Boeing Main Economical Officer Brian West shared what features the future main executive ought to provide as the aerospace huge seems for anyone to switch outgoing CEO David Calhoun.

In a observe dispersed to investors on Thursday, JPMorgan analysts recounted a modern assembly they experienced with West, who joined the enterprise in August 2021. He was requested what qualities he personally thinks a new CEO should have. Though noting that choosing a CEO is the board’s conclusion, he highlighted two factors.

“One is an appreciation and regard for the record and tradition of the corporation and an capacity to gain the guidance of the machinists and engineers who layout and make its products,” the observe stated. “The 2nd is becoming snug with operational cadences.”

JPMorgan views West’s mentioned appreciation for functions as a reflection of Boeing’s main objective above the subsequent several several years: offering its plane backlog to buyers.

When requested by Fortune if Boeing had any comment, a agent mentioned the organization had almost nothing to add.

West’s remarks appear as the look for for a new CEO has taken some twists and turns just lately. In March, Boeing announced that Calhoun would stage down at the conclude of 2024. Stephanie Pope was also appointed to direct the business plane division, changing Stan Deal.

But last thirty day period, David Gitlin, chief of Carrier Global and a Boeing director due to the fact mid-2022, exited the race for the prime work. That’s immediately after he appeared to be the front-runner.

Meanwhile, on the exact day Gitlin dropped out of the managing, Calhoun expressed robust assistance for the top inside applicant, Pope. But resources explained to Fortune’s Shawn Tully that new Boeing Chairman Steven Mollenkopf and other board users are interested in an outsider with robust field working experience.

Emerging on the limited checklist of candidates is Pat Shanahan, who is the CEO of Boeing provider and fuselage contractor Spirit AeroSystems, Tully claimed.

That will come as Boeing is eyeing a probable acquisition of Spirit as it seeks to obtain bigger management in excess of the production process. According to JPMorgan’s be aware, West indicated that Spirit is making fantastic development increasing operations at its Wichita plant.

Previously this yr, Boeing stopped accepting incomplete or non-conforming fuselages, which may have contributed to good quality problems like the sort that resulted in a panel on an Alaska Airlines flight coming off in midair.

West also instructed JPMorgan that there’s time to choose on how to finance any offer due to the fact it might choose 9 months to a yr to near, with the company’s financial picture shifting if cash move and 737 generation pick up in the 2nd fifty percent of the yr.

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