Dr. Paul Shennum, Boeing vice president and program director of Team Airborne Laser (ABL), is retiring from the company today (June 27) after nearly 40 years with the world's premier aerospace company.

Shennum leaves Boeing after leading one of the nation's best-run and most-promising industry/government partnerships - Team ABL. The team is developing a high-energy chemical-oxygen-iodine laser carried aboard a 747-400 wide-body platform capable of shooting down boost-phase theater ballistic missiles while hundreds of miles from their launch site.

He earlier worked as an engineer and in program management for many of the company's most significant project efforts, including AWACS, commercial derivatives for military applications, and ballistic missile systems.

"Paul Shennum has successfully directed Team ABL in building a system that is technically sound and thoroughly matches the customer's requirements," said Jim Albaugh, president of Boeing Space & Communications Group. "He has accomplished that difficult task with fiscal and scheduling integrity. We wish him well in his retirement and appreciate all he has done for The Boeing Company over the last 40 years."

Shennum joined the Airborne Laser effort in December 1992 and presided over a model government - industry team that has earned an average 99-percent incentive award fee from the Air Force customer since 1996. The program has consistently been on-schedule and on-budget since the PDRR contract was awarded in November 1996.

During the $1.4 billion Program Definition Risk Reduction (PDRR) contract phase, Team ABL has been designing, developing, integrating and testing the sophisticated design.

Steve Sauve has been named Boeing vice president and has succeeded Shennum as program director of Team ABL. Sauve also serves as Airborne Laser Joint Program Office director for the Boeing-Lockheed Martin-Northrop Grumman team.

Sauve has been deputy program manager of the Boeing-led program since December 1998.
"Steve Sauve brings his considerable managerial talents to the Team ABL leadership role," said Mike Skolnick, Boeing vice president and general manager of the Laser & Electro Optical Systems organization. "He has proven his value this past year by helping Paul Shennum keep this multi-billion program on-cost and on-schedule."

During Sauve's earlier career at Boeing, he was part of a senior leadership team for the development and submittal of a major classified proposal. He also served in a number of senior management roles for the company, including president of Boeing subsidiary ARGOSystems.

Sauve earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Seattle University in 1969, and a master's degree in management from Stanford University in 1988.

CONTACT: Bob Smith - Boeing (253) 773-0983