June 30 (Reuters) - Boeing Co (BA.N) on Wednesday named former General Electric (GE.N) executive Brian West as its chief financial officer, more than two months after the planemaker announced the surprise retirement of long-time financial head Greg Smith. West, who will take charge on Aug. 27, spent 16 years at GE, where he served as CFO of its aviation and engine services businesses. His appointment comes as Boeing faces one of the most turbulent periods in its history, marked by a safety crisis followed by rising debt during the pandemic. West has been the CFO of financial market data provider Refinitiv since 2018. Boeing has named senior vice president Dave Dohnalek as interim financial chief until West takes over. Separately, the planemaker said the board planned to increase the number of directors to 11 from 10.