Ted Colbert, President and CEO of Boeing Global Services, speaks during a news conference in Dubai before the Dubai Air Show on November 16, 2019.
Karim Sahib | AFP | Getty Images
head boeing companyChief Executive Kelly Ortberg said defense unit Ted Colbert will leave the company immediately, marking the first major executive change since he took over in early August.
“At this critical time, our top priority is to restore the trust of our customers and meet the high standards they expect from us to help them complete their critical missions around the world,” Ortberg said in a staff memo on Friday. “Working together, we can and will improve our performance and ensure we deliver on our commitments.”
Ortberg thanked Colbert for his 15 years of service at Boeing and said the division's chief operating officer, Steve Parker, will take over until the company names Colbert's successor.
Boeing's defense, space and security unit accounted for nearly 40% of Boeing's revenue in the first half of this year, but it has struggled with production problems and cost overruns, including on new 747 aircraft that will serve as Air Force One. In space, Boeing's Starliner is returning without NASA astronauts taking it to the International Space Station in June. NASA said last month it would retrieve SpaceX's Crew-9 spacecraft.
Colbert did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.