Boeing names new CEO amid $1.4B loss, safety concerns

Boeing has named Robert "Kelly" Ortberg as its new CEO, effective August 8, succeeding Dave Calhoun, who is retiring amid criticism.

Ortberg, the former CEO of Rockwell Collins, will lead Boeing as the company grapples with a core operating loss of $1.4 billion for the second quarter—more than triple the loss from the previous year. This financial setback has been exacerbated by heightened scrutiny of the safety and quality of Boeing's planes, which has hindered production and profitability, News.Az reports citing foreign media.

“I’m extremely honored and humbled to join this iconic company,” said Ortberg in a statement from the company. “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.”

Ortberg, who noted “there is much work to be done” at Boeing, has a background that could be encouraging to some staff who have criticized Boeing’s management for having too much of a emphasis on finance rather than the engineering quality.

Ortberg started work in the aviation industry in 1983 as an engineer at Texas Instruments, and then joined Rockwell Collins in 1987 as a program manager. He became CEO of Rockwell Collins in 2013, and retired from the company in 2021.

News.Az