Will Lead Effort To Reduce Company's Environmental Footprint

Kim Smith has been named to the position of vice president of Boeing Environment, Health and Safety. In that role, she will be responsible for leading Boeing's ongoing effort to continuously reduce the environmental footprint of its global operations, products and services. In addition, she leads the company's workplace safety programs. Smith will report to John Tracy, Boeing chief technology officer and senior vice president of Engineering, Operations & Technology.

Smith, 37 (pictured), succeeds Mary Armstrong, who has announced her retirement after 27 years with Boeing. Armstrong will continue with the company through February to ensure a smooth leadership transition. She brings a wide range of manufacturing, engineering and supplier management experience and leadership to the Boeing Environment Health and Safety leadership role, Tracy said. "Kim is uniquely suited to build upon Boeing's record of progressive environmental and safety strategies and performance that Mary Armstrong and her team have delivered over the past five years," said Tracy. "She's the right person to drive continued improvements in these areas throughout Boeing and our supply chain."

Since 2007, when the Environment Health and Safety group was formed under Armstrong, the number of Boeing International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 certified sites has grown from 2 to 35; its Carbon Disclosure Project Index score on climate change awareness and reporting has improved from 35 to 92; the company is the highest ranked company in the capital goods sector of the Newsweek Green Rankings at 37; and the company has steadily improved its employee safety record.

"Mary has helped Boeing push the envelope in leading the aerospace manufacturing industry in setting measurable goals for reducing our global environmental footprint and driving injuries out of the workplace," said Tracy. "She brought discipline and rigor to our EHS organization, and Boeing and the aerospace industry are in a better place in this critical area because of her leadership."

Since May 2009, Smith has been Boeing Commercial Airplanes' director of Supplier Management for Spirit AeroSystems, a key Boeing supplier of airplane sections and fuselages. Smith has held a wide range of internal and external assignments. She has led organizations within the Fabrication Division and 737 program at Boeing Commercial Airplanes and has held jobs in manufacturing research and development and production support engineering during her career at Boeing. In addition, Smith has external experience as a supplier to the automotive and other industries while she served as a plant manager at GKN Sinter Metals, a division of GKN plc, in Michigan. GKN Sinter Metals produces powdered metal parts for automotive and a wide range of other industries. In that role, Smith was responsible for overseeing all aspects of business, including P&L responsibility and ISO 14001 certification.

Smith has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University and an executive MBA from Seattle University. She currently serves on the board of directors for the League of Education Voters. She and her husband have two children.

During her Boeing career, Armstrong also served as president of Shared Services Group, vice president and general manager of Commercial Airplanes Fabrication, vice president and general manager of Boeing Aircraft Systems & Interiors, vice president of Boeing Facilities Services, and process engineer for Manufacturing Research & Development.

FMI: www.boeing.com