Meet the Boeing engineer tasked with reviving the reputation for safety

Don Ruhmann, Boeing’s chief aerospace safety officer, thinks the company is “poised” for change.

Ruhmann, 61, is the second person to take on the role since Boeing created it in 2021, in the wake of two deadly 737 Max crashes. His office is in charge of some of the company’s most-criticized programs, including an internal channel for employees to raise concerns and a system meant to identify safety risks before disasters occur.

Crucially, Ruhmann also manages a Federal Aviation Administration-supported program that allows Boeing employees to perform tasks on behalf of the regulator.

Last year, the Transportation Department’s inspector general found those Boeing employees doing FAA work faced “undue pressure” to keep planes moving through the factory. Then, earlier this year, the Nationa