Boeing has announced that its board of directors has elected Robert K. ‘Kelly’ Ortberg as its new president and chief executive, effective August 8, 2024.

Ortberg said: “I’m extremely honoured and humbled to join this iconic company. There is much work to be done, and I’m looking forward to getting started.”

Ortberg added: “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 will succeed Dave Calhoun, who earlier this year announced his intention to retire from the company, having served as president and chief executive since January 2020, and as a member of Boeing’s board of directors since 2009.

Ortberg will also join Boeing’s board of directors.

Steven Mollenkopf, chair of the board at Boeing, said: “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.

“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.”

Ortberg began his career in 1983 as an engineer at Texas Instruments, and then joined Rockwell Collins in 1987 as a programme manager and held increasingly important leadership positions at the company prior to becoming its president and chief executive in 2013.

After five years leading Rockwell Collins, he steered the company’s integration with United Technologies and RTX until his retirement from RTX in 2021.

Ortberg has held several important leadership posts in the industry, including serving on the board of directors of RTX. Additionally, he serves on the board of directors of Aptiv PLC, a global technology company. Ortberg is also 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.

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