Boeing’s new CEO, Kelly Ortberg, made his first major executive move since taking over the position in August. The troubled airplane maker announced that Ted Colbert, its chief of defense, space, and security unit, will leave his position with an immediate effect.
Colbert has been with the company since 2009 and served in his most recent role since 2022. During his time in charge, the defense, space, and security division has lost approximately $6 billion while facing a number of issues.
One of those issues was building a malfunctioning Starliner capsule for NASA, which carried astronauts to the International Space Station. The capsule experienced problems with thrusters and was deemed unsafe for astronauts’ return to Earth.
With Colbert out, Boeing Space and Defense chief operating officer Steve Parker will take over as the head of the unit. The company is believed to be already looking for an executive to fill out the role on a permanent basis.
“At this critical juncture, our priority is to restore the trust of our customers and meet the high standards they expect of us to enable their critical missions around the world. Working together, we can and will improve our performance and ensure we deliver on our commitments,” Ortberg wrote in an email sent out to staff.
Boeing is currently facing another crisis after more than 32,000 of its workers went on strike due to failure to agree to a new collective deal. The company is engaged in negotiations with the union, but the talks are not expected to end on a positive note anytime soon.