On July 31st, Virginia time, Boeing announced that its board of directors has elected Robert K. Kelly Ortberg as the new president and CEO, effective from August 8, 2024. Ottoberg will also serve as a director of Boeing. He will succeed David Calhoun, who announced earlier this year that he will retire from the company. Calhoun has served as President and CEO since January 2020 and as a director of Boeing since 2009.
Boeing Chairman Steven Mollenkopf said, "In the past few months, the board has conducted a comprehensive and extensive search to select Boeing's next CEO, and Ultraberg possesses the appropriate skills and experience to lead Boeing in the new phase. Ultraberg is an experienced leader highly respected in the aerospace industry, renowned for building strong teams and operating complex engineering and manufacturing companies. We look forward to working with him to lead Boeing through this critical period in its long history
Otterberg, who is 64 years old, has brought over 35 years of aerospace leadership experience to his new position. Ottoberg holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Iowa. He started working as an engineer at Texas Instruments in 1983, then joined Rockwell Collins as a project manager in 1987 and held increasingly important leadership positions at the company, ultimately becoming president and CEO in 2013. After five years at the helm of Rockwell Collins, he led the company's integration with United Technologies and RTX until retiring from RTX in 2021. He has held many important leadership positions in the industry, including director of RTX Corporation. In addition, he also serves as a director of Aptiv PLC, a global technology company that is a leader in the vehicle system architecture industry. He has served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIA).