Respected industry veteran with more than 35 years of aerospace experience
Boeing announced today that its Board of Directors has elected Robert K. “Kelly” Ortberg as the new president and chief executive officer, effective August 8, 2024.
Ortberg will also join Boeing’s Board of Directors. He will succeed Dave Calhoun, who announced his retirement earlier this year after serving as president and CEO since January 2020 and as a board member since 2009.
“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 Steven Mollenkopf, Chair of the Board.
“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.”
Mollenkopf also expressed gratitude for Dave Calhoun’s leadership, noting, “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.”
Ortberg, 64, brings over 35 years of aerospace leadership to his new role. He began his career in 1983 as an engineer at Texas Instruments before joining Rockwell Collins in 1987 as a program manager.
He ascended through various leadership positions, ultimately becoming president and CEO in 2013. After five years at the helm, he led Rockwell Collins’ integration with United Technologies and RTX until his retirement from RTX in 2021.
Ortberg has also served on the Board of Directors of RTX and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Aptiv PLC, a global technology company and industry leader in vehicle systems architecture.
Additionally, he is the former Chair of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) Board of Governors. Ortberg holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Iowa.
“I’m extremely honored 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.”
As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures, and services commercial airplanes, defense products, and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries.
As a top U.S. exporter, the company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability, and community impact.
