He Certainly took his time accepting the job. In late 2003 Boeing lost its chairman and chief executive, Phil Condit, along with his probable successor, in a scandal over some Pentagon contracts. James McNerney, who sat on Boeing's board and was a former boss of the aero-engine business of General Electric, was an obvious candidate to fill Mr Condit's large shoes. But he wasn't ready. Having lost out in the bitter race to succeed Jack Welch for what must count as the most prestigious job in American business, Mr McNerney had decided to move on in 2001 to 3M, a large technology company, which he had begun to lead out of a rough patch.
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