Robert Kelly Ortberg (born April 1960) is an American business executive and the president and CEO of Boeing. He was previously the president and CEO of Rockwell Collins.

Kelly Ortberg
Born
Robert Kelly Ortberg

April 1960 (age 64)
EducationUniversity of Iowa (BS)
TitlePresident and CEO, Boeing
TermAugust 8, 2024–present
PredecessorDave Calhoun
Spouse
Valerie Dee Heitman
(m. 1983)
Children2

Early life and education

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Robert Kelly Ortberg was born to Carol M. (née Koelker) and Robert L. Ortberg in April 1960.[1][2][3] He is a native of Dubuque, Iowa.[4][5] He graduated with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Iowa in 1982.[5][6]

Career

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Ortberg started his career in 1983 as an engineer at Texas Instruments[7] before joining Rockwell Collins in 1987 as a program manager.[8][9] In 2001, he was promoted from vice president to vice president and general manager of communication systems at Rockwell Collins.[10] He rose through the ranks at Rockwell Collins and became the president and CEO of the company in 2013.[8][11] Ortberg held the position for five years until the company was acquired by United Technologies (UTC) in 2018. Ortberg stayed on to lead the merger of Rockwell Collins and UTC Aerospace Systems to form Collins Aerospace, where he was again named CEO.[5] Ortberg would remain with the company through its merger with Raytheon in 2020 to form the RTX Corporation. He retired from RTX in 2021.[12][9][6]

Ortberg was chair of the board of governors of the Aerospace Industries Association.[12] He is on the board of directors of Aptiv.[13]

Ortberg became a member of Boeing's board of directors after becoming its president and CEO on August 8, 2024.[7] Ortberg has chosen to be based in the Seattle area, where the company's main commercial aircraft assembly plants are located. His decision comes more than two decades after Boeing leadership decided to move company headquarters out of Seattle.[14]

Personal life

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Ortberg married Valerie Dee Heitman on August 13, 1983.[1][15] They have two daughters.[16]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Heitman–Ortberg". The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa). August 28, 1983. p. 11C. Retrieved July 31, 2024 – via Archive.org. 
  2. ^ "Carol M. Ortberg". The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa). June 17, 2010. p. 8. Retrieved July 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com. 
  3. ^ "Robert Kelly Ortberg". Companies House. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  4. ^ Gomes, Nathan (July 31, 2024). "Who is Boeing's new CEO Kelly Ortberg?". Reuters. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Steppe, John (March 9, 2021). "Former Rockwell chief Ortberg retires". The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa). p. P6. Retrieved July 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com. 
  6. ^ a b Ganapavaram, Abhijith; Lampert, Allison (July 31, 2024). "Boeing names aerospace veteran Kelly Ortberg CEO to steer turnaround". Reuters. Thomson Reuters. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Bushey, Claire; Pfeifer, Sylvia (July 31, 2024). "Boeing names Kelly Ortberg as chief executive". Financial Times. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Isidore, Chris (July 31, 2024). "Boeing names new CEO after losses more than triple". CNN. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Chokshi, Niraj (July 31, 2024). "Boeing Names Kelly Ortberg as Its Chief Executive". The New York Times. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  10. ^ DeWitte, Dave (August 7, 2001). "Rockwell reaches inside own organization for leadership". The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa). p. 7B. Retrieved July 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com. 
  11. ^ Merced, Michael J. de la (August 11, 2013). "Rockwell Collins to Buy Arinc, a Flight Systems Company, for $1.39 Billion". The New York Times. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  12. ^ a b "Boeing Board Names Kelly Ortberg President and CEO" (Press release). Boeing. July 31, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  13. ^ Roeloffs, Mary Whitfill (July 31, 2024). "Boeing Hires Robert Ortberg As New CEO After Rough Year". Forbes Magazine. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  14. ^ Gates, Dominic (July 31, 2024). "New Boeing chief will be based in Seattle; filing sheds light on 8-figure payday". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  15. ^ Rabines, Amanda (October 16, 2018). "Aviation electronics chief lands a home in West Palm Beach". therealdeal.com. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  16. ^ "Robert Kelly Ortberg". littlesis.org. Retrieved July 31, 2024.