Hibapress
American aircraft manufacturer Boeing decided on Wednesday to appoint Kelly Ortberg as the new chairman and CEO to lead the recovery operation of the group, which is in difficulty due to recurring technical problems noted on many of its aircraft.
The former aviation industry veteran replaces Dave Calhoun, who announced in the spring that he would be leaving before the end of the year.
“The board conducted a broad and thorough search process over the past several months to select Boeing’s next CEO, and Kelly has the right skills and experience to lead Boeing into its next chapter,” Chairman Steven Mollenkopf said in a statement.
The U.S. giant is working to appease frustrated airlines and regain the trust of U.S. regulators and travelers after a “near disaster” in January over a quality control failure at its 737 plant outside Seattle, Washington, according to Bloomberg.
Kelly Ortberg worked in the aerospace industry for 35 years after beginning his career in 1983 as an engineer at Texas Instruments.
Bloomberg notes that Ortberg will take over a company whose finances have been badly damaged by the fallout from the January crash. Its stock has lost 27% of its value this year, putting it on track for its worst annual performance since 2020.
In a separate statement, the company reported second-quarter results that missed analysts’ expectations, with a net loss of $1.44 billion due to lower deliveries in its commercial aircraft business and losses on contracts in its defense business.
Turnover reached 16.86 billion between April and June, 15% less than the same period last year.
