WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Boeing announced that its board elected Robert K. “Kelly” Ortberg as the new president and chief executive officer, effective Aug. 8.
Ortberg will succeed Dave Calhoun, who earlier this year announced his intention to retire from the company. He has served as president and CEO since January 2020 and has been a member of Boeing’s Board of Directors since 2009.
Ortberg will take over as Boeing lost more than $1.4 billion in the second quarter. Revenue fell 15% from a year earlier, and its commercial airplanes business and defense unit lost money.
The disappointing results come at a tumultuous time for Boeing. The company agreed to plead guilty to fraud in connection with the Max , two of which crashed, killing 346 people. The Federal Aviation Administration has increased its oversight of the company following mistakes, including the blowout of a panel on an Alaska Airlines jet. It is pushing back against whistleblower allegations of manufacturing shortcuts that crimp on safety.