Tod Hullin to lead Boeing's government affairs and communications

Rudy F. deLeon, senior vice president for the Boeing Washington, D.C., office, has announced his plans to retire from the company, effective 30 June 2006.

Tod R. Hullin will succeed deLeon and move to Washington, D.C., from Chicago. As senior vice president for public policy and communications, Hullin will assume deLeon's responsibilities - leading all U.S. federal, state and local government liaison operations for Boeing - while continuing to lead the company's communications function.

Thomas J. Downey will move to Chicago from Seattle, where he has led Boeing Commercial Airplanes Communications, to become vice president, corporate communications. Downey will report to Hullin and be responsible for Boeing companywide communications, including branding and advertising, employee and executive communications, and public relations. Business unit communications leaders also will report to Downey.

Hullin, 62, remains a member of the company's Executive Council and continues reporting to McNerney.

In the coming weeks, Hullin, Downey and Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Alan Mulally will work to select a leader for BCA Communications.

Prior to joining Boeing in 2003, Hullin held the senior public policy position at Vivendi Universal. Previously, he had served as the senior global public policy and communications officer for The Seagram Company, Time Warner and SmithKline Beecham.

Hullin's government experience includes several positions on the White House staff and on the Domestic Council staff beginning in 1969. He served both the Nixon and Ford administrations. In 1976 he was appointed the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Public Affairs. 

DeLeon, 53, joined Boeing in 2001. Prior to that, he had served for 25 years in senior leadership positions in both the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. government.

Downey, 41, moves to Boeing corporate offices in Chicago where he had previously served as vice president of Internal and Executive Communications from 1999-2002. He has also held communications leadership roles in the company's defense and space operations.

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