The race for Boeing’s new chief may be down to four candidates, including a new name.
Kelly Ortberg, the former CEO of aerospace company Rockwell Collins, is seriously being considered for the position of Boeing’s chief, trade publication The Air Current reported on Sunday, citing industry officials.
Rockwell Collins provided aviation systems and information technology services to government agencies and aircraft manufacturers. It was acquired in 2018.
Ortberg has 30 years of experience in the aerospace and space industry, according to his profile on RTX, the company which runs the former Rockwell Collins. He retired in 2021 as an advisor to the CEO of RTX.
There have been reports of three other contenders for the position following March announcement that CEO Dave Calhoun will step down by the end of the year, in the wake of the Alaska Airlines disaster in January.
Another candidate in the running is Stephanie Pope, the CEO of Boeing’s commercial airplanes division. Her predecessor, Stan Deal, announced his immediate retirement at the same time as Calhoun’s resignation. Pope, a third-generation employee, was formerly the plane-maker’s chief operating officer and has a finance background.
A third candidate is Pat Shanahan, the CEO of Spirit AeroSystems — the supplier that built the fuselage of the Alaska 737 Max that lost its door plug midair. Earlier this month, Boeing said it would buy back Spirit, a former subsidiary, in a deal worth $4.7 billion.
Current Boeing board chair Steve Mollenkopf is also in the running, according to Reuters. He is the former CEO of semiconductor company Qualcomm Incorporated.
Boeing seems to be struggling to find a new leader. At least two people — Larry Culp, the CEO of GE Aerospace and David Gitlin, the CEO of the home-appliances firm Carrier — turned down Boeing’s requests for the role, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month.
The company did not respond to Business Insider’s request for comment, sent outside standard business hours.
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