Rockwell Collins CEO Kelly Ortberg poses for a photo at the company’s manufacturing facility in Manchester, Iowa, U.S., Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016.
Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images
boeing company The appointment of Robert “Kelly” Ortberg to replace Dave Calhoun as chief executive picks a longtime aerospace veteran from outside the company as the manufacturer struggles to emerge from a safety and manufacturing crisis. He will start work on August 8.
Ortberg, 64, previously led major aerospace supplier Rockwell Collins (which later became Collins Aerospace), a business that is now part of an industry giant RTX. He retires in 2021.
Ortberg, who has a degree in mechanical engineering, will face a host of challenges as Boeing CEO: continuing losses, increased regulatory scrutiny, a crisis of confidence among airline customers whose planes have been delayed, and tense labor negotiations that now include the threat of a strike. .
his Wednesday appointment Meanwhile, Boeing reported second-quarter results that showed a larger-than-expected loss and a 15% drop in sales.
Boeing announced in March that Calhoun would step down by the end of the year as part of a broader restructuring of the company that also included the departure of the then-chairman and a replacement at the head of its commercial aircraft business. The changes come after a door jam burst on a nearly new 737 Max 9, reigniting federal scrutiny of Boeing as it tries to emerge from two fatal crashes of its best-selling plane. Influence.
“The Board of Directors conducted a thorough and extensive search process over the past several months to select Boeing’s next CEO,” Boeing Chairman Steven Mollenkopf said in a letter to employees. “Kelly is an experienced leader with a proven track record in building strong teams and operating complex engineering and manufacturing companies in the aerospace industry. enjoys a high reputation. “
Ortberg will also join Boeing’s board of directors.