Boeing has appointed aerospace industry veteran Robert “Kelly” Ortberg as its new President and CEO, as the embattled planemaker strives to restore its reputation and stabilise its business.
Ortberg previously led aerospace supplier Rockwell Collins before it was incorporated into aerospace and defence giant RTX. He is set to take up his new role on August, 8, succeeding current CEO Dave Calhoun, who announced his resignation earlier this year.
“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,” said Boeing’s Chairman, Steven Mollenkopf. Boeing, which has scaled back commercial aircraft production due to concerns over the quality of its jets, reported a larger quarterly loss on Wednesday. Its troubled defence and space division has added to the financial strain on the U.S. planemaker.
“I’m extremely honoured and humbled to join this iconic company,” said Ortberg. “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.”
Despite the challenges, shares in the company rose by 2% during pre-market trading in New York. However, its stock market value has declined by a quarter since the start of the year.
