Harry Stonecipher
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Harry Curtis Stonecipher (born May 16, 1936) is an American business executive who was president and
chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especial ...
of American
aerospace Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astr ...
companies
McDonnell Douglas McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturing corporation and defense contractor, formed by the merger of McDonnell Aircraft and the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1967. Between then and its own merger with Boeing in 1997, it pro ...
and, later,
The Boeing Company The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product ...
. Stonecipher was widely credited with the seeming resurgence of Boeing after government procurement scandals. However, his tenure also included major decisions to change Boeing's design and sourcing process for the new 787 airliner. These decisions later proved to be organizationally and financially disastrous for the company. Stonecipher was forced to resign from Boeing following the disclosure of an affair with a subordinate, in violation of the Boeing Code of Conduct.


Early life

Stonecipher was born in
Robbins, Tennessee Robbins is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Scott County, Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, its population is 287. It is concentrated along U.S. Route 27 between Huntsville and Elgin, in Tennessee's Cumberland ...
.


Education

In 1960, he graduated with a
Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...
degree in
physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...
at the
Tennessee Technological University Tennessee Technological University, commonly referred to as Tennessee Tech, is a public research university in Cookeville, Tennessee, United States. It was formerly known as Tennessee Polytechnic Institute, and before that as University of Dixie ...
. In May 2002, Stonecipher received an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Science from
Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...
, Mo.


Career

Stonecipher began his career at General Motors' Allison Division, where he worked as a lab technician and was influenced by
Jack Welch John Francis Welch Jr. (November 19, 1935 – March 1, 2020) was an American business executive, chemical engineer, and writer. He was Chairman and CEO of General Electric (GE) between 1981 and 2001. When Welch retired from GE, he receive ...
. He moved to
General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable en ...
's Large Engine Division in 1960, and began to move up the ranks. He became a vice president at GE in 1979, then a division head in 1984. In 1987 he left for Sundstrand, where he became president and CEO in 1989.


McDonnell Douglas

In September 1994, Stonecipher was elected president and CEO of
McDonnell Douglas McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturing corporation and defense contractor, formed by the merger of McDonnell Aircraft and the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1967. Between then and its own merger with Boeing in 1997, it pro ...
, holding this post until its merger with Boeing in 1997. During this period he became much more of a public figure, and even began hosting the company's quarterly video report. He remained on the board following the successful completion of that transaction, serving as president and
COO COO or coo may refer to: Business * Certificate of origin, used in international trade * Chief operating officer or chief operations officer, high-ranking corporate official * Concept of operations, used in Systems Engineering Management Process ...
of the merged entity. In 2001, he was elected vice chairman and retired as president and COO the next year, while continuing to serve on the board as vice chairman.


Boeing

Stonecipher came out of retirement to lead Boeing, following the resignation of Chairman and CEO
Phil Condit Philip Murray Condit (born August 2, 1941) is an American engineer and businessman who was Chair and Chief executive officer (CEO) of the Boeing company from 1996 to 2003. He dramatically reshaped the company by Merger with McDonnell Douglas and re ...
in December 2003 over several scandals. These scandals surrounded allegations of documents stolen from competitors and the hiring of a government procurement officer who at the time was involved in the United States Air Force's KC-767 contract. Stonecipher assumed the titles of president and CEO, which was not considered an interim appointment as there was no search initiated for a new chief executive, while Lewis Platt became non-executive chairman of the board. Under Stonecipher's tenure, the air force had lifted a 20-month suspension of Boeing's Launching Systems Group, which had been involved in one of the scandals, allowing them to bid on Pentagon contracts again. He also oversaw the launch of the
Boeing 787 Dreamliner The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is an American wide-body jet airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. After dropping its unconventional Sonic Cruiser project, Boeing announced the conventional 7E7 on January 29, 2003, ...
in order to challenge
Airbus Airbus SE (; ; ; ) is a European multinational aerospace corporation. Airbus designs, manufactures and sells civil and military aerospace products worldwide and manufactures aircraft throughout the world. The company has three divisions: ' ...
. Although not fully evident at the time, the results of major changes to Boeing's airplane program design, sourcing and financing made during Stonecipher's and Condit's tenures would later prove disastrous. Shares of the company traded as high as $58.74 in 2005, up 54 percent during his tenure. Stonecipher submitted his resignation upon request of the Boeing Board of Directors on March 6, 2005, after an internal investigation revealed a consensual relationship with Boeing executive
Debra Peabody Debra is a feminine given name. Debra may refer to: People * Debra Adelaide (born 1958), Australian writer * Debra Allbery (born 1957), American poet * Debra R. Anderson (1949-2022), American politician * Debra Austin (born 1955), American bal ...
. The probe found that Boeing business operations were unaffected, that Peabody's career and compensation were not influenced, and that there was no improper use of company expenses or property. Nonetheless, the board of directors decided that there would be "zero tolerance on breaches of ethics". His wife of 50 years, Joan Stonecipher, filed for divorce just days after news of his affair became public. Stonecipher was succeeded as president and CEO on an interim basis by Chief Financial Officer
James A. Bell James Aaron Bell (born June 4, 1948) is a retired American executive of The Boeing Company. Bell is a retired president, executive vice president and chief financial officer of The Boeing Company. He served as interim president and chief execut ...
, until
James McNerney Walter James "Jim" McNerney Jr. (born August 22, 1949) is a business executive who was President and CEO of The Boeing Company, June 2005–July 2015. McNerney was also Chairman from June 2005 until March 1, 2016. McNerney oversaw development of ...
was hired on a full-time basis.


Personal

In 1955, at age 18, Stonecipher married Joan in Rossville, Ga. Stonecipher and his wife have two children. In 1995, Stonecipher and his wife Joan celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in Chicago with friends. In 2005, after the news broke regarding Stonecipher's affair with a Boeing executive, his wife Joan filed for divorce. Stonecipher subsequently married Debra Peabody. Debra Stonecipher bought the historic
Moubray House Moubray House, 51 and 53 High Street, is one of the oldest buildings on the Royal Mile, and one of the oldest occupied residential buildings in Edinburgh, Scotland. The façade dates from the early 17th century, built on foundations laid . The t ...
in
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
.


References


Further reading

*


External links


Harry C. Stonecipher bio at Boeing site


{{DEFAULTSORT:Stonecipher, Harry 1936 births American chief executives of manufacturing companies Boeing people Living people General Electric employees McDonnell Douglas People from Scott County, Tennessee Tennessee Technological University alumni