Boeing has named Robert “Kelly” Ortberg as its new president and CEO, effective Aug. 8, the company announced Wednesday. He will replace Dave Calhoun, who assumed the role in January 2020 and announced in March amid U.S. federal investigations into the company that he would step down by the end of the year.
Ortberg, with more than 35 years of aerospace leadership, is coming out of retirement to take the position. He was the president and CEO of aerospace company Rockwell Collins from 2013 through its integration with RTX, formerly known as Raytheon Technologies, and retired from RTX in 2021, according to Boeing. Ortberg also previously worked at Texas Instruments.
Boeing in recent months has faced increased scrutiny over its safety and quality-control processes, as well as supply-chain issues. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration in March launched a criminal investigation into the Jan. 5 door-plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 that occurred shortly after takeoff from Portland, Ore. Several airline customers also have cited that delayed Boeing deliveries are negatively affecting their ability to expand capacity and networks.