Ted Colbert, former CEO of Boeing Defense, Space and Security, made the remarks at a press conference in Dubai on November 16, 2019.
Karim Sahib | AFP | Getty Images
Chief BoeingChief Executive Officer Kelly Ortberg announced that defense chief Ted Colbert would be leaving the company effective immediately, marking Colbert’s first major leadership change since taking over as CEO in early August.
“At this critical juncture, our top priority is to restore our customers’ trust and meet the high standards they expect from us to carry out their critical missions around the world,” Ortberg said in a staff memo on Friday. “By working together, we can and will improve our performance and ensure we deliver on our promises.”
Ortberg thanked Colbert for his 15 years of service at Boeing and said the division’s chief operating officer, Steve Parker, would serve in his role until the company could name a successor.
Boeing’s defense, space and security division accounted for about 40% of its sales in the first half of the year, but it has been plagued by production problems and cost overruns, including for the new 747 that powers Air Force One. On the space front, Boeing’s Starliner will return home without the NASA astronauts it carried to the International Space Station in June. NASA said last month that it would return with SpaceX’s Crew 9 instead.
Colbert did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.