Boeing has appointed former UK Minister of State for Defence Procurement Sir Jeremy Quin as president of Boeing UK & Ireland, the company stated.
Quin will take up the position on 21 November, based in London, with responsibility for Boeing’s operations and strategy across the United Kingdom and Ireland. He succeeds Maria Laine, who has moved to a senior leadership role within Boeing Defense, Space & Security.
Boeing Global president Brendan Nelson said Quin’s combination of defence and commercial experience would help strengthen the company’s position in the UK.
“Sir Jeremy’s deep expertise across the defence industry, coupled with his commercial acumen, will help advance Boeing’s operations in the UK and Ireland and support our largest supply chain base outside the United States,” Nelson said.
Quin served as a Member of Parliament from 2015 to 2024 and held several ministerial posts, including Minister of State for Defence Procurement. He later chaired the House of Commons Defence Select Committee and acted as an advisor to the government’s Strategic Defence Review published in June 2025. Before entering politics, he spent 25 years in corporate finance, including as managing director at Deutsche Bank.
“Boeing has a long and successful partnership with the UK and Ireland,” Quin said. “It is a privilege to be joining such a highly skilled and experienced team with a history of driving innovation across aerospace. I look forward to building on this proud legacy, growing our business, and most importantly working to ensure we meet and exceed our customers’ expectations.”
In a related move, Boeing announced Thom Breckenridge as managing director of Boeing Defence UK. Based in Bristol, he will lead more than 2,100 employees across the company’s defence operations in the country. Breckenridge succeeds Steve Burnell, who will retire at the end of October after three years in the post.
Boeing employs around 3,600 people in the UK and has spent more than £15 billion with domestic suppliers since 2015, making it the company’s largest supply chain base outside the United States.
He was brilliant in The guns of Navarone.
Jobs for the boys! Is it a peculiarly British thing, probably not. Still not right.
Iy’s definitely not just a British thing, but we are bad for it. Rishi now works at Goldman Sachs for example. I’m sure he was hired based on merit and nothing else at all.
He used to work for them, so it is no surprise they have rehired him.
The apache contract. Do they not see how transparent this is?
As always, the MoD budget is seen as a nice subsidy for industry by HMG and the favour is always returned.
Uhmmm , so how does that work in conflict of interests etc . MoD CS aren’t allowed to join companies they have had commercial procurement dealings with for a minimum of 2 years . Job for the boys . Especially as he was procurement minister. He knows all the tricks
Not sure this is a win for Boeing as Quinn was adept at cutting and gapping rather than growing our armed forces. A politician with more spin than Shane Warne.
You’re not Bowled over then !!!
😂
So nice for Boeing, similarly will uk aerospace hires former White House defence chief
So, we can expect Ireland to be purchasing lots of Boeing products?