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The Boeing Company

Aerospace & Defense ManufacturingFounded 1916
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026

Leadership History

Boeing: CEO History

10 leaders · 1945 to present

Who is the CEO of Boeing?

Kelly Ortberg is the CEO of Boeing, in the role since 2024. The first chief executive was William McPherson Allen, from 1945.

Current CEO
Kelly Ortberg (since 2024)
First CEO
William McPherson Allen (1945)
Leaders documented
10
Founded
1916
NameRoleFromToYears in role
Kelly OrtbergPresident and Chief Executive Officer2024Present2
Dave CalhounChief Executive Officer202020244
Dennis MuilenburgChief Executive Officer201520194
James McNerneyChief Executive Officer2005201510
James A. BellChief Executive Officer20052005< 1
Harry StonecipherChief Executive Officer200320052
Philip M. ConditChief Executive Officer199620037
Frank ShrontzChief Executive Officer1986199610
Thornton WilsonChief Executive Officer1969198617
William McPherson AllenChief Executive Officer1945196823
Who was CEO of Boeing before Kelly Ortberg?
Dave Calhoun was CEO of Boeing from 2020 to 2024, before Kelly Ortberg took over in 2024.

Company Overview

Boeing is the largest U.S. aerospace company by revenue and one half of the commercial jet duopoly with Airbus. It builds the 737 MAX, 767, 777/777X and 787 Dreamliner; military aircraft such as the F-15EX, F/A-18, KC-46A, P-8, AH-64 Apache and CH-47 Chinook; and space systems including the SLS core stage and commercial satellites. Since 2019 its story has been shaped by safety failures, from the two fatal 737 MAX crashes to the January 2024 Alaska Airlines door-plug blowout, and by a slow recovery led since August 2024 by CEO Kelly Ortberg. The company is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. The titan of American aerospace was founded in Seattle, Washington in 1916, historically dominating the global skies before suffering massive, unprecedented reputational and financial crises due to fatal engineering failures.

Kelly Ortberg

President and Chief Executive Officer

2024 – Present

2 years (current)

Legacy

Ortberg became Boeing's president and CEO on August 8, 2024, recruited from outside after more than 35 years in aerospace, including running Rockwell Collins as CEO from 2013 through its sale to United Technologies (later RTX). He arrived after the January 2024 door-plug blowout and in his first months handled a 53-day machinists' strike and a $24 billion equity raise. He based himself in Seattle near the factories, put Boeing under a Safety & Quality Plan, closed the Spirit AeroSystems purchase, sold Jeppesen for $10.55 billion, and led Boeing back to an annual profit in 2025.

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Dave Calhoun

Chief Executive Officer

2020 – 2024

4 years

Legacy

A Boeing director and former GE executive who took over in January 2020 after Dennis Muilenburg was fired. He returned the 737 MAX to service in November 2020, steered Boeing through the pandemic, and said in March 2024, after the door-plug blowout, that he would step down; Ortberg replaced him in August 2024.

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Dennis Muilenburg

Chief Executive Officer

2015 – 2019

4 years

Legacy

A Boeing engineer who became CEO in July 2015 and chairman in 2016. He led the company through the Lion Air (2018) and Ethiopian Airlines (2019) 737 MAX crashes and the worldwide grounding, and was fired in December 2019.

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James McNerney

Chief Executive Officer

2005 – 2015

10 years

Legacy

A former 3M chief executive hired in July 2005. He oversaw the 787 Dreamliner's delayed entry into service in 2011, launched the 737 MAX (2011) and 777X (2013), and pushed suppliers and labor hard on cost.

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James A. Bell

Chief Executive Officer

2005 – 2005

0 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Bell served as interim CEO and long-time CFO, managing the complex financial fallout and massive cost overruns during the heavily delayed 787 Dreamliner program.

Legacy

He strictly enforced capital discipline during the 2008 financial crisis, ensuring Boeing retained the massive liquidity required to fund its commercial and defense pipelines.

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Harry Stonecipher

Chief Executive Officer

2003 – 2005

2 years

Legacy

The former McDonnell Douglas CEO returned from retirement in December 2003 after Phil Condit resigned over the Air Force tanker-lease scandal. The board forced him out in March 2005 over a relationship with a female executive that broke company policy.

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Philip M. Condit

Chief Executive Officer

1996 – 2003

7 years

Legacy

An engineer who led the 777 program, became CEO in 1996, completed the McDonnell Douglas merger in 1997 and moved headquarters from Seattle to Chicago in 2001. He resigned in December 2003 amid the tanker procurement scandal.

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Frank Shrontz

Chief Executive Officer

1986 – 1996

10 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Shrontz oversaw the highly successful launch of the 777 program, which established Boeing's absolute dominance in the long-haul, twin-engine widebody market.

Legacy

As CEO through the late 1980s and 1990s, he pushed the company toward massive lean manufacturing initiatives and initiated the highly controversial merger with McDonnell Douglas.

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Thornton Wilson

Chief Executive Officer

1969 – 1986

17 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Wilson made the incredibly risky bet to launch the 757 and 767 programs simultaneously, successfully modernizing Boeing's entire product line.

Legacy

He saved the company from imminent bankruptcy during the catastrophic 'Boeing Bust' of 1969-1971 by ruthlessly cutting the workforce from 100,000 to 38,000 (the infamous 'Turn Out the Lights' era).

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William McPherson Allen

Chief Executive Officer

1945 – 1968

23 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Allen literally bet the company by committing $16 million of Boeing's own capital to develop the Dash 80 prototype, which became the iconic 707.

Legacy

As CEO for 16 years, he transitioned Boeing from a purely military bomber manufacturer into the undisputed global leader in commercial jet aviation, launching the 707, 727, 737, and 747.

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Challenges & Strategic Context

Boeing has to deliver the newly certified 737-7, win certification for the 737-10 and 777-9 (the FAA paused 737-10 certification in September 2026 over a flight-management software issue), raise 737 output toward 47 a month without new quality escapes, integrate Spirit AeroSystems, stop losses on fixed-price defense programs such as the KC-46A and VC-25B, settle a contract with about 17,000 SPEEA engineers and technicians, and keep paying down $45.9 billion of debt.

Boeing CEO and Leadership FAQ

Who is Robert K. 'Kelly' Ortberg and when did he become CEO of Boeing?

Kelly Ortberg was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of The Boeing Company on August 8, 2024. A highly respected mechanical engineer and aerospace veteran with over 35 years of industry leadership, Ortberg previously led Rockwell Collins as Chairman and CEO through its acquisition by RTX.

What has Kelly Ortberg changed at Boeing?

Ortberg based himself in Seattle near the factories, put Boeing under a Safety & Quality Plan tied to factory performance indicators, settled the 2024 machinists' strike, raised about $24 billion of equity, closed the Spirit AeroSystems purchase and sold Jeppesen. Boeing returned to an annual profit in 2025 under his leadership.

Who was Dave Calhoun and why did he leave Boeing?

Dave Calhoun, a Boeing director and former GE executive, became CEO in January 2020 after Dennis Muilenburg was fired. He returned the 737 MAX to service and led Boeing through the pandemic, then said in March 2024, after the Alaska Airlines door-plug blowout, that he would step down. Ortberg replaced him in August 2024.

Who was Dennis Muilenburg and what was his tenure during the 737 MAX crisis?

Dennis Muilenburg served as CEO of Boeing from 2015 to December 2019. An engineer who spent his entire career at Boeing, Muilenburg was dismissed by the Board of Directors following the tragic 737 MAX crashes of Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 and subsequent global grounding.

Who was Jim McNerney and what major aircraft programs did he launch?

Jim McNerney served as CEO of Boeing from 2005 to 2015, overseeing the first flight and commercial entry into service of the 787 Dreamliner, the launch of the 737 MAX, and the commercial launch of the 777X program.

Who was William M. Allen?

William M. Allen, a lawyer, led Boeing as president from 1945 to 1968. He backed the B-47 and B-52 jet bombers, bet the company on the Dash 80 prototype that became the 707 in 1958, and launched the 727, 737 and 747.

Who is Stephanie Pope and what is her executive role at Boeing Commercial Airplanes?

Stephanie Pope was appointed President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) in March 2024, having previously served as Chief Operating Officer of Boeing and CEO of Boeing Global Services, leading daily operations across commercial airplane production.

Who chairs Boeing's board of directors?

Steve Mollenkopf, the former CEO of Qualcomm, was elected independent chair of Boeing's board in March 2024, succeeding Larry Kellner. He led the search that chose Kelly Ortberg as CEO.

Why was the CEO of Boeing fired?

Dennis Muilenburg was fired over his disastrous handling of the fatal 737 MAX crashes. His successor, Dave Calhoun, was also forced to step down following a massive mid-air door plug blowout, leading to Kelly Ortberg taking over in 2024.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.