A University of Iowa alum is attempting to redirect the Boeing company after issues with its manufacturing line drove the company to the brink of ruin. The UI graduate, Robert “Kelly” Ortberg, began working as the company’s CEO on Aug. 8.

The aerospace company was the subject of a government audit in January 2024 after a Boeing 737 Max 9 passenger jet lost a rear door plug mid-flight forcing the plane to make an emergency landing with terrified passengers on board.

After the incident, Boeing was ordered to ground all 737 Max 9 jets, and the Federal Aviation Administration began an investigation that found multiple issues with quality control in the company’s aircraft production line.

The FAA ordered the company to resolve the quality control issues, which resulted in several staff members resigning. The former CEO Dave Calhoun also announced his intentions to retire early this year and officially announced he would be stepping down from the position in March.

As of Aug. 8, Ortberg, 62, took over the role of CEO, and many are saying he’s the right pick for the job.

Ortberg was born in Dubuque, Iowa, and graduated from the UI in 1982 with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. Five years later, he began his career in the aviation industry at Cedar Rapids-based airplane manufacturer Rockwell Collins — now Collins Aerospace.

Ortberg would spend the next 35 years at the company and eventually become CEO in 2013. He led the company through its transition into Collins Aerospace in 2018.

Along with his work in the aviation industry, Ortberg has kept his roots as a Hawkeye. He is a member of the College of Engineering’s advisory board, which dictates departmental-wide strategies, such as increasing enrollment and connecting with more engineering companies.

Ortberg received the UI’s Distinguished Alumni Award, which is an annual recognition of the accomplishments of UI alumni, in 2018. He has also given charitable donations to the UI, which included $50,000 to the College of Engineering in 2011 to recruit more women.

Ann McKenna, dean of the College of Engineering, said Ortberg’s experience in aviation makes him a great candidate for the role with Boeing. She said one of the most important parts of his story is demonstrating the capabilities of Hawkeyes.

“If you graduate from the University of Iowa with an engineering degree, you can accomplish anything,” McKenna said. “Having someone like him as an example, a role model of the type of leadership positions that you can take with an engineering degree from Iowa, is amazing.”

She added that Ortberg’s decades-long experience in the aviation industry sets him up well to lead the company.

“It’s a tough position he’s stepping into. Not just in terms of his technical ability, but his leadership, and his work in the same industry as Boeing, I think, prepares him pretty well,” McKenna said.

She said Ortberg is not the only College of Engineering alum who has achieved a prestigious position after college. Collins Aerospace’s current president, Troy Brunk, is a UI alum, as well as Michael Fliddelke, who works as the chief financial officer for Target.

McKenna said the UI isn’t always known for its engineering school, but the department gives students an opportunity to establish successful careers like the aforementioned alumni.

Through his work, McKenna said Ortberg has made a tremendous impact on the College of Engineering, particularly through his work on the advisory board. Ortberg is still on the advisory board, and McKenna said she plans to talk with Ortberg soon about future plans.

Ortberg has also received praise from business leaders across Iowa. At Ortberg’s 2018 award ceremony, Debi Durham, the Iowa Economic Development Authority director, had no shortage of compliments for Ortberg.

“Mr. Ortberg is the epitome of an Iowa success story,” Durham said. “He is someone who has persevered to advance his company, community, and the people around him.”

After accepting the position, Ortberg released a statement that said he is fully committed to repairing Boeing customers’ trust and that there is a lot of work to do.

“Throughout my career in aerospace over the last three decades, I have had the pleasure to work with The Boeing Company, and I’ve always been impressed with the great employees here,” Ortberg wrote in the release. “We have what it takes to win.”