The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) presented the 2025 Clifford Henderson Trophy to Stephanie Pope, Executive Vice President of The Boeing Company and President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, earlier this month. The ceremony, held before an audience of aviation pioneers, government officials, and industry leaders in the nation’s capital, celebrated Pope’s transformative leadership and commitment to the future of aerospace.
The Henderson Trophy is awarded to individuals or organizations whose vision and skill have made a significant, lasting contribution to the promotion and advancement of aviation.
During the presentation, NAA leadership highlighted Pope’s decisive actions to elevate safety and quality standards in the commercial aviation sector. Under her guidance, Boeing has undertaken a comprehensive operational realignment to ensure long-term stability and engineering excellence.
“Stephanie Pope represents the kind of steady, visionary leadership that the Henderson Trophy was created to honor,” said Amy Spowart, President and CEO, NAA. “In a period of immense complexity for the industry, her focus on foundational safety and the human element of flight has strengthened the entire aerospace ecosystem.”
Throughout her tenure, Pope has focused on three core pillars to transform the Boeing Commercial Airplanes division:
● Operational Safety & Predictability: Executing a methodical safety and quality plan that integrates a company-wide Safety Management System (SMS) into the production flow to ensure every aircraft meets the highest standards before delivery.
● Customer Experience & Reliability: Prioritizing “first-pass quality” to provide airline customers with reliable delivery schedules and aircraft that perform with excellence from day one.
● Cultural Transformation & Workforce Proficiency: Investing in a “just culture” by empowering employees to speak up, increasing training for a newer workforce, and simplifying complex factory processes based on direct feedback from the shop floor.
Accepting the trophy, Pope credited the thousands of Boeing employees who are dedicated to the mission of safe, innovative flight.
“The people of Boeing dedicate themselves to the incredible mission of connecting people and places around the globe, and we advance that mission every day by designing, building, and supporting the world’s greatest airplanes. Thank you to the National Aeronautic Association for recognizing our team’s hard work and dedication. It is an incredible honor,” said Stephanie Pope. “This legendary award inspires our team to deepen our commitment to continuously improve, deliver for our customers, and work across the industry to advance the future of flight.”
The Clifford Henderson Trophy was established in 1960 in honor of Clifford Henderson, the founder and managing director of the National Air Races. Previous recipients include legendary figures such as Jimmy Doolittle, Scott Crossfield, and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, as well as organizations such as the Tuskegee Airmen and Sisters of the Skies.
For a complete list of Henderson Trophy awardees, visit naa.aero.
