[idontwantthis]

I don’t see why you need an engineer to manage engineers. You need someone who can synthesize high level requirements across many domains.

What we need are laws and regulations that force all companies to make products that don’t harm their customers or the rest of the world. An engineer can make a product that kills people. A financeer can hire engineers that won’t kill people. You need good people doing good things either way.

[onetimeuse92304]

For the same reason you chose generals from people who have experience fighting, if at all possible.

To be able to appreciate realities of what Boeing is doing and not just focus on financials. The point is it does not matter how much you know about financials or business management if your product sucks. And there are way more people who know finances and business management than people who can appreciate the kind of engineering that happens in aerospace, so you want a person who knows engineering.

[klyrs]

> I don’t see why you need an engineer to manage engineers.

I do, every time I see that ring engineers wear.

The company has its bottom line, people can lose jobs, but the engineer's bottom line must come first or people die. Boeing got that wrong and you haven't learned the lesson? That's what the ring's for: lessons paid in blood.

Don't get me wrong, not everybody called an engineer needs this mindset. But specifically when we're talking about Boeing? Yeah. You need engineers in the lead throughout the whole process, all the way to the top. Shit rolls downhill.

[JohnFen]

I agree that, in general, you don't need an engineer to manage engineers. However, management is the one that sets priorities, and I can see an argument that in order for Boeing to get back to being an organization that values solid engineering practices, having an engineer in management could be of great value.

[euroderf]

Gaining the respect of the engineering workforce might have a role here too.

[colinng]

So someone whose dream job is to make airplanes that are innovative, fuel efficient, safe, and long-lasting and economical - goes to… accounting school?

[Xywzel]

Well, you don't see CEOs and such that often in R&D or on test assembly line, which are places you would want to be if your dream is to actually do that yourself, rather than just manage finances, board meetings and customer relations for people who do that.

Edit: Though I think it would be good for tech company's head to have good understanding of the tech they are doing.

[hiddencost]

Having been part of an engineering company that was taken over by MBAs, I wish you were right but I no longer believe.