Boeing has named a new president and CEO after reporting a loss of over $1.4 billion in the second quarter.
Effective Aug. 8, Robert K. "Kelly" Ortberg will be on the job. He will also serve on Boeing’s board of directors.
Ortberg will succeed David Calhoun, who announced his intention to retire earlier this year. Calhoun has served as Boeing’s president and CEO since January 2020 and has been a member of the company’s board of directors since 2009.
Ortberg, who was previously a president and CEO for Rockwell Collins, has over 35 years of aerospace leadership experience.
"The board conducted a thorough and extensive search process over the last several months to select the next CEO of Boeing and Kelly has the right skills and experience to lead Boeing in its next chapter," chair of the board Steven Mollenkopf said in a press release. "Kelly is an experienced leader who is deeply respected in the aerospace industry, with a well-earned reputation for building strong teams and running complex engineering and manufacturing companies. We look forward to working with him as he leads Boeing through this consequential period in its long history.”
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Ortberg also spoke out about his new venture.
"I'm extremely honored and humbled to join this iconic company," Ortberg said in a press release. "Boeing has a tremendous and rich history as a leader and pioneer in our industry, and I'm committed to working together with the more than 170,000 dedicated employees of the company to continue that tradition, with safety and quality at the forefront. There is much work to be done, and I'm looking forward to getting started."
Ortberg joins Boeing amid a slew of controversy for the company.
In recent years, Boeing has faced a myriad of issues with its planes, including deadly crashes and a door plug flying off a jet in mid-air with a plane full of passengers. the company has been the subject of recent investigations as its safety and protocols have been called into question.
With Ortberg’s appointment, Boeing thanked Calhoun for his leadership.
"The board would also like to thank Dave Calhoun for his strong leadership at Boeing, first as Chair and then as CEO, when he stepped in to steer the company through the challenges of recent years," Mollenkopf said.
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