Ted Colbert, chief executive of Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS), is leaving the aerospace manufacturer in what could be the first sign of a senior leadership overhaul under new CEO Kelly Ortberg.
Colbert’s departure was disclosed in a 20 September memo from Ortberg to Boeing employees. Current chief operating officer Steve Parker will assume leadership of BDS “effective immediately”.
“I want to thank Ted for his 15 years of service at The Boeing Company, supporting our customers, our people and our communities,” Ortberg says.
Parker will temporarily oversee BDS while Boeing searches for Colbert’s replacement.
Colbert has led BDS since 2022, emphasising quality engineering rather than “chasing revenue”, he told FlightGlobal in July. He prioritised stabilising Boeing’s critical manufacturing inputs and delivering strong products.
“This is an engineering company,” he said at the time. “Defence, at its core, is about great engineering.”
Boeing produces and maintains a wide range of defence products, from the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter to the F/A-18 Super Hornet and the KC-46A Pegasus tanker.
BDS posted a $913 million loss during the second quarter, compared with a $527 million loss during the same period last year.
Boeing is struggling on multiple fronts, with Ortberg’s team working to remedy the company’s ailing production lines and poor financial performances – all while seeking the resolution of a crippling labour dispute.
The Arlington, Virginia-headquartered airframer said on 18 September that it would begin furloughing tens of thousands of employees to save cash as it faces a strike by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
The strike has shuttered Boeing’s 737 production site in Renton and 767 and 777 assembly site in Everett, potentially costing the company $1.5-$3.0 billion monthly, some analysts estimate.
