The head of Boeing’s defense unit, Ted Colbert is leaving the company effective immediately, according to CEO Kelly Ortberg.
Ortberg made this disclosure in a staff memo on Friday, according to CNBC.
This marks Ortberg’s first significant executive change since he assumed the role in early August, according to CNBC
“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 said.
He expressed gratitude to Colbert for his 15 years of service at Boeing, announcing that Chief Operating Officer Steve Parker would step in as interim leader until a replacement for Colbert is appointed.
Boeing’s defense, space, and security unit accounted for nearly 40% of the company’s revenue in the first half of this year.
However, it has faced challenges, including production issues and cost overruns, particularly with the new 747s designated as Air Force One aircraft.
In the space sector, Boeing’s Starliner is returning without the NASA astronauts who traveled to the International Space Station in June. Instead, they will return on SpaceX’s Crew-9 vehicle, as confirmed by NASA last month.
CNBC reports that Colbert did not immediately respond to request for comment.
