Ted Colbert, the president and chief operating officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS), will be leaving the beleaguered company, Boeing announced Friday.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg told employees in a letter that the company’s 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.”
“I want to thank Ted for his 15 years of service at The Boeing Company, supporting our customers, our people and our communities,” he said in the letter.
In this Nov. 13, 2023, file photo, Ted Colbert, chief executive officer of the defense, space and security unit of Boeing Co., speaks during a Bloomberg television interview at the Dubai Air Show in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Bloomberg via Getty Images, FILE
Steve Parker will oversee BDS until a permanent replacement is found, according to Ortberg.
The company has endured tremendous financial pressures and extra scrutiny following a series of failures involving its aircraft and supply.
On Jan. 5, a door plug blew out of the company’s 737 Max 9 aircraft at around 15,000 feet in altitude during an Alaska Airlines flight, prompting a federal investigation.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun and board chairman Larry Kellner both announced their resignations in light of the investigations.
Last week, tens of thousands of Boeing workers voted to strike after rejecting the proposed contract.