Boeing appoints Ziad Ojakli to head gov't operations

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Boeing Company on Thursday named Ziad S. Ojakli as the company's executive vice president of government operations effective Oct. 1, 2021.

In this role, Ojakli will lead Boeing's public policy efforts, serve as chief lobbyist for the global enterprise, and oversee Boeing Global Engagement, the company's global philanthropic organization.

He will report to Boeing President and CEO David Calhoun and will serve on the company's Executive Council. In this role, Ojakli succeeds Marc Allen, Boeing's chief strategy officer, who has served as interim executive vice president of Government Operations since this past June.

"Ziad is a proven executive with an impressive track record of leading public policy and government relations operations for global companies," said Calhoun. "His broad experience serving in executive roles in government and the private sector will contribute to our engagement with our stakeholders as we continue our focus on safety, quality and transparency, and transforming our company for the future."

Ojakli joins Boeing following a career in senior global government relations roles in the automotive and finance industries in addition to serving within the White House administration of former U.S. President George W. Bush, according to Boeing.