The president of a utility firm with its headquarters in Paris has been proposed by Boeing Co. to join its board of directors as a new member, the first from the continent of Europe, the company announced on Thursday.
At its annual meeting on April 18, Boeing shareholders will vote on the nomination of Sabrina Soussan, chief executive of the water and waste management business Suez SA. If chosen, she will join the board as the eighth independent director since April 2019 and the first board member based outside of the United States.
Boeing to join the board
According to Boeing, Soussan, a dual citizen of Germany and France, will serve on the board’s audit and finance committees. Following the 737 MAX issue, a number of prominent individuals left Boeing’s board of directors, including Caroline Kennedy and Nikki Haley, U.S. Ambassadors, in January 2021 and March 2020, respectively.
Soussan is in charge of Suez, a famous French enterprise that created the Suez Canal and afterward oversaw a sizable portion of the nation’s water supply.
- Boeing Co. to join its board of directors as a new member, the first from the Europe-based.
- Soussan is in charge of Suez, a famous French enterprise that created the Suez Canal.
- Boeing’s decision to hire a European utility executive with experience in both building and ground transportation technology.
Over a year after competitor, Veolia(VIE.PA) acquired Suez following an unusual and well-publicized hostile takeover offer in her hometown of Paris, she was appointed CEO of Suez in July 2022. Sousson’s “extensive engineering and senior leadership expertise” in fields like production, safety, and sustainability was complimented by Boeing Chair Larry Kellner.
Boeing’s decision to hire a European utility executive with experience in both building and ground transportation technology and history at carmaker Renault (RENA.PA) is anticipated to help it frame its response to the pressure to decarbonize being exerted by European authorities.
The hiring comes shortly after Soussan unveiled a set of sustainability objectives, among them a 39% reduction in Suez’s emissions from water-related activities by 2030.
Suez has additionally stated that it is collaborating with other parties, including Boeing’s European rival Airbus (AIR.PA), to establish a Sustainable Aviation Fuel ecosystem in France.
Soussan might provide a fresh perspective on topics like autonomy, which Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said would “eventually be in all airplanes” earlier this year, according to Bloomberg TV.
As the CEO of train manufacturer Siemens Mobility (SIEGn.DE), Soussan stated on LinkedIn in 2018 that technology would support people in creating safer and more secure transportation, but added: “But please note: I did not mean Replacing humans but SUPPORT humans.”
