Gentile resigns as Spirit CEO. His interim replacement was a member of Trump’s cabinet

Tom Gentile has resigned as president and CEO of Spirit AeroSystems after seven years on the job, the company announced Monday.

His departure comes as the aerostructures manufacturing giant has faced a sustained period of turbulence, including two separate parts defects and a two-week work stoppage over the summer as striking Machinists re-negotiated their contract.

Spirit stock recently hit its lowest price per share since 2013, and Gentile said at an investor conference last month that the company’s existing contracts with Boeing and Airbus are “not sustainable” due to the pressures of inflation.

“It has been my honor to lead Spirit, strengthen its capabilities, and grow its global enterprise,” Gentile is quoted as saying in a company release that does not cite a specific reason for his resignation.

As Spirit’s board of directors searches for Gentile’s successor, it has tapped Patrick M. Shanahan to fulfill the duties of the top executive. Shanahan, who joined the board in late 2021, previously served as former President Donald Trump’s acting secretary of defense in 2019 and as deputy secretary of defense before that.

“Pat is a seasoned executive with nearly four decades of commercial and defense aerospace leadership and senior Department of Defense experience, and he has a valuable customer perspective,” board chair Robert D. Johnson said in the release. “I am confident that his leadership will ensure a smooth transition for all of our stakeholders as we look to identify a new chief executive officer.”

He went on to thank Gentile for leading the company through “some of the most challenging times that the industry has faced.”

Shanahan said his goals include stabilizing operations and improving cash flow.

“I believe Spirit possesses the assets, know-how and talent to satisfy the extraordinary aviation demand and mitigate global supply chain challenges,” he said.

Shanahan, who spent 31 years with Boeing before joining the Department of Defense, was Trump’s pick to take over the defense secretary job but chose not to move forward with the confirmation after details of his messy divorce were made public in a Washington Post story.