Boeing named former Rockwell Collins chief Robert “Kelly” Ortberg its next CEO Wednesday, as the aviation giant reported a hefty loss on continued operational problems.
Ortberg, 64, helped lead Rockwell Collins and integrate it into United Technology prior to his retirement from RTX in 2021.
His appointment, which will take effect August 8, comes as Boeing attempts to rebound from a series of safety and quality control problems that have sharpened scrutiny on the company.
Those difficulties were immediately visible in Boeing’s second-quarter results released Wednesday, a loss of $1.4 billion, compared with a loss of $149 million in the year-ago period.
Revenues fell 14.6 percent to $16.9 billion.
The quarterly results reflected a continued drag from Boeing’s commercial division, where it has lowered production while upgrading safety and quality control practices under the close watch of regulators.
The latest results also showed significant weakness in its defense business due to a number of fixed price contracts …