Chicago, Ill., USA - March 3, 2014, Chicago, Ill., USA - Boeing senior vice president Wanda Denson-Low has announced her plans to retire from the company on June 2 after serving on the company's executive council and leading the Office of Internal Governance for the past seven years.
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A member of the company's executive council, Ms. Denson-Low was named to her current position in May 2007. Previously, Ms. Denson-Low served as the company's vice president and assistant general counsel with responsibility for leading the legal staff for Boeing's defense and space businesses, and its Phantom Works organization.
Prior to that position, she was the vice president of human resources and was responsible for the successful implementation of employee policies, strategies, and processes for the defense and space unit's workforce. With more than 30 years of experience in corporate law, commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, data rights, government contracts, and intellectual property law, Ms. Denson-Low has a distinguished professional career that began in 1981 as a patent attorney at Union Carbide Corporation.
She joined the Hughes Aircraft Company in 1985 and in 1989 was named Hughes' chief patent counsel, making her the first minority woman chief patent counsel of a Fortune 500 company. Ms. Denson-Low became a member of the Boeing legal team in October 2000, as part of the Boeing acquisition of Hughes Space and Communications, where she had risen to the position of general counsel for the company.
Ms. Denson-Low earned her juris doctor from Brooklyn Law School and a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She is admitted to practice law in California and Connecticut.
Diana L. Sands, vice president, Finance, and corporate controller, has been elected to replace Ms. Denson-Low as senior vice president, Office of Internal Governance, effective April 1.
Ms. Sands will also have responsibility for all other related regulatory and compliance matters and will serve on the company's executive council. Ms. Sands was appointed controller in 2012. She previously led Boeing investor relations and financial planning and analysis and held key company positions in corporate treasury and other finance areas. She joined Boeing in 2001 from General Motors and has worked in finance at Ameritech, Helene Curtis and Arthur Andersen. She will continue to be based in Chicago.
Robert E. Verbeck, vice president and chief financial officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, has been appointed vice president, Finance, and corporate controller, replacing Ms. Sands, also effective April 1.
Mr. Verbeck was appointed CFO of Defense, Space & Security in 2011 after holding senior leadership roles at each of its operating units. As corporate controller based in Chicago, he will lead the company's accounting function and be responsible for ensuring Boeing's financial disclosures and regulatory compliance are timely, transparent and efficient. He will also be a corporate officer and the company's principal interface with the board of directors' audit committee.
Leanne Caret will replace Mr. Verbeck as vice president and chief financial officer for Defense, Space & Security, where she is now vice president and general manager, Vertical Lift. ■