Boeing on Tuesday named Steve Parker as president and CEO of its defense, space, and security (BDS) business, effective immediately. Parker, who has been with the aerospace giant for 37 years, has served as interim leader of the Boeing business unit since September 2024.
According to the Seattle Times, Parker took over as interim CEO after former defense chief Ted Colbert was removed after the company’s poor financial performance.
“[It has] stabilized its operations, improved program execution, and strengthened relationships with our customers,” said Boeing president and CEO Kelly Ortberg of the defensive business under Parker’s leadership. “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 will report to Ortberg and serve on the company’s executive council, overseeing all aspects of its business unit that provides technology, products, and solutions for defense, government, space, and intelligence customers worldwide.
Parker was previously BDS chief operating officer, responsible for day-to-day business operations, overseeing teams that include quality, manufacturing and safety, supply chain, and program management. He also led the BDS division, which included overseeing teams that produced bombers and fighters and vertical lift, and other products in Boeing’s defense portfolio.
Also changing jobs and titles this week are Brian West, who will become a senior adviser to
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Ortberg, and Jay Malave, who has been elected as incoming executive vice president and chief financial officer. West and Malave start their new positions on August 15.
For the past four years, West has served as Boeing CFO. Ortberg noted that West will continue working with the company in an advisory capacity, assisting in the upcoming CFO leadership transition.
“I want to personally thank Brian for his outstanding work navigating our recovery and positioning the company for the future,” said Ortberg. “These past few years have been some of the most consequential in Boeing’s history, and Brian successfully guided us through last year’s historic capital raise and ensured our team always had the resources to continue the critical work to strengthen safety and quality across our operations. I look forward to his continued counsel in his new role.”
Malave was most recently CFO of Lockheed Martin. Prior to that, he served as senior vice president and CFO at L3Harris Technologies and spent more than 20 years at United Technologies Corp. (UTC), serving as vice president and CFO of Carrier Corp. when it was an operating unit of UTC, and was also vice president and CFO at UTC Aerospace Systems (now Collins Aerospace).
Malave will lead Boeing’s financial strategy, reporting, long-range business planning, investor relations, treasury, controller and audit operations, and enterprise services. He reports to Ortberg and will also serve on the company’s executive council.
“Jay will become CFO at an important time in helping build Boeing’s next chapter as we continue to make progress on our recovery and implement fundamental changes rooted in safety and quality,” said Ortberg. “He is a well-respected financial and business leader and brings decades of experience developing people and teams across complex aerospace and manufacturing businesses.”
Boeing develops, manufactures, and services commercial airplanes, defense products, and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries.
