Boeing Names Kelly Ortberg as Its Chief Executive
The company has been under pressure to improve quality and safety after a panel blew away from a 737 Max plane during an Alaska Airlines flight in January.
July 31, 2024 8:18 a.m. ET
Boeing’s board named the plane maker’s next chief executive on Wednesday, putting Robert K. Ortberg, a veteran of the aerospace industry, in charge as the company tries to recover from a crisis prompted by a panel blowing away from a 737 Max plane in January.
Mr. Ortberg, known as Kelly, will inherit a long list of difficult tasks. He will have to oversee sweeping cultural changes, complete the acquisition of an important suppliers, shore up Boeing’s supply chain as it tries to increase production and develop its next generation of planes. His appointment takes effect on Aug. 8.
Mr. Ortberg, 64, brings decades of industry experience and an outsider’s perspective to the role. He is a former chief executive of Rockwell Collins, which made electronic systems and other technology for aircraft, including those made by Boeing. Speculation about the airplane manufacturer’s next chief executive had focused on other candidates for months, but Mr. Ortberg’s name entered the public discussion this week after The Air Current reported that he was being considered.