Boeing displays models of its aircraft at World Defense Show 2024 in Riyadh. (Agnes Helou / Breaking Defense)
WASHINGTON — Boeing has named company veteran Steve Parker as the CEO of its defense business, elevating him from his current role as the interim chief executive.
Parker, who joined the company in 1988, has previously worked as the unit’s chief operating officer and led business divisions overseeing the vertical lift and bombers and fighters portfolio. He will take the reins of Boeing’s defense unit immediately, the company stated in a news release.
“Under Steve’s leadership, our defense business has stabilized its operations, improved program execution and strengthened relationships with our customers,” Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said in a statement. “With proven experience in manufacturing and program management, combined with his focus on developing people and building a strong culture, Steve is a leader who exemplifies the best of Boeing.”
Parker replaces former Boeing defense CEO Ted Colbert, who departed the company in September. As COO of the defense unit from 2022 to 2024, Parker worked closely with Colbert and was responsible for overseeing business operations — a role that put him in point position to grapple with supply chain challenges and other manufacturing issues that had contributed to billions in cost overruns on several fixed-price Boeing defense contracts.
Parker has led Boeing’s defense business in an interim capacity since Colbert’s departure, putting him in the driver’s seat when President Donald Trump announced that Boeing’s F-47 had won the Air Force’s sixth-generation fighter program. The contract was seen as possibly existential for the future of Boeing’s defense arm, which has been reliant on moneymaking legacy programs such as the F-15 and F/A-18, while newer programs like KC-46 and T-7 experience continued cost and schedule difficulties.
Parker’s elevation to permanent CEO comes after another major leadership shakeup at Boeing. On Monday, Boeing announced former Lockheed Martin CFO Jay Malave would become the company’s new finance chief on Aug. 15, replacing Brian West.
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Author: Valerie Insinna
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