Apple on Thursday announced that former Boeing CFO and corporate president James A. Bell has been elected to Apple’s board of directors. The new appointee brings over four decades of finance, strategic planning and leadership experience to the board.
“James brings a wealth of global, financial and industrial experience from his successful career at Boeing as corporate president and CFO,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “I am thrilled to welcome him to Apple’s board of directors and I look forward to working with him.”
Bell spent 38-years at Boeing, during which he also oversaw Boeing Capital Corporation and Boeing Shared Services, and was interim CEO of The Boeing Company in 2005.
“I am an avid user of Apple products and have a tremendous respect for the company’s ability to innovate,” said Bell. “I am delighted to join the Apple board and look forward to contributing to its continued success in any way I can.”
Bell is a member of the board of directors of JP Morgan Chase, Dow Chemical Company, CDW, and a Trustee of Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center. He has also worked with New Leaders for New Schools to help develop talented teachers and principals, and served on many community-based boards. Bell attended California State University, Los Angeles where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Accounting.
Bell joins CEO Tim Cook, board chairman and former Genentech executive Art Levinson, Al Gore, Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger, Grameen president and CEO Andrea Jung, former Northrop Grumman chairman and CEO Ron Sugar, and BlackRock co-founder Sue Wagner on the Apple board.