Bell is an experienced director.
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Apple has filled a void on its board of directors with James Bell, the former chief financial officer for aircraft maker Boeing Co.
Google Inc., a major Apple competitor, burnished its board expertise in transportation past year when it appointed Alan Mulally, a former CEO of Ford Motor Co. and senior Boeing executive. “I am an avid user of Apple products and have a tremendous respect for the company’s ability to innovate”, said Bell.
Bell, who helped oversee Boeing Capital and Boeing Shared Services during his 38-year career at the Seattle-based aviation company, is being brought on for his financial and strategic planning capabilities, according to a statement from Apple. At the time, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the company is committed to increasing diversity at the company, so it’s nice to see Apple working on this at the board level.
Bell is a board member at JPMorgan Chase, Dow Chemical and CDW, and a trustee of Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center.
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Apple said in August that it’s making progress in hiring women and underrepresented minorities, recruiting more diverse candidates in the past 12 months than in any previous year, but overall there was little change in the demographics of the company. “I am delighted to join the Apple board and look forward to contributing to its continued success in any way I can”, he added. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus traveled to Silicon Valley this summer to deliver a similar message: Technology companies need to hire more blacks and nominate them to their boards of directors.
