we continue to grow as a global company while navigating the dynamics of the geopolitical environment," said Mr Calhoun.

Maria Fernandez PSM will succeed Nelson as president of Boeing Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific effective Dec. 20, 2022. She will be the senior company leader in the Oceania region and board chair of Boeing Australia Holdings.

"Maria has had a distinguished career with more than 20 years of leadership experience in the Australian national security sector and was the first woman to lead an Australian intelligence agency. She has the ideal background for this position," said Dr Nelson.

Dr Nelson is a former Leader of the Opppsition and Australian Minister of Defence. He served as Australia's ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, the European Union and NATO and is a long-time and passionate advocate of veterans' affairs. Prior to joining Boeing in 2020, he was the director of the Australian War Memorial.

Ms Fernandez has held senior executive positions in Australia's departments of Home Affairs, Defence, Immigration and Border Protection, and Education.