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Comment by lostlogin | Hacker News Reader

Are there businesses (other than accounting) where they should be in charge?

Some of the worst mistakes at Boeing were made when engineers were at the helm. This problem won’t be solved with truisms.

Moreover, what many consider Boeing's glory days were largely had under a CEO that was lawyer, not an engineer.

The problem is not engineers, it's short term profit above all.

I've heard of a few more companies who are bleeding engineers and selling off parts to fill the deficit but still keep the divident payouts and stock buybacks rolling as that's the most important of all.

If the dividend and buybacks keep the stock high for now and you're paid in RSUs, and you're likely to make it to the next vest, this is wholly rational behaviour.

Also making planes is capital intensive. Ignoring returns is a path to ruin.

Interesting. Examples ? I think its good to be aware of these blindspots.

Mullenberg was an aerospace engineer [1]. Two before him was Stonecipher, a physicist [2], who took over from Condit, another engineer [3].

[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Muilenburg#Early_life...

[2] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Stonecipher#Early_life...

[3] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_M._Condit#Education

Right. Accounting is a cost center in any business other than accounting firms. Accountants are never in charge of anything. Rabid cost-cutting MBAs on the other hand....

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