Boeing Appoints Phil Musser as Senior Vice President of Communications

Boeing has appointed Phil Musser as Senior Vice President of Communications, succeeding Tom Downey, who plans to step down from the role late this month and retire from the company early next year.

Musser, 45, has more than 20 years of strategic communications and public relations experience, including 10 years as a consultant to Boeing.

 He is the chairman and chief executive officer of IMGE, an Alexandria, Virginia-based digital communications firm he co-founded in 2013.

Prior to his role as the co-founder of IMGE, Musser was the executive director of the Republican Governor's Association and a senior vice president of Dutko Worldwide, a leading bi-partisan public policy management firm. He also served as deputy chief of staff and senior policy advisor of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development during the second Bush Administration and was a deputy director of the 2004 G-8 Summit in Sea Island, Ga., for the U.S. Department of State.

 He holds a bachelor's degree from Kenyon College.

Musser, who will be based in Chicago, will join Boeing on 25 September. He will report to Chairman, President and CEO Dennis Muilenburg, and will move into Downey's place on the company's executive council.

"Phil is a seasoned and highly respected executive who knows Boeing well and brings to us an exceptionally broad and relevant set of communications experiences, capabilities and insights," said Muilenburg. "He is a creative, strategic and energetic leader who understands the scale of our brand and how to inspire confidence and support among our many important stakeholders. He also has a passion for engaging our people, shaping culture and investing in talent for the future. He is the right choice to lead our world-class communications team into Boeing's second century."

Tow Downey is the longest-serving Boeing communications chief since the company reshaped itself through a series of mergers and acquisitions in the late 1990s.

"Tom is one-of-a-kind, an incredible teammate, consummate partner, and genuine leader for our company," Muilenburg said. "While words are his thing, it's hard to find enough of them to express our gratitude for all he has done for our company and our people over the past 31 years. Day and night, coast to coast, around the globe, across every area of our business, he was working to protect and strengthen our brand and building an outstanding communications team. We are sorry to see him go, but know he will ensure a smooth transition before taking a well-earned retirement. He built a strong and lasting foundation to accelerate our path forward in Boeing's second century, and for that he has our enduring thanks." 

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