Boeing’s space and defense chief is leaving, first move by new CEO

Boeing said Friday that the head of its struggling space and defense division is leaving the company immediately, the first management change under new Chief Executive Officer Kelly Ortberg.

Ortberg, who took over in August, said Ted Colbert would be leaving and Steve Parker, the unit’s chief operating officer, would take over Colbert’s duties until a successor is named later.

“At this critical time, our priority is to restore the trust of our customers and meet the high standards they expect from us to enable them to deliver on their mission-critical missions around the world,” Ortberg wrote in an email to employees. “By working together, we can and will improve our performance and deliver on our commitments.”

Boeing’s space business has suffered significant setbacks, most notably NASA’s recent decision to send Boeing’s Starliner capsule home without astronauts after years of stumbling blocks. Starliner has cost Boeing $1.6 billion in budget overruns since 2016.

Colbert’s departure comes at a time when Boeing is trying to save money by announcing unpaid furloughs for thousands of white-collar workers amid a strike that involved more than 32,000 employees.