New Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg faces slew of challenges to fix US planemaker

Boeing's incoming boss, Kelly Ortberg, faces a herculean task when he starts next week - restoring the might of a U.S. corporate powerhouse rocked by multiple crises. The former Rockwell Collins boss is returning from retirement to head the 108-year-old U.S. planemaker, which is bleeding cash and beset by companywide problems expected to take years to fix. His extensive to-do list includes mending relationships with airlines and employees, boosting output, repairing company finances and securing a labor deal to avoid a possible worker strike later this year. Current and former airline executives told Reuters they are optimistic about Ortberg's aerospace and engineering expertise and his status as an outsider untethered to Boeing's past. But the 64-year-old has a hefty task. “This is not a five-year fix-it," said Bill George, former Medtronic CEO and executive fellow at Harvard Business School. "Is he prepared to spend the 10 years it's going to take to restore Boeing?" Boeing did not make Ortberg available for an interview. The company has previously said it is taking comprehensive steps to strengthen quality and build confidence, including reducing the amount of so-called traveled or pending work. "There is much work to be done, and I'm looking forward to getting started," Ortberg said on Wednesday in a statement. The company's most pressing issue is its falloff in jet production and deliveries following a Jan. 5 mid-air panel blowout on a near-new 737 MAX. Boeing is currently producing about 25 MAX jets a month, with a target of 38 per month by year-end.<br/>