# Kelly Ortberg

> Kelly Ortberg is Boeing’s president and chief executive officer, appointed in August 2024 after a career spanning Texas Instruments, Rockwell Collins and Collins Aerospace. The University of Iowa mechanical engineering graduate is based in Seattle and has focused his Boeing leadership on production stability, safety, quality and rebuilding company culture. His earlier career included leading major acquisitions and supporting STEM education.

- **Role:** President and Chief Executive Officer at Boeing
- **Organizations:** Boeing, Rockwell Collins, Collins Aerospace, RTX Corporation, Texas Instruments, Aptiv PLC, Aerospace Industries Association, University of Iowa Engineering Advisory Board, FIRST
- **From:** Dubuque, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, University of Iowa
- **Known for:** Led the launch of Pro Line Fusion avionics; the system had been selected for more than 15 platforms by August 2013., Led Rockwell Collins during its ARINC (2013) and B/E Aerospace (2017) acquisitions., Inducted into the University of Iowa Distinguished Engineering Alumni Academy in December 2013.

## Career timeline

- **1982** — Graduated from the University of Iowa with a mechanical engineering degree.
- **1983** — Began his career as an engineer at Texas Instruments.
- **1987** — Joined Rockwell Collins as a program manager.
- **2006** — Became chief operating officer of Rockwell Collins Commercial Systems.
- **2010** — Became chief operating officer of Rockwell Collins Government Systems.
- **2012** — Named president of Rockwell Collins in September.
- **2013** — Became CEO of Rockwell Collins in August; company acquired ARINC that year.
- **2015** — Added the Rockwell Collins chairman role in November.
- **2017** — Led Rockwell Collins during its B/E Aerospace acquisition.
- **2018** — Became CEO of Collins Aerospace in December following integration with United Technologies.
- **2020** — Concluded his Collins Aerospace CEO tenure in February; later served as an advisor to the RTX CEO’s office.
- **2021** — Retired from his RTX advisory role in March.
- **2024** — Became Boeing president and CEO on August 8 and joined its board; based himself in Seattle.
- **2025** — Testified to the Senate Commerce Committee on April 2; Boeing completed its Spirit acquisition in December.
- **2026** — Continued Boeing’s recovery; second-quarter commercial deliveries reached 171 compared with 150 a year earlier.

## Achievements

- Led the launch of Pro Line Fusion avionics; the system had been selected for more than 15 platforms by August 2013.
- Led Rockwell Collins during its ARINC (2013) and B/E Aerospace (2017) acquisitions.
- Inducted into the University of Iowa Distinguished Engineering Alumni Academy in December 2013.
- Recognized in Glassdoor’s 2017 Employees’ Choice Awards among the 100 Highest Rated CEOs at large U.S. companies.
- Received a University of Iowa Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award in 2018.
- Led Collins Aerospace following the combination of Rockwell Collins and UTC Aerospace Systems.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Boeing announced on September 2 that Ortberg and CFO Jay Malave would speak at the Morgan Stanley Laguna Conference on September 16.
- **2026-07** — Boeing reported second-quarter revenue of $24.560 billion, 171 commercial deliveries and a $428 million net loss on July 28.
- **2026-04** — Boeing’s April 13 culture update reported 79 percent employee pride, up 12 percentage points from the prior survey; Ortberg emphasized continued culture work.
- **2025-12** — Boeing completed its acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems on December 8, integrating Boeing-related commercial and aftermarket operations.

## Links

- Website: https://www.boeing.com/company/bios/kelly-ortberg
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-ortberg

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/kelly-ortberg
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Last updated: 2026-10-21