Ernest Herman "Tex" Boullioun, former head of Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), has died aged 87.
Boullioun joined the manufacturer in 1940, working on the quality control line of the B-17 and B-29 bomber programmes during the Second World War. After the war Boullioun worked on various aircraft programmes before being appointed vice president of the BCA division in 1967, becoming the company's envoy in the world and personally leading several sales campaigns.
In 1969, faced with an economic downturn in the USA and a slump in orders, it was Boullioun who was tasked with cutting BCA's workforce by a half, shedding 85,000 jobs over three years, earning him a mixed reputation in the Seattle area.
Despite this, Boullioun was named president of BCA in 1972 and worked in this role until his retirement in 1984, during which time he brokered some of the company's biggest aircrfat order deals.
In 1984 he established Boullioun Aviation Service leasing company, which he sold ten years later.
Boullioun died on Sunday 24 September in Seattle, Boeing has confirmed. He had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease for around five years, his family says in a statement.
Do you have any memories of Tex Boullioun? Do you remember his unique negotiating style? Email us your thoughts.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
