Rockwell International Shakes Up Top Layer of Company Management

Rockwell International Corp. said Tuesday that it is realigning its top management.

An analyst who follows the company said it appears to be setting up an orderly succession for the eventual retirement of Chairman and Chief Executive Donald R. Beall.

Sam F. Iacobellis, 63, who shared the No. 2 job as co-chief operating officer, becomes deputy chairman for major programs. Kent M. Black, 53, the other chief operating officer, now has that job to himself.

The company said that even with the changes, neither man--both executive vice presidents--outranks the other.

Also promoted were Don H. Davis, 53, and John A. McLuckey, 53, who become senior vice presidents.

“There aren’t any surprises here,” said Gary J. Reich, an aerospace analyst at the Lehman Bros. brokerage in New York. “What they’re doing is arranging the succession to Beall.”

That doesn’t seem likely to occur soon, however. Beall is only 54, and the customary retirement age at Rockwell is 65.

Beall, a 25-year veteran of the giant Seal Beach-based defense contractor, will continue to be the only employee on the Rockwell board. The company said Iacobellis got the title of deputy chairman because he will represent Beall to big customers and to government agencies on programs such as the B-1B bomber, the space station and the space shuttle.