CEO of the week: Boeing’s Robert Kelly Ortberg

Boeing designated aerospace veteran Robert Kelly Ortberg as its CEO in an effort to turn around the aircraft manufacturer beset by legal and regulatory troubles, following  a quarter in which it lost more than $1 billion.

Robert Kelly Ortberg will assume the massive task of regaining trust with the public, business community, and authorities on August 8 amid a quality crisis.

“The Board conducted a thorough and extensive search process over the last several months to select the next CEO of Boeing and Robert Kelly Ortberg has the right skills and experience to lead Boeing in its next chapter,” Steven Mollenkopf, chair of the board said, Composites World reported.

“Robert Kelly Ortberg 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,” he further said.

“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,” he added.

Early Life & Career

1. Robert Kelly Ortberg was born to Carol M. and Robert L. Ortberg in Dubuque, Iowa, United States

2. Kelly Ortberg finished his degree at the University of Iowa in mechanical engineering. He is the former Chair of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) Board of Governors

3. In 1983, Kelly Ortberg started working at Texas Instruments as an engineer, and later in 1987, he left to work as a program manager at Rockwell Collins

4. In 2013, he was named CEO of Rockwell Collins and managed the Rockwell acquisition by United Technologies Corporation in 2018

5. Robert Kelly Ortberg is currently employed by an automotive technology supplier and joined the board of directors of Aptiv PLC upon his retirement in 2021

6. Kelly Ortberg is married to Valerie Dee Heitman and they have two daughters

7. According to Benzinga, Robert Kelly Ortberg’s net worth as of August 1, 2024 is around $76.6 Million