The Tide Is Turning: Boeing Dismantles DEI Department

Boeing has dismantled its global diversity, equity, and inclusion department.

Reuters broke the story and reported that the staff from Boeing’s DEI office will now be combined with the company’s human resource office, which is focused on employee experience and talent.

Former Vice President of the DEI department, Sara Liang Bowen, shared, “It has been the privilege of my lifetime to lead Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the Boeing company these past 5+ years. Our team strived every day to support the evolving brilliance and creativity of our workforce.”

Earlier in the month, the company announced it would cut 17,000 jobs.

Boeing has dismantled its global diversity, equity and inclusion department, making it the latest high-profile corporation to make changes to its DEI policy https://t.co/6qtzTFQg8T

— Bloomberg (@business) October 31, 2024

WINNING: Boeing has abolished its DEI department. Earlier this year, we published a story showing how DEI was undermining competence at the company. Insiders tell us it helped put pressure on the new CEO, who made the decision to shutter the department. pic.twitter.com/9o6NFAyQro

— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) October 31, 2024

Here’s what Reuters reported:

Boeing opens new tab has dismantled its global diversity, equity and inclusion department, Bloomberg news reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The report said the staff from Boeing’s DEI office would be combined with another human resources team focused on talent and employee experience.

Sara Liang Bowen, who was a vice president in the department, announced earlier in the day on LinkedIn that she had left the company, opens new tab.

“It has been the privilege of my lifetime to lead Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the Boeing company these past 5+ years. Our team strived every day to support the evolving brilliance and creativity of our workforce,” she said in the post.

On Tuesday, 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. Earlier this month, the company also said that it planned to cut 17,000 jobs, which represent 10% of its global workforce.

BREAKING: Boeing to dissolve its entire DEI team, according to Bloomberg.

— Patrick Webb (@RealPatrickWebb) October 31, 2024

Per Seeking Alpha:

Boeing is the latest major company to dismantle its diversity, equity and inclusion team, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg, joining the likes of Tractor Supply (TSCO), Lowe’s (LOW) and Ford (F).

The department’s staff will move to another human resources team focused on talent and employee experience. Sara Liang Bowen, vice president at Boeing (BA) who led the DEI department, left the company on Thursday.

“The team achieved so much – sometimes imperfectly, never easily – and dreamed of doing much more still. All of it has been worth it,” she wrote on LinkedIn.

The move comes as large U.S. companies have been facing growing pressure on social media to dismantle or scale back DEI efforts.