• by Tanya Gazdik , November 4, 2024

Boeing Co. is the latest major corporation to get rid of its diversity, equity and inclusion department. 

“Staff from Boeing’s DEI office will be combined with another human resources team focused on talent and employee experience, according to people familiar with the matter,” said Bloomberg, which broke the story last week. “Sara Liang Bowen, a Boeing vice president who led the now-defunct department, left the company on Thursday.” 

Boeing remains committed to recruiting and retaining top talent and creating an inclusive work environment where every teammate around the world can perform at their best while supporting the company’s mission, the planemaker said in a statement.

“Boeing had promised to increase opportunities for under-represented workers, including Black employees, in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in 2020,” per Bloomberg. “As part of that effort, the company pledged to increase overall Black employment by 20% by 2025. Boeing was already closing in on that goal last year, as Black employment rose to 7.5% in 2023 — a 17% increase, according to data reported to the US federal government.”

Boeing’s new Chief Executive Officer Kelly Ortberg is streamlining operations and trimming its executive ranks as part of a plan to cut 17,000 jobs, which represent 10% of its global workforce.

“Boeing launched a stock offering that could raise up to $24.3 billion as the planemaker looks to strengthen its finances, pressured by a more than six-week strike by factory workers,” according to Reuters. 

Robby Starbuck, a conservative influencer who has launched viral campaigns that forced other high-profile companies — including John Deere, Harley Davidson and Jack Daniels — to scrap their DEI policies took credit for Boeing’s overhaul, according to the New York Post 

Boeing was slammed by tech mogul Elon Musk for prioritizing DEI over safety and quality controls after a near-catastrophic blowout during an Alaska Airlines flight, according to the New York Post.